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What is ePOE and why do you need it?

South Africa’s climate is changing. This is also indicative of what’s happening throughout the rest of the world too. The recent rains in Gauteng and droughts in other regions are testament to the changing weather patterns which should highlight the need for us all to consider the way in which work. As we are well aware, old habits die hard, but never before has there been as much incentive to do something practical about our impact on global warming and its effects on the environment.

But, what does this have to do with ePOE?

An ePOE or electronic portfolio of evidence is a step that Summit is proud to take in order to constructively address the amount of paper that traditional portfolios of work would ordinarily use. In a business that relies a lot on POE’s, digitizing efforts is increasingly important if we want to stay ahead of the curve.

Doing the same thing and expecting a different result is the definition of madness. Therefore conducting what used to be a paper-based assessment process in (what is now) a paperless approach is the next logical step.  The move to an electronic portfolio of evidence ( ePOE ) is a step that Summit is proud to take and with the 4th industrial revolution bearing down on all businesses, it is a step that has almost become a must.

The ePOE enables the learner to load their evidence via a web-based platform for formative and summative assessments. The platform notifies the assessor when the evidence is presented, thus allowing in-time assessments. As the assessor checks the submissions, the results are captured in the platform – enabling the learner access to their feedback without delay no matter where they are based. So, the learner does not need to wait to meet the assessor again before seeing their results.

ePOE changes the way that we assess, making it easier for learners who can make use of audio and video as a mechanism to assess, versus just text-based input. This ensures that regardless of the written communication level of learners, assessors are able to determine whether the learner can perform the task. This means that there is a massive focus on assessing for competency which Summit believes leads to more employable (and gainfully employed) individuals.

The platform is evolving and allows for the full assessment cycle from upload to moderation and will eventually communicate with the Sector Education Training Authority (SETA). Thus, the time from learner-upload to verification by the SETA is reduced as the wait for submissions at the different stages are lessened. This will lead to a reduced time from training to certification.

So, the move to an ePOE not only has clear benefits for the learner, but also for the assessor and the company because less paper and time is used in the process. Hopefully with each step taken by companies to reduce their carbon foot print, the impact on the environment will be reduced.

To find out more about Summit’s training for businesses and its other innovative products, visit: www.reachsummit.co.za