FAQs for Adopting the New Progress Review Workflow

Description

This article provides answers to questions you may have when exploring the adoption of Apprenticeship Management's Progress Reviews.

Required module

ePortfolio

Education - Microsoft Teams (Optional - Administrators will have needed to configure the tenant)

Type of user

• Administrators
• Assessors

Features

• We appreciate that adopting a new workflow in your organisation requires a considered approach. Therefore, we have provided answers to questions you may have when exploring the new Progress Reviews workflow in Apprenticeship Management:

1) Do 'Formal Review' sessions in Smart Assessor carryover to the new Progress Reviews workflow? - Whilst sessions booked through Smart Assessor are surfaced into Apprenticeship Management's calendar, 'Formal Review' sessions from Smart Assessor do not surface in the new 'Reviews' area in Apprenticeship Management. Any Progress Reviews booked in Apprenticeship Management do not surface into Smart Assessor, including within the Learning Plan or within any reports. The reason for this is the new Progress Review workflow is built in a new, separate data architecture to support it's modernisations.

2) We have Forms we use today for Progress Reviews. Can we still use these Forms? - Formal Review sessions in Smart Assessor and Forms within your site continue to be available. Whilst Apprenticeship Management's Progress Reviews offer note fields to capture discussion points, we appreciate organisations may wish to continue using either Smart Assessor Forms or external Forms to assist in review discussions. Review Records within Apprenticeship Management therefore allow files that support the review discussion to be uploaded and attached.

3) When integrating Microsoft Teams, does this work with Smart Assessor reviews? - No, the Microsoft Teams integration only applies to Apprenticeship Management.

4) How can I start using the Progress Reviews workflow with learners? - The new 'Reviews' area is available for all active ePortfolio learners in Apprenticeship Management.

New learners at the start of their practical period - it is strongly advised to book reviews for new learners through Apprenticeship Management, so those learners can benefit from the modernisations throughout their programme, plus saving Assessor's time from training on the Smart Assessor Formal Review workflow.

Learners with a considerable number of planned reviews remaining - we appreciate learners partway through their practical period will be used to the Progress Review process in your organisation. Consider the benefits of the new Apprenticeship Management workflow so they can benefit from the modernisations for the remainder of their practical period.

Learners with only one or two planned reviews remaining - for learners nearing the end of their practical period, we appreciate they will be used to current Progress Review processes within your organisation. Consider if the time spent by Delivery Staff training the learner on a new workflow is beneficial for the remaining planned reviews. Remember, the existing Formal Review sessions in Smart Assessor and Forms remain available for use if you choose to complete the learner's reviews through your existing processes.

Consider trying a pilot group with Assessor's and a mixture of new learners and current learners before a wider rollout across your organisation. Note that if an apprentice has 'Formal Review' sessions booked in Smart Assessor, then the first Progress Review in Apprenticeship Management will behave as if it is the first review.

5) We have reports we use today to track Progress Reviews. How can I report on Progress Reviews in Apprenticeship Management? - Existing reports in Smart Assessor will continue to be available for your Smart Assessor data. Whilst Progress Reviews booked through Apprenticeship Management will not surface in these reports, Administrators have access to a CSV download containing data for all Progress Reviews booked through Apprenticeship Management.

6) Can I send Progress Reviews in Apprenticeship Management to external recipients so they can sign the review? - Assessors can invite participants to Progress Reviews in Apprenticeship Management who do not have access to the site. These participants will receive an email notification to add the Progress Review to their own calendar. However, Apprenticeship Management does not offer direct access to the Review Record if an individual does not have an Identity account and access to the learner the review is for. Therefore, external recipients cannot directly access or sign the Review Record.

7) What are some of the key benefits to adopting Apprenticeship Management's Progress Reviews? - There are several key benefits and enhancements available in Apprenticeship Management's Progress Reviews that are not offered in Smart Assessor's 'Formal Review' sessions or Forms:

·        A clear view for Assessors, Learners and Employers to view a learner’s upcoming and previous Progress Reviews. Reviews also surface in Apprenticeship Management’s calendar. Email notifications sent to invitees allow for the review to be added to external calendars, such as Outlook.

·        Assessors have greater control over who is invited to the Progress Review, including other Assessors, contacts from the apprentice's place of employment and external recipients who may not have an Identity account. All invited parties with an Identity account and permission to the Learner Profile can access the dedicated Review Record simultaneously.

·        The Review Record surfaces Off-The-Job and Evidence data automatically to contextualise the learner’s progress.

·        Notes can be captured directly within the Review Record and they automatically save, reducing risk of data loss.

·        Any follow-up tasks that are agreed with the learner during the discussion can be captured in the Review Record. These tasks are tracked in existing To Do lists across Apprenticeship Management and automatically carryover from Progress Review to Progress Review.

·        The Review Record allows for the capturing of the Assessor’s written summary of the review discussion, and it automatically saves, reducing risk of data loss.

·        Assessors can lock the review once satisfied with it's contents, ensuring the data is protected from further edits. This triggers a streamlined signatures workflow, simplifying their collection.