This illustrated case study details highly effective practice that has been captured during the inspection of Dennistoun Early Years Centre in Glasgow City Council.

Building a strong community using digital technology through the use of online profiles to:

• record and track children’s progress in learning across the curriculum
• share children’s experiences and progress in learning with parents and carers

Building a strong community using digital technology

Periods of home learning during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for more creative ways in sharing children’s learning and progress with parents and carers.

Senior leaders recognised that there was a need to find a manageable approach that supported practitioners in gathering, collating, and tracking children’s progress over time.

Staff agreed the use of a digital portfolio application to support tracking and monitoring and demonstrate children’s progress.

Digital Tracking

After securing an external grant, senior leaders purchased digital devices for all practitioners. This supported practitioners to capture evidence of children’s learning and share children’s progress with their families more regularly.

Gathering evidence

During day-to-day learning experiences, practitioners gather photographs, observations, oral feedback and video evidence of children’s engagement in learning across different contexts and playroom areas.

All practitioners have their own digital tablet. Practitioners gather evidence from learning that is planned, responsive, focused and intentional, as well as spontaneous learning.

Monitoring progress

Practitioners collate and organise the evidence in folders to show the progress children are making over time. The digital application uses the eight areas of Curriculum for Excellence. This allows children’s progress to be tracked across all areas of the curriculum.

The digital application’s tracking tools allows practitioners to ‘tag’ key skills and experiences and outcomes demonstrated by children. The collated evidence is used to inform judgements about children’s progress and identify next steps in their learning.

Progress and achievement

Children are motivated to share their learning, talk about their experiences and to talk about and celebrate their successes.

Children use this digital application very well to share and reflect on their learning.

Practitioners have achieved an award in digital technology. They have used their learning very well to develop skills in the use of online applications.

An increasing number of parents and carers engage with the digital application. They value more regular and detailed updates on their child’s learning and progress. They use the digital application well to share information about their child’s achievements outwith the early learning centre.

Self-evaluation questions

1. What can we do to ensure that we are enhancing learning through the use of digital technologies?
2. How well do we help children to select and make use of high-quality resources and equipment, including digital technologies?