Activity 2.1 - applications of eportfolios

http://buckinsand.blogspot.com/2008/10/activity-21-applications-of-eportfolios_02.html

Key readings chosen
Batson, T. (2002) The electronic portfolio boom ..
Batson, T. (2008) ePortfolios: Hot Once Again (not listed)
Jafari, A. (2004) The sticky eportfolio system
Steffani, L. (2005) PDP/CPD and eportfolios: rising to the challenge
Vuorikari, R. (2006) National policies and case studies

Discussion points from
Molley 2, Janet (26, Sep, 2008) re(6): eportfolios and community education) - discussion board
Cheer, Peter C (25, Sep, 2008) Re(4): eportfolios and community education
Nkuyubwatsi, Bernard (27, Sep, 2008) - Re(5): eportfolios and community education,


General topics that emerged from all of the readings
1) advantages of eportfolios are many and the notion is not likely to disappear
2) yet there are significant challenges that need to be addressed if the benefits ascribed to using eportfolios are to be realized

There is consensus amongst the writers that eportfolios are not a passing fancy. Batson argues that they are here to stay because they naturally capitalize on the growing number of students with IT competencies (Batson, 2002) and their growing ability to produce digital work. Jafari (2004) outlines how its benefits are extended to other stakeholders besides students and in ways that were not thought of as possible before. Examples include facilitating career development (soft skill and aptitude review), accreditation (program review) and tenure. A key point is that eportfolios are likely to stay, not because of their technological advantages but because of their pedagogical advantages (Martin).

Eportfolios provide many new opportunities. Batson notes for students, the ability to visualize their learning development or to provide evidence of their actual work to support a transcript. This reflective process and the skills associated with it personalize learning for students, promote a culture of lifelong learning and according to both Vuorikari and Steffani, come to be enthusiastically supported by students "once they understand reflective learning".

Teachers note how eportfolios promote deeper learning from their students. Students can demonstrate their understanding of theory not just with individual assignments but with their practice over time. Such a combination invites new forms of "real assessment" (Vuorikari) based upon reflection on and discussion of what has been learned. Students can share their findings with fellow students to test and construct meaning. Students can also review where they are in a selected learning program and plan accordingly (Janet Molley) thus inviting more personalization of learning programs. As Batson notes (2008) the eportfolio in effect becomes a virtual "learning environment" available almost anytime and anywhere by the increasingly ubiquitous nature of the internet.

However, all four readings also noted the challenges that need to be overcome if these opportunities are to be fully realized. Vuorikari notes the need for eportfolios to be used in a meaningful and purposeful way when made part of the learning process (Vuorikari p. 13). Benefits need to be clearly modeled to students to promote their buyin (Jafari) and to promote their use of reflective practices (Stefani). Standardization of design may also be needed to improve ease of use and interoperability (Jafari) but it needs to be done in balance with promoting flexibility otherwise it risks undermine the reflective aspect (Vuorikari) . Training to realize these benefits also extends beyond just students and faculty. Vuorikari notes how parents too need to be trained to understand how to support eportfolio practice. Stefani's stresses the need for evidence of "action" (after reflection) that supports one's claim to pdp or cpd. In other words, she argues assessment of an eportfolio becomes an important requisite in either case. However teachers have identified that assessment often risked becoming more summative and thus marginalized formative assessment and the skills associated with promoting lifelong learning (Jafari). As Bernard poignantly noted, this same desire to support life long learning through the use of eportfolios requires that the process become habit forming for students. Thus the design, implementation and integration of eportfolios can not be deemed to be a simple task.

Summary - European Schoolnet - National Policies & Case Studies on the use of Portfolios in teacher training (Vuorikari)

Policies for eportfolio use in teacher training

Finland
- eportfolios for teachers - goal?
to refresh teaching methods
2 prong strategy for teaching teachers

• training given in use of ICT for educational purposes (general education?)
• training also given on content specific issues, prof. applications, learning objects, development of communities (context specific)

Norway
- eportfolios for students - goal?

• for assessment
• for improved school / parent review
• major tool for reform in HE

Italy
- portfolios for students

• for formative assessment

Catalonia
- eportfolios for students - language focus
for assessment .. of lang learning development

• record competencies
• promote management of lang learning on a life long basis

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Policies on Portfolio use
Netherlands
- eports for

• assessment
  
• competency development
• employability
• lifelong learning

UK
- eports for students

• assessment .. with student involvement
• identify key stage development
• personalized tool for learner use

- eports for HE students / workers

• focus on good practices
• pdp

Switzerland
- eports for personal training in ICT related teaching competencies

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Case studies

- 4 types of portfolios

• assessment
• showcase
• development
• reflective

TieVie portfolio structure - schematic of what it looks like



















Students
perceived benefits

• feedback from real users
• improved motivation / fellowship
• improved interaction / sharing of knowledge
• personalizable

perceived negatives

• labour intensive

Teachers
perceived benefits

• same as students +
  
• promotes new learning processes w/ theory & practice integrated better than previously
• increase S metacognitive skills
• personalize activities more
• more parental support
• Ss reflect on their learning goals more
• Ss more autonomous

perceived negatives

• privacy may be an issue
• time demands
• tendency to see summative evaluation take over
• increased work load for both T & S

limitations also noted

• technology - concerns about interoperability / scalability / transferability
• impact of culture on implementation (ie. Italy vs Norway) ...

  the change must be viewed as meaningful .. to justify the commitment to training, review, reflection by both student and teacher

issues

• degree of standardization to use
• use of a new tool = need for new competencies / training (i.e. new ways to work together)
• privacy rights
• access rights
• portability
• parental access (can be negative if no training given to parents)

key themes of the paper

• competencies
• assessment

secondary themes

• personal development
• self reflection

Summary - Extending the Portfolio Model (Greenberg)

portfolios are a means to stimulating discussion, interaction with peers, instructors, experts

digital portfolios present new opportunities made possible by..

• no physical limitations (i.e. physical storage)
  
• digital convergence (where more and more information is conveyed via digital means - cheap, high quality, easy to exchange over great distances ) (digital convergence)
  
• increasing affordability (producing digital artifacts becoming less expensive)
• increasing ease of use (producing / manipulating digital artifacts becoming easier to realize)

thus increasing opportunities for use of eportfolios

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what is an eportfolio?
- not just a folio of digital examples of work but a network application

• allows managing info
• allows organizing info
• allows control over access & communications

the form on an eportfolio?
shaped by when the objects are created AND when the objects are organized

• showcase - after objects are created
• structured - pre defined organization for objects to be created
• learning - organization of objects evolves as objects are created
  

(thus it need not be an iterative process .. definitely more a characteristic of a "learning" eportfolio but not of a showcase eportfolio)

students vs teachers - the same or different in their use of eportfolios?
- Ss require much more guidance, structure and scaffolding to realize effective use of eportfolios
- for adults, the choice in structuring communicates as much as the objects selected (theory of eport)

types of eportfolios

structured eportfolios
meeting a requirement / demonstrating a skill in objects selected for an eport is NOT the SAME as taking a course / completing a quiz .. = new approaches to assessment

• discuss with peers
• get feedback from advisors
• use an online journal to reflect on their progress

Zayed Univ's use of ZULOs - objectives w/ descriptors of what an object should demonstrate communications about objects

• finally submit their report for final review and showcase their accomplishments
• guided mentoring used here to guide and support students through a sequence of experiences to help develop skills students need to demo required competencies.

learning eportfolios

• student creates objects, defines objects ... makes new connections between objects
• eports support communication between peers, teachers, mentors or coaches - ongoing
• documenting these discussions is critical to the learning process..as is the evolution of the work itself
• typically making connections between objects is difficult .. stepping back to see the history of discussions is impossible.. but eportfolios (and web 2.0) applications facilitate this
• encourage ongoing reflection that can help the student better understand the learning processes
• use reflection to document their changing understanding
• because eports can extend beyond the time frame of studies .. most challenging to develop or maintain

opportunity - authentic assessment

• eports may offer better ways to demonstrate skills & competencies
• eports can expose the learning process

opportunity - life long learning

• ongoing eport participation may maintain connections with peers and mentors throughout their prof. careers

How does an eportfolio help the learner identify and manage their learning?

Via
collecting of evidence

• flexibility in how it is organized ... to tag it according to one's own tags .. it may not even be apparent to a learner the importance of these tags at the moment they are selected.
• flexibility as to its type / form.. can take many different forms .. so long as it is digitized..

reviewing the evidence

• the process of reviewing it.. reflects on one's purpose (this could be directed, guided, scaffolded, coached or completely self directed)

organizing the evidence

• the process of organizing it .. reflects on one's theoretical perspective

presenting the evidence

• reflects upon the learner's organization and theory of best ways to demonstrate learning

Sources?

Activity 1.5 - Using ePortfolios

In general terms, an eportfolio is not simply a folio .. or collection of documents. The folio only becomes a portfolio when there is some sort of review process and follow up done with the evidence collected. It typically involves someone carrying out a process of "reviewing" the evidence (often referred to as reflection) to realize a "revelation, discovery or validation", and to use this to then personally "plan where and how to move forward".

This fundamental review process is applied in a variety of situations.

In academics, eportfolios are set up to be used by students of almost any age. Here they are invited to identify not just what they have learned but to reflect on their choice of strategies used to learn with. Their identification of these learning processes enables them to arrive at a better understanding of their learning methods or style. This in turn, empowers them to capitalize on their learning strengths and to target those learning weaknesses for improvement in the future. In effect, the student takes more ownership of the assessment of their academic strengths and needs - and can formulate a personal plan of action based on them to move forward. Over time, this iterative process also helps them realize the importance of understanding learning as a process of personal development or learning as a life time pursuit. This is supported by institutions on the belief that it empowers students to eventually become full fledged citizens up to the demands of living in an ever changing knowledge based economy.

In labour, eportfolios are used by employees to identify and demonstrate to employers or potential employers what they have learned or are developing in the way of competencies. They can also include comparable development achieved through "informal learning or (on the job experience) to demonstrate specializations, interests, or efforts to stay current. They can review the breadth of their experience and knowledge base to then reflect on how far they have grown, By doing so, an employee can personally plot more careful and meaningful choices in training or career development. Also, because of the depth of the evidence and articulation by an employee, they can potentially be more confidently hired and / or sponsored by their employers.

In government, policies promoting the use of eportfolios may be used as a strategy to circumvent policy "shortcomings" such as accreditation bottle necks. Here the invitation to use an eportfolio by skilled immigrants seeks to attract them to present and have recognized or accredited their skills and competencies from otherwise unrecognized foreign institutions. Such a strategy aims to recognize the importance of maximizing a country's to attract foreign human capital to create wealth in the 21st century.

However eportfolios have yet to become mainstream everywhere due to the a number of limitations. Two majors one are the need for a major paradigm shift at almost all levels of education in how not just formal but now informal learning is to be recognized, assessed and accredited . Equally important is allocating the resources that will be needed to train both educators and learners on how to develop eportfolios that are easy to produce, flexible in their design but still purposeful to use.