ePortfolios

Nick Rate nick.rate@core-ed.net http://nickrate.com

ePortfolios

• Define eportfolios
• Look at a purpose
• Unpack the types
• Why? Look at some benefits
• A possible process
• Selecting an eportfolio tool
• Questions to consider...
• Your criteria
• Shaping your requirements...
• Future directions
ePortfolios: A definition...

What is your current definition of an

eportfolio?
The ePortfolio as a Container:

...uses electronic
technologies as the container,
allowing students/teachers to
collect and organize portfolio
artifacts in many media types
(audio, video, graphics, text)...

Barrett, 2005
The ePortfolio as a Process:

“...what is produced when persons

collect, select, reflectively
interpret, and/or present their own
evidence to support their assertions
about what they have
learned, know and can or
should do...”
Cambridge, 2003
 “...ideas of what an e-portfolio 'is' are
complex and to an extent the
definition and purpose will
vary depending on the
perspective from which a
particular person is approaching the
concept...”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/darthdowney/ JISC ePortfolio Infokit

ePortfolios: The purpose...

What are you trying to achieve by

implementing ePortfolios?
“...gives schools the
flexibility to design
and deliver
programmes that
will engage all
students and offer
them appropriate
learning pathways.”

The New Zealand Curriculum

 Do you use...

“...teaching approaches
that consistently have a
positive impact on
student learning...”
http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/ The New Zealand Curriculum
 Do you have...

“...assessment for
the purpose of
improving
student
learning...”

http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/ The New Zealand Curriculum

 Do you use...

“...elearning to open up
new and different
ways of learning...”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47899590@N00/ The New Zealand Curriculum
 Do you see...

“...parents and caregivers

as key partners...”

http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/ The New Zealand Curriculum

 Do you have...

“...programmes that will engage

all students...”
http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/ The New Zealand Curriculum
 Does feedback on learning...

“...develop strategies for self-

monitoring and
collaborative evaluation
of their performance in relation to
suitable criteria.”
http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/ The New Zealand Curriculum
 Are your students...

“...connected...”
www.flickr.com/photos/saschaaa The New Zealand Curriculum
 effective pedagogy

motivation & engagement

parent involvement
ePortfolios
effective assessment

connected learners

feedback

elearning

www.flickr.com/photos/taniwha
ePortfolios: Types...

What are you trying to achieve by

implementing ePortfolios?
 ePortfolios

The
Accountability
ePortfolio

The The
Process Showcase
ePortfolio ePortfolio

www.flickr.com/photos/96dpi
 The Process ePortfolio

Supports students
towards achieving their
learning goals.

www.flickr.com/photos/viernest
 The Showcase
ePortfolio

Celebrates learning
outcomes & shows the
highest level of achievement.
www.flickr.com/photos/made2serve
 The Accountability ePortfolio

Documents learning for achievement

www.flickr.com/photos/abbyladybug
of specific outcomes or standards.
ePortfolios: Benefits...

What can ePortfolios offer the learner?

 “The use of
multimedia
tools is one strategy
that involves and
engages learners.”
http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/ Barrett, 2005
 “...opens wide the possibilities for
reflections... in action, before
action, after action, in solitude, in
consultation with peers, in
consultation with instructors...
written, spoken,
videotaped, or
graphically
represented...”

http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/ Riedinger., 2006

 social networking
...the
potential of the learning landscape
and eportfolio-related tools are
features thatfacilitate and
enhance the making of
connections and the linking
together of people, ideas,
resources and learning...
Tosh et al., 2006
 “...it is the quality,
not just the quantity, of
feedback that
merits our closest
attention.”

http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/ Sadler, 1998

“...supporting the general
process of reflection,
self-evaluation and action
planning for
lifelong learning...”

MOSEP 2007
 “...students can
literally carry
their eportfolio
around with them and
update it at
any time in
any place.”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nirak/ MOSEP, 2007

...to define e-Portfolios as a
process, rather than
just a product or a
technological system.

Attwell, 2007
ePortfolios: Process...

What do eportfolios look like in action?

 Collect Project purpose
Select
Reflect Collect & organise
Project Select learning
Interject personality
Reflect metacognitively
Inspect to self-assess
Perfect & evaluate
Connect & conference
Inject/Eject personality
Respect accomplishments
http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/ Burke, Fogarty & Belgrade (1994)
 ePortfolio Learning Cycle
Exemplars,
creating LI, SC, Students working towards
matrices/rubrics Future learning
new goals in their learning

1st draft “finished”

teachers example
of writing
peers Feed back Learning Feed back Learning
artifact story artifact video
& feed & feed
embedded in board embedded in
self forward & forward &
reflection portfolio reflection portfolio

brainstorm 2nd draft

family
ePortfolio Learning Cycle
Exemplars,
creating LI, SC, Students working towards
matrices/rubrics new goals in their learning

Feed back Learning

& feed artifact
forward & embedded in
reflection portfolio
ePortfolios: The tools...

What technologies make it happen?

ePortfolios: The ‘container’...
ePortfolios: The tools...

But, have you thought about these...?

 Should an eportfolio
include all aspects of a
student’s life and
learning?

www.flickr.com/photos/pasq
 What happens when a student leaves
school?
Moves to a new class?
Transfers?

www.flickr.com/photos/bigtallguy
 Who retains ownership and control?

www.flickr.com/photos/sveinhal
 Open to the world?

www.flickr.com/photos/willfuller
 Are your parents and teachers ready?

http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/
Do your current internet & computer
use policies cater for eportfolios and
use of Web 2.0 tools?
Will your eportfolios play a role in
reporting achievement against the
National Standards?
 Do you need a packaged solution or is
a mash-up of Web 2.0 tools OK?

www.flickr.com/photos/diathesis
ePortfolios: The criteria...

What would your criteria be for selecting

an eportfolio solution?
Selecting an ePortfolio Solution

Purpose and Perspectives

Student Parents

ePortfolio
Solution

School
Teacher Management/
Leadership

Government
Policy?
Selecting an ePortfolio Solution
Parent/School
Students Teacher Leadership
Communty
Purpose:

Non-Negotiable Criteria/features:
What capability does the eportfolio need to support this purpose?

Additional criteria/features:
What else do you want to be able to do?
Selecting an ePortfolio Solution
Parent /
Students Teacher Leadership
School Com
Purpose:
• Support assessment for learning. (criteria,
feedback, feedforward, peer/self-
assessment, reflection)
• Celebrate and share achievement.
• Ownership of learning
Non-Negotiable Criteria/features:
What capability does the eportfolio need to support this purpose?
• Upload/embed post learning examples
(photos, movies, Web 2.0 creations)
• Allow comments
• Ability to customise/personalise

Additional criteria/features:
What else do you want to be able to do?
Student retains ownership even if leaving or transferring schools.
Web based (anywhere, anytime)
Web 2.0 tool integration
Ability to comment, reflect & feedforward
Ability to demonstrate learning
Facilitate social networking
Secure
User friendly
Aesthetics
User storage space
Manageability
Expandability
Level of technical know how required
Availability of technical support
Cost
Access/edit from mobile device
ePortfolio Management...

In order to be effective and support the process of student

learning, eportfolios:

•need to be embedded into your teaching and

learning.
•require a high level of access to technology.
•you need to set time aside for students to first learn
how and then to actively reflect and give feedback
on learning.

Start small, and work your way up. Get students actively blogging
in a class blog and move on to individual spaces
ePortfolio Management...

ePortfolios do not add to your workload. Instead you will need

to change some of the ways you:

• give feedback
• facilitate reflection
• engage students in self and peer assessments
and

• you need to adapt learning and teaching so that

the process and outcomes can be shared
digitally within the eportfolio platform.
 mlearning
“Learning that
happens
across
locations, or
that takes
advantage of
learning
opportunities
offered by
portable
technologies.”
Wikipedia
http://flickr.com/photos/torres21/
 “...students can
literally carry
their eportfolio
around with them and
update it at
any time in
any place.”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nirak/ MOSEP, 2007

 ePortfolios ➡ National Standards
ePortfolios ➡ mobile technologies
ePortfolios ➡ live streaming
ePortfolios ➡ No container
necessary, just
mash

www.flickr.com/photos/opacity