A proliferation of e-Portfolios?

I was recently impressed by an article written by an American academic who had certainly got a good understanding of the present confusing situation. See his article.
However, I thought it worthwhile to repeat my response here:

Trent,

Thank you for an erudite and provocative article, much appreciated. However, There are several points with which I would disagree.

Yes, you are right to question whether an e-Portfolio should be modelled on a system several hundred years old. So my first question is 'Why not go back to basics and question what are the overriding requirements of an electronic Portfolio?'

Secondly, Yes, you are right to suggest that education is about process, so, 'Why not devise a system that supports and encourages an understanding and identification of the processes involved in any assignment?'

Again, I agree that the e-Portfolio is not the right place for the repository of all of one's life-works - a 'pantechnicon' of all that we own. So, 'Why not encourage students to present only 'work in progress' and selected 'showcase' items that are relevant to any phase or capstone?'

Reflection is a transient thing. The reflections of a 5-yr old may be very different to those of a PhD student or Senior Citizen. However, in order to support reflection one should be capable of re-presenting some evidences that might have been removed from the e-Portfolio and archived on a DVD or memory-stick. My point here is that the e-Portfolio should be learner-owned and easily managed by the owner, whatever their age. Chameleon-like, the e-Portfolio should be capable of adapting to its background so as to be equally presentable to a whole range of audiences - and ALL at the same time.

Finally, you opened by referring to the wide variety of e-Portfolios available. Perhaps one of the main causes for this is that they have short-sightedly established institutionally-based systems that do not truly support transition through all of life's stages or across territorial boundaries?

For more on my ideas please see www.maximise-ict.co.uk/eFolio-01.htm or efoliointheuk.blogspot.com or my demonstration portfolio at:

http://www.raytolley1.xfolioworld.com/

Style, Substance or Process?

Over this Christmas holiday I have been catching up with my reading and updating my own e-Portfolio.

Generally, searching the Internet for fresh gems of insight into e-Portfolios is a dispiriting activity. Most of the reports are several years old, refer to narrow introspective research or wishful project planning with no further outcomes published.

However, one fresh gem did come to my notice just now and I felt that I must comment on it. The report. 'A Review Of The Literature On Portfolios And Electronic Portfolios' by Philippa Butler, of the eCDF ePortfolio Project, Massey University College of Education, New Zealand raised many issues. Chief of these, my usual complaint, is that desk-based research inevitably quotes from older sources, many of these no longer standing up to the latest criteria based on the latest tools available or shifts in educational psychology. Secondly was the premise of the brief that, somehow, the e-Portfolio should be of concern only to those in Higher Education. However, a slow and careful reading of the following extract was joy to my soul!

'Very simply put, a portfolio is a collection of evidence that is gathered together to show a person’s learning journey over time and to demonstrate their abilities. Portfolios can be specific to a particular discipline, or very broadly encompass a person’s lifelong learning. Many different kinds of evidence can be used in a portfolio: samples of writing, both finished and unfinished; photographs; videos; research projects; observations and evaluations of supervisors, mentors and peers; and reflective thinking about all of these. In fact, it is the reflections on the pieces of evidence, the reasons they were chosen and what the portfolio creator learned from them, that are the key aspect to a portfolio (Abrami & Barrett, 2005; Klenowski, Askew, & Carnell, 2006; Loughran & Corrigan, 1995; Smith & Tillema, 2003; Wade & Yarbrough, 1996). In that way, those compiling portfolios are active participants in their own learning (Wade, Abrami, & Sclater, 2005). Kimball (2005, p. 451) goes further, arguing that “neither collection nor selection [of pieces to be incorporated into a portfolio] are worthwhile learning tasks without a basis in reflection. Reflection undergirds the entire pedagogy of portfolios”. Two other key elements to portfolios are that they measure learning and development over time (Barrett, 2000; Challis, 2005), and that it is the process of constructing a portfolio, rather than the end product, that is where the learning takes place (Smith & Tillema, 2003).'

The whole article can be found at:

https://eduforge.org/docman/view.php/176/1111/ePortfolio%20Project%20Research%20Report.pdf

Towards a new 'Digital Divide'?

I’m getting more and more frustrated with the direction that some people are taking with their ‘portfolio in the cloud’ mentality. As much as I am totally impressed by the conviction of Helen Barrett and her evangelical mission to get teachers understanding e-Portfolios, I feel that this approach may actually disrupt an 'e-Portfolio for all' strategy:

http://electronicportfolios.org/blog/2008/11/workshops-in-new-hampshire.html

I feel that there is now a serious movement towards a new digital divide, not so much about the ‘have-nots’ or 'cannot do' as this is being steadily addressed. For some time, now, the idea of the $100 laptop has challenged our thinking; the USA has had its 'No child left behind' mission; in the UK we have the 'Every child matters' policy throughout all areas of education and now the pilot schemes for 'Home Access' are upon us. So, broadband access may not be the major problem.

However, concerning e-Portfolios, the problem is being generated by those in Higher Education and Teacher Training who have the time (and intelligence) to play with a wide range of Web2.0 tools and then say ‘Isn’t it easy!’ The Digital Divide is therefore one of academic and adult elitism which fails to address the whole spectrum of Lifelong, Lifewide Learning and Leisure.

If the e-Portfolio is to be truly lifelong then it must start in our Primary schools, ideally by the 6-7 yr olds with a system that is easy enough to adopt and entails little management by staff. There is no reason to enforce children to start with one system and then ‘change horses’ at some inconvenient point of their education and repeat the disruption at each transition stage. On the other hand there are still far too many teachers and students who think that the production of a PowerPoint file is all that an e-Portfolio entails.

Here in the UK I have complained for some time about the ‘silo’ effect that Higher Education has had on the understanding of e-Portfolios. Schools on the one side of the silo and lifelong learning, particularly for the less able or disadvantaged, on the other can see no evidence of a continuum.

It seems only logical to me that there should be a national voice demanding the supply of a Lifelong, Lifewide e-Portfolio system (such as eFolio?).

Design Criteria for an e-Portfolio

Just imagine that you were the first person in the world to design an e-Portfolio. Where would you start? What criteria would you use? Who would use it? ...and why? What outcomes would you like to see in terms of Teaching & Learning?

This blog is for the single purpose of exploring these issues. Perhaps my mind is already made up. Perhaps my vision is clear. But, what is your opinion?

I must confess that I have what I believe is the perfect solution. For a start, review the questions above and then check out what I call my 'Prime Directives' for e-Portfolio design. (http://www.maximise-ict.co.uk/Prime_Directives-2.pdf)

Comments requested!