ePortfolio California Summit 2010 - October 11, 2010

ePortfolios for the Workplace & Beyond: From an Academic to a Professional ePortfolio

Introduction to Electronic Portfoliosby Helen Barrett

Definitions

What is an ePortfolio?

Lifelong Context for ePortfolios

What is a Portfolio?• Dictionary definition:

a flat, portable case for carrying loose papers, drawings, etc.

• Financial portfolio: document accumulation of fiscal capital

• Educational portfolio: document development of human capital

What is a Portfolio in Education?

A portfolio is a purposeful collection of [academic] work that exhibits the [learner/worker’s] efforts, progress and achievements in one or more areas[over time].

(Northwest Evaluation Association, 1990)

QUOTE

The e-portfolio is the central and common point for the student experience… It is a reflection of the student as a person undergoing continuous personal development, not just a store of evidence.

-Geoff Rebbeck, e-Learning Coordinator, Thanet College, quoted in JISC, 2008, Effective Practice with e-Portfolios

E-Portfolio Components < Multiple Portfolios for

Multiple Purposes-Celebrating Learning-Personal Planning-Transition/entry to courses-Employment applications-Accountability/Assessment

< Multiple Tools to Support Processes-Capturing & storing evidence-Reflecting-Giving & receiving feedback-Planning & setting goals-Collaborating-Presenting to an audience

< Digital Repository(Becta, 2007; JISC, 2008)

Multiple Purposes of E-Portfolios in Education

–Learning/ Process/ Planning–Marketing/ Showcase/ Employment –Assessment/ Accountability

"The Blind Men and the Elephant” by John Godfrey Saxe

What disciplines are best suited for employment portfolios ?

• Fields requiring demonstrations of competency (welders, cosmetology, carpentry) (Mostly visual)

• Professional Education: Teachers, Nurses, Doctors, Allied Health, Scientists

• Technology: web design, multimedia development, game developers, architects

• Performance/Art: artists, dancers, musicians, (mostly video/audio)

• Composition/Writers: advertising, journalism

Some Basic Concepts

“ePortfolio is both process and product”Process: A series of events (time and

effort) to produce a result- From Old French proces (“‘journey’”)

Product: the outcome/results or “thinginess” of an activity/process- Destination

Wiktionary

Balancing the 2 Faces of E-Portfolios

Types of E-Portfolio Implementation

• Working Portfolio– The Collection– The Digital Archive– Repository of Artifacts – Reflective Journal

(eDOL)– Collaboration Space

Portfolio as Process-- Workspace (PLE)“shoebox”

• Presentation Portfolio(s)– The “Story” or Narrative– Multiple Views

(public/private)– Varied Audiences

(varied permissions)– Varied Purposes

Portfolio as Product-- Showcase

Four key pillars of Lifelong Learning(Barbara Stäuble, Curtin University of Technology, Australia)

http://lsn.curtin.edu.au/tlf/tlf2005/refereed/stauble.html

Knowing the learner (Self-awareness)

• Understanding prior knowledge• Motivation for and attitudes toward

learning• Help learners understand themselves• See their growth over time

Planning for learning (Self management)

• Setting goals• Develop a plan to

achieve these goals

Understanding how to learn (Meta-learning)

• Awareness of learners to different approaches to learning

• Deep vs. Surface Learning, Rote vs. Meaningful Learning

• Different Learning Styles• Help learners recognize success• Accommodate approaches that are not

successful

Evaluating learning (Self monitoring)

• Systematic analysis of learners’ performance• Responsibility to construct meaning• Be reflective & think critically• Learners construct meaning,

monitor learning, evaluate own outcomes

Questions? Comments?

Portfolios in the Cloud

Lifelong Portfolios maintained online

Why Web 2.0?Access from Anywhere!Interactivity!Engagement!Lifelong Skills!Mostly FREE! All you need is an <EMBED> Code

Institutional Portfolios

• What happens when a learner leaves or transfers?

Learners’Digital Archives

and presentation portfolios

Class portfolios

Guidance portfoliosEmployment

portfolios

Institution’s server or

online service

Limited Time

Frame

Institutional data

Blogs

Faculty-generated evaluation data

Academic focus

Social networks

Separate Systems Learner-Centered

• Learners maintain collection across the lifespan, institutions maintain evaluation data & links

Learners’ Digital Archive & Blog

Learner-ownedLifelong Web Space

Class portfolio

Guidance portfolio

Employment portfolio

Institution’s Server or Service & Purposes

Limited Time Frame

hype

rlink

s

Institutional data

Meta-tags

Faculty-generated evaluation data

Life-wide focus

Social networks

ePortfolio “Mash-up”

ePortfolio “Mash-up” Small pieces, loosely joined

Lifetime Personal Web Space

Electronic Portfolios

• almost two decades (since 1991)• used primarily in education to – store documents – reflect on learning– feedback for improvement – showcase achievements for

accountability or employment

Social networks • last five years –store documents and share

experiences, –showcase accomplishments, –communicate and collaborate– facilitate employment searches

Think!

Engagement Factors?

Social networks?

ePortfolios?

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Processes

Portfolio

Collection

Selection

Reflection

Direction/Goals

Presentation

Feedback

Technology

Archiving

Linking/Thinking

Digital Storytelling

Collaborating

Publishing

Social Networking

Connect(“Friending”)

Listen(Reading)

Respond(Commenting)

Share(linking/tagging)

Boundaries Blurring (between e-portfolios & social networks)

• Structured Accountability Systems? or…

• Lifelong interactive portfolios

Mash-ups Flickr

YouTubeblogswikis Twitter

PicasaFacebook

Ning

PORTFOLIOS CAN HELP LEARNERS FIND THEIR VOICE…

and explore their Purpose and Passions through Choice!

ePortfolios should be more Conversation

than Presentation(or Checklist)Because Conversation transforms!

Creating an ePortfolio with GoogleApps or WordPress

1. Storage = Google Docs

2. Reflective Journal = Blogger or WordPress

3. Presentation = Google Sites

Level 1 – Collection in the Cloud

Level 2: Primary Purpose: Learning/Reflection

Level 3: Primary Purpose: Showcase/Accountability

WHAT ABOUT MOTIVATION?

Why would a student want to put all that work into developing an ePortfolio?

Do Your e-Portfolios have CHOICE and VOICE?

• Individual Identity• Reflection • Meaning Making• 21st Century Literacy

Similarities in Process

• Major differences:– extrinsic vs. – intrinsic motivation

• Elements of True (Intrinsic) Motivation:– Autonomy–Mastery– Purpose

Successful websites = Type I Approach

People feel good about participating.

Give users autonomy.

Keep system as open as possible.- Clay Shirky

Autonomy & ePortfolios

–Choice–Voice–Sharing –Feedback–Immediacy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenturamon/342946821/

Mastery & ePortfolios

• Exhilaration in Learning• Sports? Games?• Compliance vs.

Personal Mastery• Open Source movement

(Wikipedia vs. Encarta) • Make a contribution

Mastery & ePortfolios (2)

ePortfolio: Flow Showcasing

Achievements Increased self-awareness and self-

understanding“Only engagement can produce Mastery.”

(Pink, 2009, p.111)

Purpose & ePortfolios

• Relevance

• Big picture

• Engagement

How do you motivate students to develop ePortfolios?

Discussion

Portfolio Life

What about OUR ePortfolios?

Life Portfolio – planning for an extended midlife transition (50-90)

• Passions and pursuits

• New possibilities• Visualize a new life• Not “retirement”

but “rewirement”

Portfolio Way of Thinking

Portfolios can be timeless What really matters in life? Discover or rediscover passion… Create a legacy… Turn careers into callings,

success into significance… To make a difference… An ongoing, ageless framework

for self-renewal

Strategies for a Portfolio Life

• Tell the Story of Your Life• Accomplishments Leave Clues

… + self-esteem• Connect with Others -- Network• Develop Your Goals… Change…

Goals -- Purpose• Revise, Reflect, Rebalance

Story

Goals

Share

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My Final Wish…

•dynamic celebrations •stories of deep learning•across the lifespan

DR. HELEN BARRETT

Researcher & ConsultantElectronic Portfolios & Digital Storytelling for Lifelong and Life Wide Learning

eportfolios@gmail.com http://electronicportfolios.org/http://www.slideshare.net/eportfolios