Eportfolios

From RSCWMWiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

Introduction

a typical-eportfolio

This new video (autumn 2009) gives a concise intoduction to the topic

Two short videos by BECTa & flourish CPDhelp simplify the practical applications & identify 4 primary areas of use;


  • You may also be interested in a new eportfolio book by Simon Grant of CETIS, whom proposes a 3 stage approach at identifying your eportfolio requirements. A good read that contains something for all.

This short definition might help clarify the uses of an eportoflio...

"An eportfolio is a purposeful aggregation of digital items - ideas, evidence, reflections, feedback etc, which 'presents' a selected audience with evidence of a person's learning and/or ability." Sutherland and Powell (2007) or an expanded definition at URL: http://www.eportfolios.ac.uk/?pid=174

Image on the right inpsired by a short paper by Geoff Rebbeck (see his articles from JISC 2008 conference)


Therefore you can see by referring to the above descriptions a personal learning space or eportfolio can be used to describe any aspect of the learning from cradle to grave. This use of a personal web space that follows us throughout the lifelong journey of learning is now becoming a realistic goal for the UK. Whether you want to us such a tool for simply recording achievements when studying for a vocational qualification, or storing copies of certificates gained via informal learning, a formal CV, a list of prior achievements, or a storage space for videos of you reflecting upon a learning journey, an eportfolio can do all this.

Most eportfolios are nothing more than a simple (hyper)linked website, blog or a presentation, or even a web based CV. Whilst others are complex multi threaded rich digial stories, reflecting deeply up on a learning experience. Whether you are studying at primary level or post doctoral, formally (at work) or informally, an eportfolio can be used to help support, scaffold, record/assess, and reflect upon every aspect of your experiences.

Many different types of eportfolios exist; from simple hyperlinked Word documents, Powerpoint presentations with linked videos, simple websites, blogs (like this wordpress example + instructions), goal based systems, through to purely recording vocational achievements. Some are set up and owned by the student, some are set up and run by the awarding organisation or assessing body. Various levels of student ownership and control are exercised. Most people would agree that to be truly effective the personal learning space needs to have a purpose (in context) be web based, learner centric/owned, linked to current and prior experiences, customisable, secure, (easily managed, and to be flexible enough to cope with all aspects of life long learning. And easily "transportable" or common standards based, e.g. LEAP2A.

What we are hoping to do here is to show you that although eportfolios are primarily used in very discreet applications, workbased or CPD, etc, an eportfolio could be used across all aspects of learning both formal and informal. It hoped that potential users of such systems will open their vision of eportfolio uses to see a potential "personal learning space" that encompasses and connects all experiences of the lifelong learning journey. A recent video covers the important issue of ensuring undergraduates are thinking about their employability during studies, using an eportfolio.

National & local initiatives

  • Colleagues may be aware of a Midlands-based Community of Practice supporting and promoting eportfolio tools across all sectors supported by the East and West Midlands RSCs. Join this group here: http://groups.google.com/group/rscmeg
  • The Scottish QAA, PDP Toolkit is designed to help all staff at all levels within institutions to consider, reflect and develop their strategies and policies for the implementation and enhancement of PDP. It achieves this by using a series of self-assessment questions (SAQs) which encourage reflection on the important issues in implementation and development.
  • Supporting Student ePortfolios' publication is available to download from the Higher Academy website (they also have some paper copies available): Supporting Student e-Portfolios
  • The document is also discussed in the recently comissioned JISC InfoNet eportfolio infokit:

e-Portfolio infokit plus the associated glossy publication can be downloaded as a PDF file. Lisa Gray has recently (summer 09) delivered a presentation covering JISCs latest work on the subject.

  • Other material about the JISC funded e-Portfolio Framework Project can be found on the e-Portfolio page of the Higher Academy website:

e-Portfolio Framework Project

  • The Institute for Learning uses an eportfolio called Reflect (which is PebblePad) to record CPD data for all new and existing FE lecturers.
  • JISC Legal have put some reports together that address legal implications of personal systems
  • The JISC-CETIS organisation helps to steer and advise on highly technical aspects of [1] For example the work on the interoperability LEAP 2A is steered by CETIS. Updated August 2009.
  • The Quality Assurance Agency has a set of guidelines for producing HE progress files.

Useful reports and articles

Media:Effective_practice_when_piloting_and_embedding_eportfolios-_telling_stories_2009.pdf

Access the pdf presentation Julie ran through here:

Media:E-portfolio_based_learning_exploring_and_exploiting.pdf

External links

Links to external web sites, and existing groups


Examples of educational eportfolios


Work based Learning eportfolios

Mahara can also be used to track progress on Evidence-Based assessment programmes such as NVQs.


Continuing Professional Development and adult learning biased

  • The ESCalate subject centre has collected a series of interesting papers and articles concentrating on Innovations and Development in Initial Teacher Education. Quite a few articles in this 224 page PDF document discuss the use of eportfolios for enhancing ITT in the 21st Century.
  • A nice example of how an eportfolio could look for recording lifelong CPD. This one is done by a UK expert on the subject.


FE biased eportfolios. Personal or Individual Learning Plans (PLPs)

  • A case study on how South Birmingham College have used individual learning plans in their Moodle VLE. Read it here: http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=200550
  • Some Colleges have developed their own systems based on existing successful paper methods. The Loughborough College e-progress file is an exemplar of this approach, as is NEW College Worcester - who are also encouraging staff to use the Reflect tool to record CPD. Northampton and Chesterfield Colleges have also developed their own PLP tools that fit within a VLE or (link to) existing MIS systems.
  • Solihull College have even developed an Open Source PLP "block" or plugin that fits into the Moodle virtual learning environment.

Most Colleges need simple tutor lead systems that link to the VLE and other MIS student data.

The University of London Computer Centre have been developing these types of Moodle PLP's for a while now and they are also UK Mahara partners.

See also

Links to other pages in the RSC MediaWiki

  • Some organisations are using different web 2.0 tools including simple blogs and wikis to create eportfolios.
  • Some of the Moodle support companies listed on the moodle page also offer specialist Mahara support.

RSC contacts

Kevin Brace k.brace@rsc-wm.ac.uk contributed this article. He can be contacted by email and telephone, 01902 518931 For more information about the RSC West Midlands, visit our website at http://www.rsc-wm.ac.uk

Retrieved from "http://wiki.rscwmsystems.org.uk/index.php/Eportfolios"
Personal tools