Digital PortfoliosBy Kirsty Mather

S0106574Ensuring Student Success 2009

Firstly......What are digital portfolios?

A digital portfolio is a purposeful collection of learning over time that documents personal, academic and professional development. It is a visual guide that maps where you have been, where you are going and how you plan to get there. In thiscontext, a digital portfolio is a tool to communicate what you know and can do.Debbie Kember, Advice for schools on the latest ICT research for education , Qld Government, Department of Education, Training and The Arts,

How often are they used?

Of the 10 teachers that were approached 7 completed the survey but only 6 gave permission for use in assignment and based on the Original Research this is what was observed...

Beginning Information from Teachers

From The Graph

• 2 of the 6 participating teachers use digital portfolios

• Of those 2 teachers 1 said it was helpful and the other said they had difficulties with creating effective portfolios

• Although both teachers fall into the category of using them in the classroom for 1-2 years one of these teachers has been using them for personal reasons since university (6-10) years.

Other Important information from surveyPositives for using Digital Portfolios Students can see their own work in a different way They can see the comments made by the teacher, they seem to be

more in-depth than the comments made in their workbooks Students love them Easy access when needed Work in one place (in the end it will be anyway) Students are enjoying creating work for the portfolios parents are taking more interest and taking the time to go though

each students pages with them. Students are working out simple problems in small groups, they are

working collaboratively to discover solutions and sharing these with the class, a new learning journey for all involved.

Disadvantages for using Digital PortfoliosΧ They can be very time consumingΧ Students ask to see them at inappropriate

timesΧ Very fiddly work – scanning work samples ectΧ Until you know how to do everything quickly

and effectively it can be frustrating for both teacher and student.

Χ We have lost one students work and had to start over

What are the other teachers doing?• Using observations and note taking during the day, both

summative and formative assessment. The use of folders for each student that there work is put into, this is sectioned into units of work, numeracy, literacy and so on.

• Scrapbooks that have their unit of work, there daily writing books and several other books that I mark often. Samples of work are kept and displayed in a display folder at the front of the classroom, I photocopy students work to put into these folders.

• I basically crate a paper version of the digital portfolio. Collect work samples, tests, assignments, conversation notes and feedback both teacher, self and peer.

• Scrapbooks and display books, comments on students work when completed – go back though books when needed. Report to parents using a communication book that goes home with homework.

Decision Making Graphic Organiser

• Is the process of generating and applying criteria to select from among seemingly equal alternatives. (Marzano & Pickering, DoL, 1997)

Importance Score Possession Score1. Not very important2.Somewhat Important3. Very Important

1. Not Very Evident2.Somewhat evident3.Very Evident

From the survey 2 of the 4 teachers that do not already use digital portfolios said they would

The other 2 teacher said they would if training was adequate enough.

Not bad odds I would say, lets see if we can convince them...

Graphic Organiser Criteria Digital Traditional

empowerment: the shift of ownership of learning from faculty to student (2)

2x3 2x1collaboration: the ability to allow students to engage in ongoing discussions about content with both peers and teachers (3)

3x3 3x2

integration: the ability to make connections between theory and practice (3)

3x2 3x2authenticity: the portfolio provides direct links between artefacts included and classroom practice (2)

2x3 2x2critical thinking: provided by the opportunity to reflect on change and growth over a period of time. (3)

3x3 3x1

TOTALS 36 21

6 2

9 6

6 6

6

9

4

3

Conferencing with Students

“Conferencing between teacher and students are valuable for identifying areas of need, monitoring progress, and developing insight into students”

(Brady & Kennedy, Celebrating Student Acheivement, Assessment and reporting. (2005)

Reference ListBrady, L., & Kennedy, K. (2005) celebrating student achievement, assessment and reporting. Frenchs

Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia

Kember. D. (200?). Advise for schools on the latest ICT research for education. Queensland, Australia: Qld Government Department of Education, Training and the Arts

Marzano, P., & Pickering, D. (1997). Dimensions of learning 2nd Edition. United States of America: McRel

Queensland Studies Authority. (2006). Early years curriculum materials, making and using digital portfolios.

Student Electronic Portfolio. (2006). Retrieved 15 July, 2009 from http://www.slideshare.net/charbeck1/student-electronic-portfolio

Taylor, C., & Nolen S.B. (2005). Classroom assessment, supporting teaching and learning in real classrooms. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

Woodward, H., Nanlohy, P. (2002). Digital portfolios: fact or fashion. Sydney, NSW: University of Western Sydney. Retrieved 31 July, 2009 from http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/learning/ey_case_study_digital_folio.pdf