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Effective Practice with e-Portfolios: Supporting 21st Century Learning

Lisa Gray

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting education and research

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Context

Why are e-portfolios important?

– Policy context

– Institutional drivers

– Pre-Higher Education initiatives

But most importantly…..their potential to transform learning

– “Emerging and often powerful evidence from practitioners and learners of the value of developing e-portfolios….adding value to personalised and reflective models of learning”

– Supporting transition, assessment, application, professional development, personal development planning…..

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Launched in September 2008

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Exercise: What is an e-portfolio?

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Some definitions:

‘The research team worked from an understanding of e-portfolios that incorporates both process and product, and includes a range of tools within a system that links with other systems. Broadly, the product (e-portfolio) is a purposeful selection of items (evidence) chosen at a point in time from a repository or archive, with a particular audience in mind. The processes that are required to create e-portfolios for any purpose include capturing and ongoing storage of material, selection, reflection and presentation.’

Hartnell-Young et al (2007): The Impact of e-Portfolios on Learning. Coventry. Becta http://partners.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&catcode=_re_rp_02&rid=14007

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Some definitions:

‘Definitions of an e-portfolio tend to include the following elements:

• A collection of digital resources

• That provide evidence of an individual’s progress and achievements

• Drawn from both formal and informal learning activities

• That are personally managed and owned by the learner

• That can be used for review, reflection and personal development planning

• That can be selectively accessed by other interested parties e.g. teachers, peers, assessors, awarding bodies, prospective employers’

Helen Beetham, 2005 http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/eportfolio_ped.dochttp://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/eportfolio_ped.doc

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Working to a consensus…

..an emerging consensus that the term essentially means the product

‘An e-portfolio 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’

CETIS SIG mailing list discussions

…but, importantly, in the process of creating ‘presentational’ e-portfolios (through the use of tools or systems), learners can be inherently supported to develop the key skills of capturing evidence, reflecting, sharing, collaborating, annotating and presenting (e-portfolio related processes)

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Capturing & storing evidenceReflectingGiving feedbackCollaborating Presenting to an audience

Purposes & ToolsCelebrating learningPersonal planning Transition/entry to coursesEmployment applicationsProfessional registration

E-portfolios to present for different purposes

Tools to support processes

Space (local or remote) to store resources and an archive of evidence

From Elizabeth Hartnell-Young (2007), ‘Developing an ePortfolio culture from the early years’

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The confusion over e-portfolios

“The problem is that portfolio is a learning approach not a technology……..the essential nature of an ePortfolio for

learning is not as a repository but as a place for reflection”

Trent Batson, 7th Jan 09, ‘The Portfolio Enigma in a Time of Ephemera’

“We became reflective writers and practitioners without even thinking about it”

PGCE student, University of Wolverhampton

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Perspectives

‘…like a filing cabinet online, but it’s got a dialogue with it as well…’

‘The fact you can put video and tell your story …’

‘It’s an addictive thing to use both academically and socially’

‘The VLE are owned by the institution and the e-portfolio is owned by me’

‘It takes the CV into the modern era’

‘e-Portfolio tools enable students to make the all-important connections between the curriculum and the other things they do’

‘An e-portfolio should be your opportunity to draw on everything you have already created to make your own story’

‘a lifeline of communication’

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Exercise: To what purposes might you put an e-portfolio and why?

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Overview of JISC work…and others

Using e-portfolios to support:

Application to University

Application to employment

Presentation of work for professional accreditation

Providing evidence for appraisal

Evidencing continuing professional development

Presentation of work for assessment

Showcasing work in health and teaching

Work-based learning

Supporting learning processes

Non-traditional learners, women returning to higher education…

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Supporting learning processes

“The use of e-portfolios with this group has been effective in encouraging the development of student reflection. Learners feel that they have benefited from reflecting on issues such as their personal experiences, their behaviour, events in their lives, their thoughts and feelings, their writing, and their personal development in general.”

“The use of e-portfolios with this learner group resulted in a greater appreciation of collaboration and collaborative learning.”

File-Pass Final Report

“…I find doing this quite useful because it made me think about a much more structured way whether I was going to long term be happy in a vineyard or would I be happy in a winery”

MyWorld Final Report

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Emerging from the JISC work….

Guidance for institutions on questions to ask when looking at e-portfolio systems

– Purpose: Who is it for? What is it for? What do we want it to do?

– Information managed, functionality, support and guidance, form and feel.

Legal guidance

Governance Toolkit

– Helps to think through the main issues in planning, implementing and planning an e-portfolio project

Guidance

– On embedding, entry to HE, storage and access, use and non-use of e-portfolios

Case studies and stories:

– Learner voices videos, animations, stories from projects, and case studies demonstrating tangible benefits

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Ongoing e-portfolio activity

Transforming Curriculum Delivery: October 2008 – Oct 2010

• How technology can support developing reflective learners, enhance provision of and engagement with feedback, support creative conversations and collaborative learning

Institutional approaches to curriculum design: Sept 2008 – Sept 2012

• How technology can support the design of curricula

Lifelong learning

• Using e-portfolio tools to support work-based learning, developing professional skills and competencies, developing reflective, lifelong learners

Study on e-Portfolios and assessment

• Case studies and comparison of practice

• Draft final report under review

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Interoperability

'Interoperability standards are obvious enablers to e-portfolio transition and progression, all the more so since there is wide acknowledgement that a 'one size fits all' approach to e-portfolios is inappropriate for the diversity of institutions in the school and FE College sector.'

ePistle Guidelines

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Emerging lessons….

Think about requirements

– All stakeholders

– Technical and pedagogic

Think about the context

– Successful use depends on a careful analysis of the teaching and learning context

Embed into the curriculum – activities need to be meaningful and purposeful

Win hearts and minds – think about the benefits to all groups

Staff engagement is key to learner engagement

Timing – staff need time to think about how to best use the tools before learners are introduced to it

Personalisation is key

Reflection is hard – providing some structure helps

Listen to the learner and staff voices

Training – not just technical

“e-portfolios are as diverse and unique as the individuals that populate them…”

ePistle Final Report

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Further information

JISC e-Portfolio main page, including information on policy context, key resources, JISC projects: www.jisc.ac.uk/eportfolio

Effective Practice with e-Portfolios www.jisc.ac.uk/effectivepracticeeportfolios

infoKit www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/e-portfolios

Overview of JISC activities www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/publications/eportfoliooverviewv2.aspx

Stories from the regional pilot projects www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/edistributed/regionalstories.aspx

Tangible Benefits of e-Learning http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/publications/bptangiblebenefitsv1.aspx

JISC-CETIS Portfolio SIG: wiki.cetis.ac.uk/Portfolio

Becta Impact Study on e-Portfolios on Learning: http://partners.becta.org.uk/upload-dir/downloads/page_documents/research/impact_study_eportfolios.doc

Links to all additional resources: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/themes/elearning/eportfolios/resources.aspx

Contact: l.gray@jisc.ac.uk