2 Oct 2008, 23:33
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1. Read at least three of the papers listed in the resources section below.
Alternatively, find other case studies on the web that reflect your particular
interests. Consider the following issues:
a. Are eportfolios fulfilling a genuine need or are they just the latest fad?
b. Is personal development planning (PDP) different for students than for staff?
c. Of the various aspects of eportfolio use (e.g. collecting material,
providing evidence for learning, reflection on learning, presentation of
learning), which do the case studies exemplify?
-After (finally) finishing the essay, I reread the brief and noticed I hadn't really addressed b, or c at all. In fact I find it hard to answer c coz don't all eoportfolios have all those aspects? Though I suppose some acounts may emphasise some aspects more than others.
-Btw, I use "eportfolio" in the sense that it's an electronic portfolio, used for PDP/CPD, that is web based.
-Yes, I didn't put the ref list at the end...
-------------------------
Jose Martel-CA2.1-Applications of eportfolios
542 words (below)
If eportfolios are to be used for life-long learning and not be more than an expensive fad - expensive financially and, I think more importantly, costly in terms of wasted opportunity for all stakeholders - then a number of critical issues must be addressed.
There are technological issues. Effective implementation and integration of the eportfolio project within existing systems must be ensured. The various eportfolio platforms that arise must be interoperable, with data file technology used in current eportfolios not becoming obsolete. The ease and range of manipulation of this data (and meta data) is essential for enduser acceptance and institutional or corporate assessment and developmental needs (Batson, 2002; Jafari 2004).
Whether the costly technological issues can be addressed may be related to the implementation of a sound business plan to safeguard the continued existence, maintenance and development of the eportfolio platform. This business plan and platform may envisage, promote and depend on the enduser's desire for, and ability to easily and cost effectively maintain, lifelong affiliation with a particular eportfolio/institution. In return for lifelong endorsement, the enduser must receive an attractive package of benefits which could include (the benefits derived from the) use of the institution's name and artifact authentication (Jafari, 2004).
Aside from technological and business related issues, there are academic or pedagogic concerns. There are signs that a cultural change is needed in teachers' rather negative attitudes towards the concept of reflection, and their current unwillingness to reflect on their own practice and develop it - an issue related to excellence in teaching and Continuing Professional Development (CPD). A teacher's self-reflection and professional development (through the use of CPD and Teaching ePortfolios) can form a crucial model of good practice for a student's own reflective and developmental behaviour, greatly influencing the student's Personal Development Planing (PDP) (Stefani, 2005). The cultural shift in teachers' attitudes to reflection can be accomplished over a number of years as the 5 levels of maturation required for effective implementation of eportfolios are gradually achieved, maintained and surpassed until the final level is attained. This final level would be marked by the use of "authentic evidence as authoritative evidence for assessment, evaluation, and reporting" within the eportfolio, which is largely constructed employing the student's heuristic processes, and which would be "of high value for students, educators, and employers" (Love, et al. 2004).
Despite the apparent overwhelming acceptance of the need for PDP, CPD and eportfolios, concerns have been raised that there is a lack of evidence to support the claims that eportfolios support and enhance student learning and promote reflection on learning (Stefani, 2005). Further, appropriately documented studies, and time will tell.
As to eportfolio aspects that the case studies I looked at exemplify, the account of the University of Auckland's eportfolio project (Stefani, 2005) seems to stress the initial importance of the eportfolio as repository, while emphasizing that manipulation of the data/succesive versions of (the same) artifacts can demonstrate reflection and improvement over time.
The account of the California Lutheran University’s School of Education's eportfolio project (Love, et al. 2004) seemed to stress the effectiveness of working through the levels of maturation, and comments on how that gradual implementation aided its implementation by permitting the qualitative changes in faculty reflection so necessary for student progress.
1. Read at least three of the papers listed in the resources section below.
Alternatively, find other case studies on the web that reflect your particular
interests. Consider the following issues:
a. Are eportfolios fulfilling a genuine need or are they just the latest fad?
b. Is personal development planning (PDP) different for students than for staff?
c. Of the various aspects of eportfolio use (e.g. collecting material,
providing evidence for learning, reflection on learning, presentation of
learning), which do the case studies exemplify?
-After (finally) finishing the essay, I reread the brief and noticed I hadn't really addressed b, or c at all. In fact I find it hard to answer c coz don't all eoportfolios have all those aspects? Though I suppose some acounts may emphasise some aspects more than others.
-Btw, I use "eportfolio" in the sense that it's an electronic portfolio, used for PDP/CPD, that is web based.
-Yes, I didn't put the ref list at the end...
-------------------------
Jose Martel-CA2.1-Applications of eportfolios
542 words (below)
If eportfolios are to be used for life-long learning and not be more than an expensive fad - expensive financially and, I think more importantly, costly in terms of wasted opportunity for all stakeholders - then a number of critical issues must be addressed.
There are technological issues. Effective implementation and integration of the eportfolio project within existing systems must be ensured. The various eportfolio platforms that arise must be interoperable, with data file technology used in current eportfolios not becoming obsolete. The ease and range of manipulation of this data (and meta data) is essential for enduser acceptance and institutional or corporate assessment and developmental needs (Batson, 2002; Jafari 2004).
Whether the costly technological issues can be addressed may be related to the implementation of a sound business plan to safeguard the continued existence, maintenance and development of the eportfolio platform. This business plan and platform may envisage, promote and depend on the enduser's desire for, and ability to easily and cost effectively maintain, lifelong affiliation with a particular eportfolio/institution. In return for lifelong endorsement, the enduser must receive an attractive package of benefits which could include (the benefits derived from the) use of the institution's name and artifact authentication (Jafari, 2004).
Aside from technological and business related issues, there are academic or pedagogic concerns. There are signs that a cultural change is needed in teachers' rather negative attitudes towards the concept of reflection, and their current unwillingness to reflect on their own practice and develop it - an issue related to excellence in teaching and Continuing Professional Development (CPD). A teacher's self-reflection and professional development (through the use of CPD and Teaching ePortfolios) can form a crucial model of good practice for a student's own reflective and developmental behaviour, greatly influencing the student's Personal Development Planing (PDP) (Stefani, 2005). The cultural shift in teachers' attitudes to reflection can be accomplished over a number of years as the 5 levels of maturation required for effective implementation of eportfolios are gradually achieved, maintained and surpassed until the final level is attained. This final level would be marked by the use of "authentic evidence as authoritative evidence for assessment, evaluation, and reporting" within the eportfolio, which is largely constructed employing the student's heuristic processes, and which would be "of high value for students, educators, and employers" (Love, et al. 2004).
Despite the apparent overwhelming acceptance of the need for PDP, CPD and eportfolios, concerns have been raised that there is a lack of evidence to support the claims that eportfolios support and enhance student learning and promote reflection on learning (Stefani, 2005). Further, appropriately documented studies, and time will tell.
As to eportfolio aspects that the case studies I looked at exemplify, the account of the University of Auckland's eportfolio project (Stefani, 2005) seems to stress the initial importance of the eportfolio as repository, while emphasizing that manipulation of the data/succesive versions of (the same) artifacts can demonstrate reflection and improvement over time.
The account of the California Lutheran University’s School of Education's eportfolio project (Love, et al. 2004) seemed to stress the effectiveness of working through the levels of maturation, and comments on how that gradual implementation aided its implementation by permitting the qualitative changes in faculty reflection so necessary for student progress.
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