reflections on 'why use ePortfolios?'

Reflection on ePortfolio case studies
(activity 2.3 for H808)]

JISC (2008) Effective Practice with e-Portfolios: Supporting 21st Century Learning, JISC. Available from: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/effectivepracticeeportfolios.pdf (accessed 10 July 2009).

This paper considers several projects, considering especially how e-Portfolios can improve personalisation and reflection in learning. All of the projects are with adults, although for different purposes (professional development, higher study)

“Behind any product, or presentation, lie rich and complex processes of planning, synthesising, sharing, discussing, reflecting, giving, receiving and responding to feedback. These processes – referred to here as ‘e-portfolio-based learning’ – are the focus of increasing attention, since the process of learning can be as important as the end product.” Page 8

My own reflection on this is to query how is that makes ePortfolios different from any other process of learning. If I were to play Devil’s advocate, I might suggest that we are jumping on a digital bandwagon and that there is no benefit over paper based approaches. Indeed, it could be worse since a paper portfolio does not ‘crash’ (though it can get lost or destroyed).

In my experience of leading Professional Development with school teachers, paper based portfolios are no more likely to succeed since it is the very act of reflecting and keeping a log which many busy people find difficult – unless they can see a very real benefit for them or for their practice. It may well be that the production of a professional looking document will be one incentive. However, we need to remember that many of our potential customers would be deemed digital immigrants and will not necessarily find these tools easy to work with to begin with. Additionally, access to hardware may remain an issue for some.

“The primary aim of an e-portfolio may be to collect evidence for summative assessment, to demonstrate achievement, record progress and set targets – as in records of achievement and individual learning plans (ILPs) – or to nurture a continuing process of personal development and reflective learning, more commonly experienced in higher and continuing education contexts, but now also occurring further education and schools. These different approaches are not mutually exclusive, however, and may in fact represent different starting points on a journey towards embedding e-portfolio use fully into the curriculum.” Page 8

Do ePortfolios improve development of reflection, personalisation, and collaboration? Perhaps the major difference is to do with audience and potential development of communities of practice. In my opinion, this is the real benefit of ePortfolios: they open up the opportunity to receive peer review and feedback from (more able) partners across a global network if chosen.

For me the major concern is one raised by Harry Tuttle “Web 2.0 21st Century Skills What percent of class wiki is student created? Don't count mandatory posts. Is it a class teacher “website”? “Twitter comment 26/9/08 In other words, whose portfolio is it? How much is driven by the learner? With teachers in my own school, I found that asking them to post reflective writing on our wiki dramatically increased the use of this repository. I am still finding it very difficult to get collaborative work to develop.

It would be great to hear from people who have used either paper portfolios or ePortfolios or both - especially as Professional Development tools - with any hints, particulalry on the collaborative aspect.