Work & Learning Partners

HI Lucy!!

I´ve been trying to find out what's the real meaning of an e-portfolio, and I have come out with some deffinitions that might help. (see bellow)

But, for me, there are a few useful aspects, as little recommendations, that we should consider before developing them

Depends on the course: if it’s an e-learning course or a blended learning one, type of contents to be included (multimedia), different uses of the portfolio (assessment, reflection, accreditation, research etc.);

Depends on the audience you are dealing with: their skills dealing with technology tools, their expectations and motivations, time they are supposed to spend creating their e-portfolio, etc.

Depends on the teacher: teaching their students of how to use this tool, his/her expectations and motivations, his/her own skills dealing with computers and e-portfolios, the feed-back the give to their students, etc.

Depends on the software. So they should be an useful tool, not just another thing to be done!! Cheerss!!

 Definitions:

 An electronic portfolio is a purposeful collection of a student’s work that is made available on the World Wide Web or a recordable CD-ROM. It is similar to the traditional portfolio that consists of papers and folders; however, the medium this portfolio uses is different. It uses a combination of electronic media such as hypermedia programs, databases, spreadsheets, and word-processing software, as well as CD-ROMs and the Web. The electronic portfolio can be print-based, saved on a computer disk, compiled on a CD-ROM or Web homepage, or a combination of the above. The information can take the form of text, graphics, videos, sounds, images, or any other multimedia format. Although print documents may be included in this kind of portfolio, the electronic portfolio can take other forms: completely electronic, multiply formed (documents and electronic), and multiply linear (hypertextual). (Yancey & Weiser, 1997)

An e-portfolio is an electronic format for learners to record their work, their achievements and their goals, to reflect on their learning, and to share and be supported in this. It enables learners to represent the information in different formats and to take the information with them as they move between institutions. It represents a coming together of several concepts which have a particular resonance at the moment, for example: reflective journals; Weblogs or “Blogs” - and the shared version – Wikis; learning logs; personal development planning; learning centred on the individual learner; and action planning for learning. (Banks, 2004)

 An electronic portfolio is a collection of authentic and diverse evidence, drawn from a larger archive representing what a person or organization has learned over time on which the person or organization has reflected, and designed for presentation to one or more audiences for a particular rhetorical purpose. (National Learning Infrastructure Initiative, 2003).