During fall semester, 2007, I had the opportunity to reflect upon the relative
strengths and weaknesses of ePortfolios. As a future professional in the
instructional design field it is imperative that I have a working knowledge
of ePortfolios and know how to consider, plan, and integrate them into the
learning environment.
EPortfolios can be used for planning and goal setting by the learner,
the advisor, and the institution. This is an advantage as all parties can
consider the outcome of the program and its impact on student learning outcomes.
This allows for planning for learning activities and also goal setting for
both the learner and the institution. This planning can take place online
and offline. Initially it might be difficult for the learner to envision
the end result of a program or the purpose of the portfolio, so planning
and goal setting should be an ongoing part of the portfolio development process
and adjustments can be made over time.
ePortfolios can provide an opportunity for learners to express themselves
creatively. Institutions sometimes choose to create inflexible templates
for learners to use. Although initially learners can use these as
guides for the portfolio creation, it could also pose a major disadvantage
to the
learner’s creative expression if they are not encouraged to add their
own original materials. I believe a blended approach to a portfolio
development is the most advantageous. Providing a basic template from which
a learner
can begin will provide a framework for what is expected. Beyond this
institutions should encourage and support learners to add their own creative
elements
to a portfolio. This allows for the individuality and creative freedom
for the learner to truly reflect upon and communicate their personal development.
Portfolios can also include telecommunications between the learner
and the advisor. One advantage to this is that thought processing,
ideas, and personal growth can be documented in the communications. However,
learners
may be reluctant to post all communications between the advisor and
themselves, as this also documents varying levels of vulnerability. For
example, when
I first began my portfolio development, I had a difficult time with
the FTP process and had to communicate regularly with my advisor. This
is a bit embarrassing
now, as I can easily transfer files using FTP. This is not something
that I would want to include in my portfolio.
Including collaboration tools in a portfolio poses both advantages
and disadvantages. One advantage is that evidence of collaboration
shows the ability of the learner to work with others in a variety
of settings. For example, a learner who displays evidence of working
with and
exchanging
ideas with others through email, threaded discussion, video conferencing
and webcasts would show a potential employer their ability to work
with and communicate successfully with others. A portfolio that does
not include collaboration
tools limits the ability of the learner to display their ability
to collaborate with others.
Another important aspect of a portfolio is that it provides a forum
for reflection by the learner. This is advantageous because it requires
the learner to pause and contemplate the connection between the work,
the purpose,
and the intended audience. I believe that the learner should be allowed
to choose the delivery tool for such reflection. Reflections can
vary greatly depending upon the nature of the product and the learner’s interaction
and experience with the added piece. Allowing the learner the freedom
to choose the delivery promotes positive reflection in which the learner
is
more apt to deliver a genuine response.
ePortfolios create unique opportunities for learners to show how
various products link to standards desired for the program outcome.
Using the connection
capabilities of digital technology a learner can easily show connections
between the product created, the learning objective, and the personal
reflection. In short, digital technology allows the viewer a glimpse
into the personal
schema developed by the learner. The array of digital technologies
provided for the student use can be both a positive and negative
aspect of this connection
capability. If a student is allowed to use a variety of tools with
linking capabilities, the leaner can choose the tool through which
he can best express
himself. On the other hand if a learner is provided with only a limited
set of tools, it may limit the ability to the connectivity.
A portfolio must provide organizational flexibility in order to meet
the needs of multiple users and fit into the framework of multiple
designs. If the portfolio’s organization is too rigid and only meets
the needs of the institution, it limits the ability of the learner to customize
the
portfolio to meet the individual needs of each learner. As each learner
has a unique organizational schema, a flexible portfolio system with many
options
for customization allows the user the freedom to represent their
personal products in the way they deem best.
It is also important for the portfolio designer to consider the issue
of transportability. The included works should be able to be displayed
in multiple formats which address many different needs. For example,
a student
might maintain a portfolio in a stand alone system while attending
a university. The learner may want to continue to utilize the portfolio
to apply for jobs,
or to maintain a professional, digital vitae, but if the portfolio
can only be displayed in one system it is of no value to the learner
after graduation.
On the other hand if the system is flexible enough to allow for files
to be transferred to different systems, the learner will be more
adapt to take
advantage of the work in progress even after graduation.
Selecting how a portfolio will be utilized and assessed presents
a dichotomous situation in which the needs of the institution need
to be balanced
with the needs of the learner. On one hand an institution needs to
ensure that the portfolio allows a glimpse into the learning process
of the individual
student and that the process is closely aligned with the goals and
standards of the institution. On the other hand the individual learner
seeks to represent
their own personal picture of growth and development and need the
flexibility to be able to accomplish this.
Aside from development and design issues, start-up costs and maintenance
considerations are also of great importance. Institutions must consider
costs such as servers, software, licensing, attrition of equipment,
maintenance and support staff when considering implementing a portfolio
assessment
program.
This can be a negative experience for an institution with limited
resources, but careful planning, purchasing, and goal setting can
aid in creating a
quality portfolio experience for both the institution and the learner.
I began developing my own ePortfolio in fall 2004 when I took my
first course in the Instructional Technology Graduate program at
UHCL. I remember
following a template that was provided by the institution to add
my first products. I had to follow step-by-step screen shots of the
upload process,
as this was my first experience with many of the digital technologies
that I was learning at the time. At this time, I was not able to
fully appreciate
the impact that the portfolio would have on my learning experience.
As I complete the final phase of my graduate program, I can look
back on products I’ve contributed and see a pattern of growth. I can now
see how this institution provided me a framework for creativity, as I was
allowed to choose the layout, design, and format for my portfolio. Although
there were standards that were required, I was still given enough freedom
to express these in my own way. After completing my Mater’s degree,
I will be able to transport my entire
ePortfolio to my own personal
computer. From there I can continue to develop my own professional resume
building
on the work that I have already started. I believe that most of the
INST faculty supported me as I developed my portfolio, but I believe that
there
could be a more unified approach in each INST course class that further
supports the portfolio system. For example most instructors guided me into
which products
could be added to the portfolio and encouraged personal reflection
while others made no mention whatsoever of the portfolio. Overall, I believe
that
the portfolio system is a very positive learning experience. It is
wonderful capstone product for my experiences over the past three years,
that would
be hard to express were it not for this ePortfolio.
