The evolved landscape of ePortfolios: Current values and purposes of academic teachers and curriculum designers (original) (raw)
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ePortfolio use by university students in Australia: a review of the Australian ePortfolio Project
Higher Education Research & Development, 2010
In October 2008, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) released the final report for the commissioned project ePortfolio use by university students in Australia: Informing excellence in policy and practice. The Australian ePortfolio Project represented the first attempt to examine the breadth and depth of ePortfolio practice in the Australian higher education sector. The research activities included surveys of stakeholder groups in learning and teaching, academic management and human resource management, with respondents representing all Australian universities; a series of focus groups and semi-structured interviews which sought to explore key issues in greater depth; and surveys designed to capture students' pre-course expectations and their post-course experiences of ePortfolio learning. Further qualitative data was collected through interviews with 'mature users' of ePortfolios. Project findings revealed that, while there was a high level of interest in the use of ePortfolios in terms of the potential to help students become reflective learners who were conscious of their personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, the state of play in Australian universities was very fragmented. The project investigation identified four individual, yet interrelated, contexts where strategies may be employed to support and foster effective ePortfolio practice in higher education: government policy, technical standards, academic policy, and learning and teaching. Four scenarios for the future were also presented with the goal of stimulating discussion about opportunities for stakeholder engagement. It is argued that the effective use of ePortfolios requires open dialogue and collaboration between the different stakeholders across this range of contexts.
Training University Teachers on the Use of the ePortfolio in Teaching and Assessment
2019
Higher education is increasingly called upon to respond to the need for educational innovations promoting graduate employability and lifelong learning (European Higher Education Area, 2012, 2015). To achieve this, students must progressively become able to reflect both on their learning and their potential to improve and plan their own educational and professional development accordingly (D’Andrea & Gosling, 2005). The portfolio, now used in many university courses worldwide, is a tool that contributes to responding to these needs. A study of literature on this subject indicates that the portfolio’s effectiveness during the teaching-learning and assessment processes is dependent on the ability of teachers to master this tool. It follows that, in order to facilitate the effective implementation and use of the portfolio in universities, teachers need to receive suitable training. This paper presents the characteristics and results of a training course on the use of the portfolio. The ...
ePortfolio use by university students in Australia: Informing excellence in policy and practice
2008
, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council released the final report for the commissioned project 'ePortfolio use by university students in Australia: Informing excellence in policy and practice'. The Australian ePortfolio Project represented the first attempt to examine the breadth and depth of ePortfolio practice in the Australian higher education sector. The research activities included: surveys of stakeholder groups in learning and teaching, academic management and human resource management, with respondents representing all Australian universities; a series of focus groups and semi-structured interviews that sought to explore key issues in greater depth; and surveys designed to capture students' precourse expectations and their post-course experiences of ePortfolio learning. Further qualitative data was collected through interviews with 'mature users' of ePortfolios. Project findings revealed that, while there was a high level of interest in the use of ePortfolios in terms of the potential to help students become reflective learners who were conscious of their personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, the state of play in Australian universities was very fragmented. The project investigation identified four individual, yet interrelated, contexts where strategies may be employed to support and foster effective ePortfolio practice in higher education: government policy; technical standards; academic policy; and learning and teaching. Four scenarios for the future were also presented with the goal of stimulating discussion about opportunities for stakeholder engagement. It is argued that the effective use of ePortfolios requires open dialogue and collaboration between the different stakeholders across this range of contexts.
Australian Technology Network Assessment Conference, 2011
ePortfolios are playing an increasingly important role in both university and employment contexts. This paper provides background on iPortfolio, Curtin‘s bespoke ePortfolio system and a discussion of three case studies chosen to illustrate the diverse uses of iPortfolio across different disciplines. The implications for assessment and learning are also presented. ePortfolios have the potential to be a valuable learning and teaching tool in a variety of settings including use with large student cohorts, particularly in first year when they are introduced, facilitating subsequent learning and professional development within the university context. iPortfolio illustrates the use of a new technology to encourage course-wide learning and reflection with links to developing and substantiating graduate attributes, all of which contribute to student engagement. The paper explores student perceptions of using iPortfolio within the student-learning environment. This includes linking to assessable tasks, opportunities for reflection on work- integrated learning and the student experience. Case studies drawn from geology and health sciences illustrate the diversity of iPortfolio usage within a student-focused learning environment. The case studies discuss the implications and considerations of iPortfolio implementation for formative assessment and feedback, summative assessment with large first year cohorts as well as opportunities for final year students to reflect upon and record their professional practice experience. Curtin‘s iPortfolio provides a dynamic environment for students to assess their achievement of graduate attributes and engage in self and peer evaluation. In a world increasingly dependent on Web 2.0 technologies, graduates of the future need to be able to reflect on their learning and present themselves in digital as well as face-to-face contexts. Using iPortfolio can assist students in developing graduate attributes throughout a degree and building greater employability. As with any new learning environment, authentic assessment is evolving. The paper concludes with a discussion on the limitations, lessons learnt so far and the potential future use and rewards from adopting ePortfolios within university teaching environments.
Avoiding the Pitfalls: Current Practices and Recommendations for ePortfolios in Higher Education
Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 2010
Institutions of higher learning use eportfolios for multiple purposes such as to enhance student learning, conduct authentic program/institutional assessment, support students as they prepare for future careers, and meet certification standards. The article investigates existing eportfolio literature and documents our findings of current practices in eportfolio use from a survey of 43 higher education institutions which we delivered in the Spring of 2009. The intent of our research was to learn more about 1) the predominant uses of eportfolios in institutions of higher learning across the globe, 2) the challenges institutions of higher learning face when implementing eportfolios on their campuses, and 3) the considerations institutions of higher learning should address in such an implementation. We present our recommendations for eportfolio implementation along with limitations and suggestions for future research.
Irish Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 2021
Within higher education, ePortfolios have been demonstrated to enhance professional development and to promote critical thinking. In this context, one higher education level nine module, namely, the Professional Development Framework Portfolio module, was analysed. The module was piloted during the 2019-2020 academic year in one Irish Institute of Technology. It was intentionally designed to align with the Professional Development Framework promoted by the Irish National Forum for the Enhancement for Teaching and Learning. The primary aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an ePortfolio as a learning tool for professional development, in the context of the module’s delivery. An action research methodology was employed. Data collection tools and processes included a learner-questionnaire, an ePortfolio mapping analysis, and a dialogical reflection on the part of two lecturer-researchers. Salient findings were that the use of ePortfolios for the purpose of professional ...
ePortfolios: Integrating Learning, Creating Connections and Authentic Assessments
Blended Learning Designs in STEM Higher Education, 2019
Over the past decade in the tertiary education environment, there has been an increasing level of importance placed on the integration of digital technologies to support student learning and prepare students for transition into the world of work. ePortfolios have been recognised as a digital technology that has the capacity to support student growth and development. Through the use of an ePortfolio a student can create a well-organised visually appealing record of their academic and professional knowledge, skills and attributes as well as practical achievements. The journey of the creation of the ePortfolio has the potential to develop a student's professional identity, supporting students to make connections between their learning, the associated assessment tasks and to assist in the preparation required for transitioning into employment. The effectiveness of an ePortfolio as a tool for lifelong learning is underpinned by common challenges faced by educators regarding the development of any learning activity. This chapter describes a conceptual framework of how to design and integrate learning activities for ePortfolios, how to support learning activities with authentic assessment that then contribute as evidence for collection and inclusion in ePortfolios and also how to assess ePortfolios through the use of rubrics. The final section of the chapter provides a case study example of how an ePortfolio project has been scaffolded and integrated into a postgraduate coursework program at Griffith University, the Graduate Diploma in Clinical Physiology, using the whole-of-program or program-wide approach.
ePortfolios are being used in Higher Education, not just for use in single studies, but are embedded into entire programs, so students can demonstrate the development of their skills and learning, and to value becoming a reflective practitioner. This paper describes a pilot research study that sets out to investigate the skills postgraduate students acquire and practice from producing an eportfolio as part of their degree program, and also if the skills continue to be used in the graduate's professional work. The participants in the pilot study are graduates of the Master of Education, since many of them are already practicing teachers. After completing their degree, graduates are invited to allow their eportfolios to be analysed, and agree to be interviewed regarding their eportfolio skills and learning. The eportfolios and interview transcripts are being analysed using qualitative content analysis. This paper discusses some early observations made during the data collection, including participants' attitudes to the final product, difficulties experienced by students in the design process, and the attributes of teachers more likely to carry their skills into the school classroom. After the data analysis is complete it is expected the outcomes of the study will inform the improvement of pre-service teacher and graduate teacher preparation through the refinement of the eportfolio embedment in degree programs, and to provide more information about the professional teaching practice of graduates of Higher Education. The ultimate goal is to have more information about the transference of positive learning skills from graduates to their professional work environments, many of which are school classrooms.