Joint Information Systems Committee 12/04/2023 | slide 1

Effective Practice with e-Portfolios: Supporting 21st Century Learning

Lisa Gray

Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting education and research

Joint Information Systems Committee

Overview of the day

10.10 – 11.15: e-Portfolios in context, definitions, purposes, resources and projects

11.15 – 11.50: Presentations from practitioners

11.50– 12.05: Coffee break

12.05 – 13.15: Presentations from practitioners

13.15 – 14.00: Lunch

14.00 – 14.45: Practical hands on activity using e-portfolio tools

14.45– 15.10: Issues discussion

15.10– 15.40: Exploring JISC resources

15.40 – 16.00: Update on JISC activity and further resources, round up and summary of the day

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Context

Why are e-portfolios important?– Policy context

– Institutional drivers

– Pre-Higher Education initiatives

But most importantly…..their potential to transform learning– “Emerging and often powerful evidence from practitioners and

learners of the value of developing e-portfolios….adding value to personalised and reflective models of learning”

– Supporting transition, assessment, application, professional development, personal development planning…..

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Launched in September 2008

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Exercise: What are e-portfolios?

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Some definitions:

‘The research team worked from an understanding of e-portfolios that incorporates both process and product, and includes a range of tools within a system that links with other systems. Broadly, the product (e-portfolio) is a purposeful selection of items (evidence) chosen at a point in time from a repository or archive, with a particular audience in mind. The processes that are required to create e-portfolios for any purpose include capturing and ongoing storage of material, selection, reflection and presentation.’

Hartnell-Young et al (2007): The Impact of e-Portfolios on Learning. Coventry. Becta http://partners.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&catcode=_re_rp_02&rid=14007

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Some definitions:

‘Definitions of an e-portfolio tend to include the following elements:

• A collection of digital resources

• That provide evidence of an individual’s progress and achievements

• Drawn from both formal and informal learning activities

• That are personally managed and owned by the learner

• That can be used for review, reflection and personal development planning

• That can be selectively accessed by other interested parties e.g. teachers, peers, assessors, awarding bodies, prospective employers’

Helen Beetham, 2005 http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/eportfolio_ped.dochttp://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/eportfolio_ped.doc

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Working to a consensus…

..an emerging consensus that the term essentially means the product

‘An e-portfolio is a purposeful aggregation of digital items – ideas, evidence, reflections, feedback etc., which ‘presents’ a selected audience with evidence of a person’s learning and/or ability’

CETIS SIG mailing list discussions

…but, importantly, in the process of creating ‘presentational’ e-portfolios (through the use of tools or systems), learners can be inherently supported to develop the key skills of capturing evidence, reflecting, sharing, collaborating, annotating and presenting (e-portfolio related processes)

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Capturing & storing evidenceReflectingGiving feedbackCollaborating Presenting to an audience

Purposes & ToolsCelebrating learningPersonal planning Transition/entry to coursesEmployment applicationsProfessional registration

E-portfolios to present for different purposes

Tools to support processes

Space (local or remote) to store resources and an archive of evidence

From Elizabeth Hartnell-Young (2007), ‘Developing an ePortfolio culture from the early years’

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The confusion over e-portfolios

“The problem is that portfolio is a learning approach not a technology……..the essential nature of an ePortfolio for

learning is not as a repository but as a place for reflection”Trent Batson, 7th Jan 09, ‘The Portfolio Enigma in a Time of Ephemera’

“It is a reflection of the student as a person undergoing continuous personal development, not just a store of

evidence’Geoff Rebbeck, e-Learning Co-ordinator , Thanet College

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Perspectives

‘…like a filing cabinet online, but it’s got a dialogue with it as well…’

‘The fact you can put video and tell your story …’

‘It’s an addictive thing to use both academically and socially’

‘The VLE are owned by the institution and the e-portfolio is owned by me’

‘It takes the CV into the modern era’ ‘e-Portfolio tools enable students to make the all-important connections

between the curriculum and the other things they do’

‘An e-portfolio should be your opportunity to draw on everything you have already created to make your own story’

‘a lifeline of communication’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B3tujXlbdk

Joint Information Systems Committee

Exercise: For what purposes might learners create e-portfolios and why?

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Overview of JISC work…and others

Using e-portfolios to support:

Application to University

Application to employment Employability

Presentation of work for professional accreditation

Evidencing competencies Providing evidence for appraisal

Evidencing continuing professional development

Presentation of work for assessment

Showcasing work to employers

Work-based learning

Supporting learning processes Flexible course design and delivery

Non-traditional learners, women returning to higher education

Information advice and guidance

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Supporting learning processes

“The use of e-portfolios with this group has been effective in encouraging the development of student reflection. Learners feel that they have benefited from reflecting on issues such as their personal experiences, their behaviour, events in their lives, their thoughts and feelings, their writing, and their personal development in general.”

“The use of e-portfolios with this learner group resulted in a greater appreciation of collaboration and collaborative learning.”

File-Pass Final Report

“…I find doing this quite useful because it made me think about a much more structured way whether I was going to long term be happy in a vineyard or would I be happy in a winery”

MyWorld Final Report

“We became reflective writers and practitioners without even thinking about it”

PGCE student, University of Wolverhampton

Joint Information Systems Committee

Tangible benefits include

Efficiency Time savings in information retrievalSupporting reflection and feedback, Supporting presentation,Assessment AND administration

Enhancement Improving quality of evidence, Reflection and feedback; Skills development; Student motivation and satisfaction to inform Teaching Quality Enhancement Increases in recruitment and retentionUse by staff for professional development increasing and informing use with

students Supporting women returners to the workplace

Transformation Through engaging practitioners and policy makers; Through institutional integration of e-portfolio use in a number of professional development activities Through providing a work placement quality management system

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Emerging from the JISC work….

Guidance

– On legal issues, implementation, embedding, choice of tool/system, entry to HE, storage and access, use and non-use of e-portfolios, benefits of use, using e-portfolios with staff, training and support, mainstreaming practice....

Governance Toolkit

– Helps to think through the main issues in planning, implementing and planning an e-portfolio project

Case studies and stories:

– Learner voices videos, animations, stories from projects, and case studies demonstrating tangible benefits

– A range of case studies on use of e-portfolios for assessment

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Ongoing e-portfolio activity

Transforming Curriculum Delivery: October 2008 – Oct 2010

• Using Mahara to showcase achievements to employers

Institutional approaches to curriculum design: Sept 2008 – Sept 2012

• How technology can support the more flexible and agile design of curricula

Lifelong learning and workforce development: April 2009 – March 2011

• Using e-portfolio tools to support work-based learning, flexible course design and delivery, professional skills and competencies, developing reflective, lifelong learners

Study of large scale e-portfolio implementations: August 2010 – May 2011

Leap2a interoperability pilots: completing July 2010

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Interoperability

'Interoperability standards are obvious enablers to e-portfolio transition and progression, all the more so since there is wide acknowledgement that a 'one size fits all' approach to e-portfolios is inappropriate for the diversity of institutions in the school and FE College sector.'

ePistle Guidelines

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Emerging lessons….

Think about requirements

– All stakeholders

– Technical and pedagogic

Think about the context

– Successful use depends on a careful analysis of the teaching and learning context

Embed into the curriculum – activities need to be meaningful and purposeful, language should be appropriate

Win hearts and minds – think about the benefits to all groups

Staff engagement is key to learner engagement

Timing – staff need time to think about how to best use the tools before learners are introduced to it

Personalisation is key

Reflection is hard – providing some structure helps

Listen to the learner and staff voices

Training – not just technical

Longevity – learners won’t be motivated to use their e-portfolios unless they know they have continued access

“e-portfolios are as diverse and unique as the individuals that populate them…”

“ePistle Final Report

Joint Information Systems Committee

What are the features of a threshold concept?

 'Threshold Concepts' may  be considered to be "akin  to passing through a portal"  or "conceptual gateway"  that opens up "previously  inaccessible way[s] of  thinking about something"  (Meyer and Land, 2003).

They represent ‘troublesome’ knowledge,

i.e. counter-intuitive(Perkins, 2006)   12/04/2023 | slide 22

Joint Information Systems Committee

Threshold Concepts associated with e-portfolio implementation

These relate to:

1. Their PURPOSES:

2. LEARNING ACTIVITY DESIGN:

3. The PROCESSES involved:

4. OWNERSHIP issues:

5. Their transformative and DISRUPTIVE NATURE

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Further information

JISC e-Portfolio main page, including information on policy context, key resources, JISC projects: www.jisc.ac.uk/eportfolio

Effective Practice with e-Portfolios www.jisc.ac.uk/effectivepracticeeportfolios

Study on the role of e-Portfolios in Formative and Summative Assessment Practices www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning/eportfolios/studyontheroleofeportfolios.aspx

infoKit www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/e-portfolios

Paper on ‘Threshold Concept’ model relating to e-portfolios: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/procs/joyes.pdf

Stories from the regional pilot projects www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/edistributed/regionalstories.aspx

Tangible Benefits of e-Learning www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/publications/bptangiblebenefitsv1.aspx

JISC-CETIS Portfolio SIG: wiki.cetis.ac.uk/Portfolio

Becta Impact Study on e-Portfolios on Learning: partners.becta.org.uk/upload-dir/downloads/page_documents/research/impact_study_eportfolios.doc

Contact: l.gray@jisc.ac.uk