ePortfolio Inquiry Project

Zach Tucker

History

• ePortfolios find their roots in traditional paper portfolios. These were used for collecting personal info, sample work, evaluations, and awards.

• “ePortfolios” came into existence in the early 1990s with the rise of internet capabilities.

• People could now upload their portfolios to an online server and input texts, hyperlinks, documents, multimedia, and more.

History of ePortfolios

• Today, ePortfolios are seeing more widespread as more people understand their functions and they become easier to use.

• "The History of ePortfolios." danwilton.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct 2011.

<http://www.danwilton.com/eportfolios/history.php>.

K-12 ePortfolios

• ePortfolios are used decidedly less in secondary school than in college, most likely because college students are looking to showcase their work for a wider variety of goals, whereas most secondary school students have a specific goal of getting into college.

• GoogleApps divides its ePortfolios for K-12 into three levels, with Level 1 being the simplest and Level 3 the most advanced

K-12 ePortfolios

• Level 1 – Using an ePortfolio as storage– Used by younger students because of their

inability to grasp the complexities of higher level ePortfolios

– Focuses on content• Level 2 – Using an ePortfolio as a workspace– Used by mid-range students– Focuses on reflection of learning and the

documentation of artifacts.

K-12 ePortfolios

• Level 3 – Using an ePortfolio as a showcase– Used by the upper level secondary students– Focused on the documentation of achievements– Most similar to college ePortfolios, in that they have a

purpose other than being used for self-benefit.

• "ePortfolios with GoogleApps." GoogleApps. Google, n.d. Web. 18 Oct 2011.

<http://sites.google.com/site/eportfolioapps/overview/levels>.

College and Beyond

• College students most often use e-portfolios to showcase their achievements.

• “An ePortfolio is in sense a very advanced resume, in that it is a resume with other media (pictures, videos, hyperlinks, letters of reference, blurbs, etc…) attached. Everything is then organized to show off the student to potential employers.” –Zach Tucker

College and Beyond

• After college, students will most likely use their e-portfolios for the same purpose (an advanced resume).

• Businesses may use an ePortfolio to show off the business as a whole.

• Very professional people sometimes use multiple ePortfolios to show off different aspects of their lives.

• Stringfellow, Angela. "About Business Potrfolios." SoYouWanna?. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct 2011.

<http://www.soyouwanna.com/business- portfolios-20147.html>.

Different Types of ePortfolios

• Foliotek– The motto of this platform is “Assessment just got

easier”– Suitable for users who have many files for their

ePortfolio– It distinguishes students ePortfolios from

faculty/administrator ePortfolios– Supposedly complicated and costs money

Different Types of ePortfolios

• Elgg– A hybrid between social networking and

ePortfolios– The platform allows for information to be put

together as a profile for others to view– Similar to other social media sites, it has an “add a

friend” feature– Enables the user to add information about past

and present life

Different Types of ePortfolios

• KEEP Toolkit– Highly regarded by users– Has a wide range of tools allowing users to do many different

things with their ePortfolio– There are examples of ePortfolios to help users create their own– Allows webpages to be linked together like a website– The most helpful of the platforms

• "Different Types of E Portfolio Platforms." slideshare.net. 2007. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. <http://www.slideshare.net/AGueva909/different-types-of-e-portfolio-platforms>.

Limitations of ePortfolios

• Lack of Standardization– Portfolios do not meet the requirements for standardization

because they are tailored to the individual student.• Not Feasible for Large Scale Learning Assessment

– Because of the un-standardized nature of the portfolios, a single reviewer may see the work in the portfolio different than another making it difficult to adequately assess the student

– Also, though computer technology has come a long way in grading, the technology cannot be used in this sense because of the large scale un-standardized portfolios

Limitations of ePortfolios

• Bias– A portfolio may include photographs, videos, or

other information about student identities– Because of the lack of anonymity, reviewers may

inadvertently form biases about the student• Shavelson, Richard, Stephen Klein, and Roger

Benjamin. "The Limitations of Portfolios." Inside Higher Ed. N.p., 16 Oct 2009. Web. 19 Oct 2011. <http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2009/10/16/shavelson>.