Presentation at the EPortfolio & Identity Conference in July 2014.

1. Balancing the Two Faces
of E-Portfolios
Dr. Helen Barrett
University of Alaska Anchorage (retired)
Seattle Pacific University (adjunct)
REAL ePortfolio Academy (founding faculty)
International Researcher & Consultant
Electronic Portfolios and Digital Storytelling for Lifelong and Life Wide Learning

2. Key Concepts
• Definitions, Portfolios for Lifelong
Learning
• Balancing the 2 Faces of E-Portfolios
• Peter Ewell’s 2 paradigms of assessment
• Identity Development & Online
Professional Branding
• Metacognition, Reflection, Motivation & Engagement
• Digital Storytelling and Reflection
• Change Process

3. Resources
• http://slideshare.net/eportfolios/
(these slides)
• https://sites.google.com/site/mportfolios/
(resources & links)
• http://electronicportfolios.org/
(further information)
• https://sites.google.com/site/reflection4learni
ng/
• Twitter hashtag: #mportfolios

4. The Power of
Portfolios
what children can
teach us about
learning and
assessment
Author: Elizabeth Hebert
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Picture courtesy of Amazon.com

5. The Power of Portfolios
Author:
Dr. Elizabeth
Hebert, Principal
Crow Island School,
Winnetka, Illinois
Picture taken by Helen Barrett at
AERA, Seattle, April, 2001

6. From the Preface (1)
Hebert, Elizabeth (2001) The Power of Portfolios. Jossey-Bass, p.ix
“Portfolios have been with us for a very long time.
Those of us who grew up in the 1950s or earlier
recognize portfolios as reincarnations of the large
memory boxes or drawers where our parents
collected starred spelling tests, lacy valentines,
science fair posters, early attempts at poetry, and
(of course) the obligatory set of plaster hands.
Each item was selected by our parents because it
represented our acquisition of a new skill or our
feelings of accomplishment. Perhaps an entry was
accompanied by a special notation of praise from a
teacher or maybe it was placed in the box just
because we did it.”

7. From the Preface (2)
Hebert, Elizabeth (2001) The Power of Portfolios. Jossey-Bass, p.ix
“We formed part of our identity from the
contents of these memory boxes. We recognized
each piece and its association with a particular
time or experience. We shared these collections
with grandparents to reinforce feelings of pride
and we reexamined them on rainy days when
friends were unavailable for play. Reflecting on
the collection allowed us to attribute importance
to these artifacts, and by extension to ourselves,
as they gave witness to the story of our early
school experiences.”

8. From the Preface (3)
Hebert, Elizabeth (2001) The Power of Portfolios. Jossey-Bass, p.ix-x
“Our parents couldn’t possibly envision that
these memory boxes would be the inspiration
for an innovative way of thinking about
children’s learning. These collections, lovingly
stored away on our behalf, are the genuine
exemplar for documenting children’s learning
over time. But now these memory boxes have a
different meaning. It’s not purely private or
personal, although the personal is what gives
power to what they can mean.”

9. Let’s get personal…
Think for a minute about:
Something about your COLLECTIONS:
Suggested topics:
 If you are a parent, what you saved for your
children
 What your parents saved for you
 What you collect…
 Why you collect…

10. Some issues to consider
 What do your collections say about what you
value?
 Is there a difference between what you
purposefully save and what you can’t throw
away?
 How can we use our personal collections
experiences to help learners as they develop
their portfolios?
The power of portfolios [to support deep
learning] is personal.

11. Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle
11
product
process
motivation

12. WHAT?

13. Specialty Case Responsibilities
Portfolio
One Word,
Many Meanings
Art Work Investments
Collection of Artifacts
Workspace
Showcase

14. Who was the
first famous
“folio” keeper?
DEFINITIONS

15. Leonardo da Vinci’s Folio

16. What is a Portfolio?
• Dictionary definition:
a flat, portable case
for carrying loose
papers, drawings, etc.
• Financial portfolio: document
accumulation of fiscal capital
• Educational portfolio: document
development of human capital

17. What is a Portfolio in Education?
A portfolio is a purposeful
collection of [academic] work that
exhibits the [learner/worker’s]
efforts, progress and
achievements in one or more
areas
[over time].
(Northwest Evaluation Association, 1990)

18. +Electronic
• digital artifacts organized online
combining various media
(audio/video/text/images)

19. E-Portfolio Components
< Multiple Portfolios for
Multiple Purposes
-Celebrating Learning
-Personal Planning
-Transition/entry to courses
-Employment applications
-Accountability/Assessment
< Multiple Tools to Support
Processes
-Capturing & storing evidence
-Reflecting
-Giving & receiving feedback
-Planning & setting goals
-Collaborating
-Presenting to an audience
< Digital Repository
(Becta, 2007; JISC, 2008)

20. WHY?

21. Multiple Purposes
from Hidden Assumptions
What are yours?
• Showcase • Assessment • Learning
•
http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMag2008/choosing%20an%20eportfolio/cool-cartoon-
346082.png

22. Hostos CC Vision
To bring about an integrated
institution-wide e-Portfolio
environment to maximize the
creative, academic, and
professional potential of
every student.

23. Hostos CC Mission
Encourage integrative learning by
creating online learning spaces
that foster student reflection on
academic learning, personal and
professional goals, and career planning to
increase student performance, retention, and
engagement.

24. Purpose
• The overarching purpose of
portfolios is to create a sense of
personal ownership over one’s
accomplishments, because
ownership engenders feelings of
pride, responsibility, and
dedication. (p.10)
• Paris, S & Ayres, L. (1994) Becoming Reflective Students and Teachers.
American Psychological Association

25. E-Portfolios in
Generational Contexts
1.Family – Birth & up
2.Formal Education
– K-12 - Schools
– Adult/Post Secondary Education
3.Workplace – Professions
4.Retirement – Legacy

26. Benefits…from the PROCESS:
• They will discover a valuable exercise in self assessment through
the reflection process
• Learning will take on a new depth through the reflection process
• Their self esteem and self-confidence will be enhanced as they
take control of their learning.
• They may develop their own goals for their learning.
• Assessment of their learning may become more student centered;
the learner is involved and authorized to make decisions about
will be evaluated.
• They will receive more recognition for individual learning abilities
and preferences.
• They will learn and begin to practice a process that will be used in
life long and life wide learning pursuits.

27. Benefits…from the PRODUCT:
• They will have a tool for personal development.
• They will have a personal learning record.
• They may receive credit for informal and non-formal learning as well as
formal learning.
• They will have direction for career planning.
• They will have a tool for feedback from teachers and peers; feedback in the
form of comments, as opposed to marks.
• They will have a concrete way of showcasing strengths to teachers or future
employers.
• They may have needed documentation for prior learning assessment or
program credits.
• They may receive credit towards a course completion or towards
graduation
• They will have an extremely portable tool to use no matter where they are
in the world.

28. Four key pillars of Lifelong Learning
(Barbara Stäuble, Curtin University of Technology, Australia)
http://lsn.curtin.edu.au/tlf/tlf2005/refereed/stauble.html

29. Knowing the learner
(Self-awareness)
• Understanding prior knowledge
• Motivation for and attitudes
toward learning
• Help learners understand
themselves
• See their growth over time

30. Planning for learning
(Self management)
• Setting goals
• Develop a plan to
achieve these
goals

31. Understanding how to learn
(Meta-learning)
• Awareness of learners to
different approaches to
learning
• Deep vs. Surface Learning,
Rote vs. Meaningful Learning
• Different Learning Styles
• Help learners recognize success
• Accommodate approaches that are not
successful

32. Evaluating learning
(Self monitoring)
• Systematic analysis of learners’
performance
• Responsibility to construct meaning
• Be reflective & think critically
• Learners construct meaning,
monitor learning, evaluate
own outcomes

33. Deep Learning
• involves reflection,
• is developmental,
• is integrative,
• is self-directive, and
• is lifelong
Cambridge (2004)

34. QUOTE
 The e-portfolio is the central
and common point for the student
learning experience… It is a reflection
of the student as a person undergoing
continuous personal development,
not just a store of evidence.
-Geoff Rebbeck, e-Learning Coordinator, Thanet College, quoted in
JISC, 2008, Effective Practice with e-Portfolios

35. Portfolio Learning
Experience
Reviewing Feeling
Understanding
Reflecting
Figure 2 A model of e-portfolio-based learning, adapted
from Kolb (1984)
JISC, 2008, Effective Practice with e-Portfolios, p. 9
Publishing &
Receiving Feedback
Sharing &
Collaborating
Dialogue
Selecting
Synthesizing
Recording
Organizing
Planning
Conceptualizing
& Constructing
Meaning

36. “metacognition lies at the root of
all learning”
“…self-knowledge, awareness of how and why
we think as we do, and the ability to adapt and
learn, are critical to our survival as
individuals…”
- James Zull (2011) From Brain to Mind: Using Neuroscience to
Guide Change in Education

37. Handout
Lifelong Context for E-Portfolios

38. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201
01006006722/en/Digital-Birth-Online-World
Digital Birth:
Welcome to the Online World
• Mothers with children aged under two (N=2200) that have
uploaded images of their child (2010)
• Overall – 81%
– USA – 92%
– Canada - 84%
– (EU5 - 73%)
UK - 81% France - 74% Italy - 68% Germany - 71% Spain –
71%
– Australia – 84%
– New Zealand – 91%
– Japan - 43%
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sailbit/3329477282/
The research was conducted by Research Now among 2200 mothers with young (under two) children during the week of 27
September. Mothers in the EU5 (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain), Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan
were polled.

39. Digital Identity
• Creating a positive digital footprint

40. No More Resumes

41. 5 Reasons Why Your Online Presence Will
Replace Your Resume in 10 years
1. Social networking use is skyrocketing while
email is plummeting
2. You can’t find jobs traditionally anymore
3. People are managing their careers as
entrepreneurs
4. The traditional resume is
now virtual and easy to build
5. Job seeker passion has become the
deciding factor in employment
http://blogs.forbes.com/danschawbel/2011/02/21/5-reasons-why-your-online-presence-
will-replace-your-resume-in-10-years/

42. Dan Schawbel, Forbes
“personal branding guru”
• “Your online presence communicates,
or should communicate, what you’re
truly and genuinely passionate
about… I firmly believe that you won’t
be able to obtain and sustain a job
without passion anymore.”
• http://blogs.forbes.com/danschawbel/2011/02/21/5-reasons-why-your-online-presence-
will-replace-your-resume-in-10-years/

43. “Know Thyself”
Temple at Delphi

44. Managing Oneself
• “Success in the
Peter Drucker, (2005) Harvard Business Review
knowledge economy
comes to those who
know themselves –
their strengths, their
values, and how best
they perform.”
• Purpose: Use
ePortfolios for
managing knowledge
workers' career
development
• What are my strengths?
• How do I perform?
• What are my values?
• Where do I belong?
• What should I
contribute?
• Responsibility for
Relationships
• The Second Half of your
Life

45. Some Basic Concepts
 “ePortfolio is both process and product”
 Process: A series of events (time and
effort) to produce a result
- From Old French proces (“‘journey’”)
 Product: the outcome/results or
“thinginess” of an activity/process
- Destination
 Wiktionary

46. Balancing the Two Faces of
E-Portfolios
Working Portfolio
Digital Archive
(Repository of Artifacts)
Collaboration Space
Reflective Journal
Presentation Portfolio(s)
Portfolio as Process
Workspace
The “Story” or Narrative
Multiple Views
(public/private)
Varied Audiences &
Purposes
Portfolio as Product
Showcase
Docs
Blog
Sites

47. Handout

48. Structure of E-Portfolio Types
• Portfolio as Process/
Workspace
– Organization:
Chronological –
Documenting growth over
time for both internal and
external audiences
– Primary Purpose:
Learning or Reflection
blog website
– Reflection: immediate
focus on artifact or learning
experience
• Portfolio as Product/
Showcase
– Organization:
Thematic – Documenting
achievement of Standards, Goals
or Learning Outcomes for
primarily external audiences
– Primary Purpose:
Accountability or Employment or
Showcase
– Reflection: retrospective
focus on Standards, Goals or
Learning Outcomes (Themes)

49. Brainstorm
Advantages
Teachers
Disadvantages
Teachers
Advantages
Students
Disadvantages
Students
Open – Free
Form
Template-
Driven – can be
modified
Fill in blanks on
a Web-based
form

50. Multiple Purposes of
E-Portfolios in Education
– Learning/ Process/ Planning
– Marketing/ Showcase/ Employment
– Assessment/ Accountability
"The Blind Men and the Elephant”
by John Godfrey Saxe

51. ePortfolio designs/strategies for
different purposes
• Learning Portfolios
–Organized chronologically
–Focus of Reflection:
Learning Activities &
Artifacts
–Tools: Reflective Journal (blog)
–Faculty/peer role: Feedback on
artifacts and reflection

52. ePortfolio designs/strategies for
different purposes
 Showcase Portfolios
(Employment, Self-marketing)
 Organized thematically
(position requirements)
 Focus of Reflection:
Suitability for position
 Tools: Choice of portfolio
owner – personalized web
pages – digital footprint
 Personal online branding

53. ePortfolio designs/strategies for
different purposes
• Assessment/Accountability Portfolios
(Summative assessment)
– Organized thematically (outcomes, goals
or standards)
– Focus of Reflection: Achievement of
Standards (rationale)
– Tools: Assessment system
with data from scoring rubrics
– Faculty role: Evaluation

54. Forms of Assessment
Formative
Assessments
Provides insights
for the teacher
Assessment FOR
Learning
Provides insights
for the learner
Summative
Assessments
(Assessment OF
Learning or
Evaluation)
Provides insights
(and data) for the
institution
Nick Rate (2008) Assessment for Learning & ePortfolios, NZ Ministry of Ed

55. Two “Paradigms” of Assessment (Ewell, 2008)
Assessment for
Continuous Improvement
Assessment for
Accountability
Strategic Dimensions:
Purpose
Stance
Predominant Ethos
Application Choices:
Instrumentation
Nature of Evidence
Reference Points
Communication of Results
Uses of Results
Formative (Improvement)
Internal
Engagement
Multiple/Triangulation
Quantitative and
Qualitative
Over Time, Comparative,
Established Goal
Multiple Internal Channels
and Media
Multiple Feedback Loops
Summative (Judgment)
External
Compliance
Standardized
Quantitative
Comparative or Fixed
Standard
Public Communication
Reporting
Ewell, P. (2008) Assessment and Accountability in America Today: Background and Content. P.170

56. Opportunity Cost
• The alternative you give up
when you make a decision…
• The cost of an alternative that must be
forgone in order to pursue a certain action
What is the opportunity cost of emphasizing
accountability in portfolios over reflection,
deep learning, and continuous improvement?

57. Goal: Balance in Electronic Portfolios
Accountability
(Institution-Centered)
Improvement
Purpose
(Student-Centered)
(Or Course-Centered)
Along a Continuum
?? ??
Opportunity Cost

58. Goal: Balance in Electronic
Portfolios
Accountability
Highly Structured
Uniformity and Standardization
Required Assignments
Faculty Evaluation
Complexity
Checklist
Data!
Improvement
Engagement
Deep Learning
Personalization
Choice and Voice
Opportunity Cost
Lifelong Skills
Ease of Use
Ownership
Time
Purpose

59. Goal: Balance in Electronic
Portfolios
Accountability
Faculty Time
Ease of Scoring
Collection of Data
for Accountability
Institutional
Support
& Funding?
Improvement
Flexible Structure
Self-Assessment & Feedback
Lifelong Learning Skills
More Social Learning
Personalization
Choice and Voice
Opportunity Cost
Engagement
Story
Purpose

60. Goal: Balance in Electronic Portfolios
Purpose
Accountability
Faculty Feedback
Uniformity
Flexible Requirements
Data
Program Improvement
Improvement
Self-Assessment
Personalization
Choice and Voice
Student Engagement
Increased Achievement
Faculty Time Involvement Social Learning
Complexity
Opportunity Cost

61. Finding Balance in E-Portfolio
Implementation
Tools
 Use separate tools for assessment management and
student e-portfolios?
 Ball State’s rGrade & WSU’s Harvesting Gradebook
 Incorporate blogging and social networking tools for
interactivity and engagement
 Open Source Tools: WordPress, Movable Type, Mahara
 Allow embedding student Web 2.0 links, including
video, into their e-portfolios
 Enable exporting e-portfolio to students’ lifetime
personal webspace

62. Finding Balance in E-Portfolio
Implementation
Strategies
 Acknowledge the importance of both portfolio as
workspace (process) & showcase (product)
 Support student choice and voice in e-portfolios
 Facilitate reflection for deep learning
 Provide timely and effective feedback for improvement
 Encourage student use of multimedia in portfolios for
visual communication and literacy
 Digital Storytelling & Podcasting
 Picasa/Flickr slideshows
 Acknowledge/Encourage students’ Web 2.0 digital
identity

63. Boundaries Blurring
(between e-portfolios & social networks)
• Structured
Accountability
Systems? or…
• Lifelong interactive portfolios
Mash-ups Flickr
blogs YouTube
wikis Twitter
Picasa
Facebook
Ning

64. Social networks
• last five years
–store documents and share
experiences,
–showcase accomplishments,
–communicate and collaborate
– facilitate employment searches

65. Processes
65
Portfolio
Collection
Selection
Reflection
Direction/Goals
Presentation
Feedback
Technology
Archiving
Linking/Thinking
Digital Storytelling
Collaborating
Publishing
Social
Networking
Connect
(“Friending”)
Listen
(Reading)
Respond
(Commenting)
Share
(linking/tagging)

66. HOW?

67. Expressive vs.
Structured Models

68. Why Web 2.0?
Access from Anywhere!
Interactivity!
Engagement!
Lifelong Skills!
Mostly FREE!
All you need is an <EMBED> Code

69. Mobile Web is becoming the
Personal Learning Environment
of the “Net Generation”
Learning that is…
oSocial and Participatory
oLifelong and Life Wide
oIncreasingly Self-Directed
oMotivating and Engaging
o… and Online all the time!

70. Think!
Engagement
Factors?
Social networks?
ePortfolios?

71. Is the Future
of ePortfolio
Development
in your Pocket?
• “Capture the Moment” – Reflection in the
Present Tense
• What am I learning at this moment?
• Using the tools in our pockets!

72. Learning is a Conversation!
E-portfolios should be
more Conversation
than Presentation
Because Conversation transforms!

73. What about Motivation?
Why would a student want to put all
that work into developing an ePortfolio?
How do we make it relevant?

74. Similarities in Process
• Major differences:
– extrinsic vs.
– intrinsic motivation
• Elements of True
(Intrinsic) Motivation:
– Autonomy
– Mastery
– Purpose

75. Pink’s Motivation Behavior
Type X - Extrinsic
• fueled more by extrinsic
rewards or desires
(Grades?)
Type I – Intrinsic
• Behavior is self-directed.
X
I

76. Successful websites = Type I
Approach
People
feel good
about
participating.
Give users
autonomy.
Keep system as open as possible.
- Clay Shirky

77. Autonomy & ePortfolios
–Choice
–Voice
–Sharing
–Feedback
–Immediacy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenturamon/342946821/

78. Mastery & ePortfolios
• Exhilaration in Learning
• Sports? Games?
• Compliance vs.
Personal Mastery
• Open Source movement
(Wikipedia vs. Encarta)
• Make a contribution

79. Mastery & ePortfolios
 ePortfolio:
Flow
Showcasing
Achievements
 Increased self-awareness and self-understanding
“Only engagement can produce Mastery.”
(Pink, 2009, p.111)

80. FLOW
• a feeling of energized focus
(Csíkszentmihályi)
• Creativity

81. Student Engagement!
 CQ + PQ > IQ (Friedman, 2006)
[Curiosity + Passion > Intelligence]
 Find voice and passions through
choice and personalization!
 Portfolio as Story
 Positive Digital Identity
Development - Branding
 “Academic MySpace”

82. USE E-PORTFOLIOS TO
DOCUMENT MASTERY

83. Purpose & ePortfolios
• Relevance
• Big picture
• Engagement

84. Good Question…

85. Because Purpose and Passion
Co-Exist

86. Help students find
their Purpose and Passion
through Reflection &
Goal-Setting in
E-Portfolio Development

87. Digital Tools
for Reflection
Reflective Journal
(Blog)
Digital Storytelling
and Engagement

88. Do Your e-Portfolios have
CHOICE and VOICE?
• Individual
Identity
• Reflection
• Meaning Making
• 21st Century Literacy
• Digital Story of Deep Learning

89. Voice
6+1 Trait® Definition
• Voice is the writer coming through the
words, the sense that a real person is
speaking to us and cares about the message.
It is the heart and soul of the writing, the
magic, the wit, the feeling, the life and
breath. When the writer is engaged
personally with the topic, he/she imparts a
personal tone and flavor to the piece that is
unmistakably his/hers alone. And it is that
individual something–different from the
mark of all other writers–that we call Voice.
• http://educationnorthwest.org/resource/503#Voice

90. Portfolio as Story
"A portfolio tells a story.
It is the story of knowing. Knowing
about things... Knowing oneself...
Knowing an audience... Portfolios are
students' own stories of what they
know, why they believe they know it,
and why others should be of the same
opinion.”
(Paulson & Paulson, 1991, p.2)

91. Roger Schank, Tell Me a Story
“Telling stories and listening to other
people's stories shape the memories
we have of our experiences.”
Stories help us organize our experience
and define our sense of ourselves.

92. Digital Storytelling Process
• Create a 2-to-4 minute digital video clip
– First person narrative
[begins with a written script ~ 400 words]
– Told in their own voice [record script]
– Illustrated (mostly) by still images
– Music track to add emotional tone

93. Chevak

94. 94
Managing Complex Change graphic

95. Vision
Confusion
?
Managing Complex Change

96. 1 paragraph!
What is your
“elevator
Speech”
describing your
Vision for
ePortfolios?

97. Vision statement for a university in
the South
We envision students using an electronic
portfolio as an integral part of their
education…
- to reflect on learning,
- to integrate their knowledge,
- to learn more deeply,
- to shape curricular choices and goals, and
- to showcase skills and accomplishments.

98. ?
Skills
Anxiety
Managing Complex Change

99. Dual Skill Development
Portfolio Skills
Students
• Collecting/ Digitizing
• Selecting/
Organizing
• Reflecting
• Goal-Setting
• Presenting
Teacher/Faculty/Mentor
• Pedagogy – Facilitate
portfolio processes
• Role of Reflection
• Assessment/ Feedback
• Model Portfolio Learning
– Faculty portfolios
+ Technology Skills

100. ?
Resources
Frustration
Managing Complex Change

101. Teachers’ biggest
issue:
TIME

102. ?
Incentives
Gradual Change
Managing Complex Change

103. Photos: Flickr by Kim Cofino
INTEGRATE INTO EVERYDAY
ACTIVITIES

104. ?
Action Plan
False Starts
Managing Complex Change

105. Components of Action Plan
• Vision
• Skills needed
– Students
– Teachers/Faculty
• Resources needed
– Human Systems
– Technological Systems
• Incentives
• Leadership
1. Prepare for Change
2. Develop Change Strategy
3. Needs Assessment
4. Design Desired Outcome
5. Implementation Plan
6. Implement
7. Evaluate and Course Correct
8. Celebrate New Outcome

106. Some Questions to Ask at
Beginning:
• What is the context for ePortfolio development?
• What is the organization’s readiness for change?
• Who are the various stakeholders?
• What is the leadership’s commitment to the
process?
• What is the vision for ePortfolios in the
organization?

107. A Reminder…
Reflection & Relationships
… the “Heart and Soul” of an e-portfolio…
NOT the Technology!
107

108. PORTFOLIOS HELP LEARNERS FIND
THEIR VOICE…
and explore their Purpose and
Passions through Choice!

109. My Final Wish…
• dynamic celebrations
• stories of deep learning
• across the lifespan

110. My Story

111. DR. HELEN BARRETT
@EPORTFOLIOS
Researcher & Consultant
Electronic Portfolios & Digital Storytelling for Lifelong and Life Wide Learning
eportfolios@gmail.com
http://electronicportfolios.org/
http://slideshare.net/eportfolios
https://sites.google.com/site/mportfolios/