E-portfolios in STEM

Electronic Portfolios in STEM
What is an Electronic Portfolio?
How can e-portfolios be used in STEM?
Dr. Helen Barrett
http://electronicportfolios.org
STEMTech Conference
November 1-2, 2010

Handout Side 1
Links to Resources referenced on this page:
National Educational Technology Plan (USDOE)http://www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/NETP-2010-final-report.pdf
Effective Practice withe-Portfolios(JISC in U.K.)http://www.jisc.ac.uk/effectivepracticeeportfolios
This handout: http://www.scribd.com/doc/40206175/Eport-Definition

Portfolio
One Word, Many Meanings

Who was the first famous “folio” keeper?
Definitions

Definitions - World English Dictionary
flat case, esp of leather, used for carrying maps, drawings, etc
the contents of such a case, such as drawings, paintings, or photographs, that demonstrate recent work: an art student's portfolio
such a case used for carrying ministerial or state papers
the responsibilities or role of the head of a government department: the portfolio for foreign affairs
Minister without portfolio a cabinet minister who is not responsible for any government department
the complete investments held by an individual investor or by a financial a organization

What is a Portfolio?
Dictionary definition: a flat, portable case for carrying loose papers, drawings, etc.
Financial portfolio: document accumulation of fiscalcapital
Educational portfolio: document development of humancapital

Portfolio
A purposeful collection of artifacts (learning/work products with reflection) demonstrating efforts, progress, goals, and achievement over time

Electronic
digital artifacts organized online combining various media (audio/video/text/images)

Processes
Social Networking
Connect(“Friending”)
Listen(Reading)
Respond(Commenting)
Share(linking/tagging)
Portfolio
Collection
Selection
Reflection
Direction/Goals
Presentation
Feedback
Evaluation
Technology
Digitizing/Archiving
Linking/Thinking
Digital Storytelling
Collaborating
Publishing
9

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

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

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

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)

National Educational Technology Plan (2010) Learning Purpose
Technology also gives students opportunities for taking ownership of their learning. Student-managed electronic learning portfolios can be part of a persistent learning record and help students develop the self-awareness required to set their own learning goals, express their own views of their strengths, weaknesses, and achievements, and take responsibility for them. Educators can use them to gauge students’ development, and they also can be shared with peers, parents, and others who are part of students’ extended network. (p.12)

National Educational Technology Plan (2010) Assessment Purpose
Many schools are using electronic portfolios and other digital records of students’ work as a way to demonstrate what they have learned. Although students’ digital products are often impressive on their face, a portfolio of student work should be linked to an analytic framework if it is to serve assessment purposes. The portfolio reviewer needs to know what competencies the work is intended to demonstrate, what the standard or criteria for competence are in each area, and what aspects of the work provide evidence of meeting those criteria. Definitions of desired outcomes and criteria for levels of accomplishment can be expressed in the form of rubrics. (p.34)

Handout Side 2
Links to Resources referenced on this page
Managing Oneself (Drucker)http://www.public.navy.mil/usff/Documents/managing_oneself.pdf
Balancing the Two Faces of ePortfolios(Barrett)http://eft.educom.pt/index.php/eft/article/viewFile/161/102
Online Personal Learning Environments: Structuring Electronic Portfolios for Lifelong and Life Wide Learning (Barrett)http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd76m5s2_39fsmjdk

Managing Oneself
Peter Drucker, (2005) Harvard Business Review
“Success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves – their strengths, their values, and how best they perform.”
New 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
(a suggested framework for organizing reflection in learning portfolio?)

Portfolio Careers
Video: http://vimeo.com/15236162
Use e-portfolios to help students:
explore their life purpose and goals
explore their personal & professional identity
build their professional online brand
prepare for portfolio career/life

Some Basic Concepts
“ePortfoliois 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

Balancing the 2 Faces of E-Portfolios

Types of E-Portfolio Implementation
Working Portfolio
The Collection
The Digital Archive
Repository of Artifacts
Reflective Journal(eDOL)
Collaboration Space
Portfolio as Process-- Workspace (PLE)“shoebox”
Presentation Portfolio(s)
The “Story” or Narrative
Multiple Views (public/private)
Varied Audiences(varied permissions)
Varied Purposes
Portfolio as Product-- Showcase

Creating e-portfolios with “free” GoogleApps (Education Edition) or WordPress/EduBlogs
Storage = Google Docs
Reflective Journal = Blogger or WordPress
Presentation =Google Sites or WordPress pages

Level 1 – Collection in the Cloud

Level 2: Primary Purpose: Learning/Reflection

Level 3: Primary Purpose: Showcase/Accountability

Temple at Delphi
“Know Thyself”

Self
Others
(i.e., Educators)
Self
Others
(i.e., Employer/Clients)
Self
Assessment /Evaluation
Progeny/ History?

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

Lifelong Context for ePortfolios

Portfolios Can help learners find their Voice…
and explore their Purpose and Passions through Choice!

Dr. Helen Barrett
Researcher & ConsultantElectronic Portfolios & Digital Storytelling for Lifelong and Life Wide Learning
eportfolios@gmail.com
http://electronicportfolios.org/
http://www.slideshare.net/eportfolios

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

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

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

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

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

Portfolios in the Cloud
Lifelong Portfolios maintained online

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

Institutional Portfolios
What happens when a learner leaves or transfers?
Social networks
Academic focus
Institution’s server or online service
Blogs
Learners’
Digital Archives
and presentation portfolios
Guidance portfolios
Employment portfolios
Institutional data
Faculty-generated evaluation data
Class portfolios
Limited Time Frame

Separate Systems Learner-Centered
Learners maintain collection across the lifespan, institutions maintain evaluation data & links
Life-wide focus
Social networks
Guidance portfolio
Institution’s Server or Service & Purposes
Class portfolio
hyperlinks
Learners’
Digital Archive & Blog
Learner-owned
Lifelong Web Space
Institutional data
Faculty-generated evaluation data
Limited Time Frame
Employment portfolio
Meta-tags

ePortfolio “Mash-up”
Lifetime Personal Web Space
ePortfolio “Mash-up”
Small pieces, loosely joined

Electronic Portfolios
almost two decades (since 1991)
used primarily in education to
store documents
reflect on learning
feedback for improvement
showcase achievements for accountability or employment

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

Think!
Engagement Factors?
Social networks?
ePortfolios?

ePortfolios should be more Conversation
than Presentation
(or Checklist)
Because Conversation transforms!

What about Motivation?
Why would a student want to put all that work into developing an ePortfolio?

Do Your e-Portfolios have CHOICE and VOICE?
Individual Identity
Reflection
Meaning Making
21st Century Literacy

Life Portfolio – planning for an extended midlife transition (50-90)
Passions and pursuits
New possibilities
Visualize a new life
Not “retirement” but “rewirement”

Portfolio Way of Thinking
Portfolios can be timeless
What really matters in life?
Discover or rediscover passion…
Create a legacy…
Turn careers into callings, success into significance…
To make a difference…
An ongoing, ageless framework for self-renewal

Strategies for a Portfolio Life
Tell the Story of Your Life
Accomplishments Leave Clues… + self-esteem
Connect with Others -- Network
Develop Your Goals… Change… Goals -- Purpose
Revise, Reflect, Rebalance
Story
Share
Goals

My Final Wish…
dynamic celebrations
stories of deep learning
across the lifespan
52

E-portfolios in STEM

by Helen Barrett

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