Iupui Oct09keynote

Balancing the 2 Faces of e-Portfolios Dr. Helen Barrett Slideshare: eportfolios

Key Themes of My Presentation
Purpose
Process
Product

Confusion of Terminology
Electronic portfolios
Student-centered
Lifelong and Life Wide
Assessment
About individual learning and growth over time
Focus on personalization, reflection, deep learning
Formative or summative?
Accountability systems
Institution-centered
Limited Time Frame
Evaluation
About comparability and sorting into normed groups
Focus on standardization, validity, reliability
In many ways, our technology-based tools have defined the process… and exacerbated the confusion.

Are we experiencing the equivalent of Red States/Blue States in Assessment/Accountability?

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

“ Purpose” Drives the Process
This presentation will balance
Student-Centered Purposes
(Learning, Reflection, Showcase)
with
Institution-Centered Purposes
(Evaluation, Accountability)

Student-Centered 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

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

ePortfolio designs/strategies for different purposes
Learning Portfolios (Formative assessment)
Organized chronologically
Focus of Reflection: Learning Activities & Artifacts
Tools: Reflective Journal (blog)
Faculty/peer role: Feedback on artifacts and reflection
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
Showcase Portfolios (Employment, Self-marketing)
Organized thematically (position requirements)
Focus of Reflection: Suitability for position
Tools: Choice of portfolio owner – personalized web pages

A few thoughts about Assessment -- What Type?
Assessment OF Learning? or
Assessment FOR Learning? or
Assessment AS Learning

Purposes for Assessment
Assessment OF Learning = Summative Assessment
Institution-centered
Past-to-Present
Assessment FOR Learning = Formative (Classroom-based) Assessment
Teacher/student-centered
Present-to-Future
Assessment AS Learning
Student-centered
Focus on the Present

www.qca.org.uk ages3-14

Principles of Assessment FOR Learning
Definition: Assessment for Learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there.

What Type of Portfolio?
Presentation Portfolio
Gives student ownership
Flexible structure
Assessment Portfolio
Provides rigid structure
Provides school with evaluation data
Presentation Portfolio submitted to an Assessment Portfolio Give the students the benefit of the presentation portfolio while the organization gets the benefits of the assessment portfolio.

Lee Shulman’s 5 dangers of portfolios
"lamination"
"heavy lifting"
"trivialization"
"perversion"
"misrepresentation"
Shulman, Lee (1998) "Teacher Portfolios: A Theoretical Activity" in N. Lyons (ed.) With Portfolio in Hand . (pp. 23-37) New York: Teachers College Press.

1. "lamination" - a portfolio becomes a mere exhibition, a self-advertisement, to show off

2. "heavy lifting" - a portfolio done well is hard work. Is it worth the extra effort?

3. "trivialization" - documenting stuff that isn't worth reflecting upon

4. "perversion" - when used as a form of high stakes assessment “why will portfolios be more resistant to perversion than all other forms of assessment have been?”

“… And if one of the requirements … is that you develop a sufficiently objective scoring system [for portfolios] so you can fairly compare people with one another, will your scoring system end up objectifying what's in the portfolio to the point where the portfolio will be nothing but a very, very cumbersome multiple choice test?" (p. 35)

5. "misrepresentation" - does "best work" misrepresent "typical work" -- not a true picture of competency

Lee Shulman’s 5 benefits of portfolios
document longer episodes of teaching and learning
encourage the reconnection between process and product. - very best teaching portfolios contain excerpts of student portfolios & highlight the results of teaching that lead to student learning.
institutionalize norms of collaboration, reflection, and discussion
a portable residency... introduces structure to the field experience
(most important) shifts the agency from an observer back to the teacher interns...

Limitations of Portfolios
Shavelson, Klein & Benjamin, Inside Higher Ed, October 16, 2009 http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2009/10/16/shavelson
Main Points
Lack of Standardization
Not Feasible for Large Scale Learning Assessment
Bias
Enlightening responses to article– titles of some entries:
Vision that is too narrow
What's in it for the students?
Why standardized tests still have not changed
Maybe this approach to assessment is the real problem
Accountability does not equal comparability and standardization
The easy way out. . .
Assessment for What?
Viewpoint or ad?

Portfolio Processes
Traditional
Collecting
Selecting
Reflecting
Directing
Presenting
+ Technology
Archiving
Linking/Thinking
Storytelling
Collaborating
Publishing

Types of ePortfolio 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

Structure of E-Portfolio Types
Portfolio as Process / Workspace
Organization: Chronological – eDOL (Electronic Documentation of Learning – U. of Calgary) Documenting growth over time for both internal and external audiences
Primary Purpose: Learning or Reflection
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
Reflection: retrospective focus on Standards, Goals or Learning Outcomes (Themes)

QUOTE
The e-portfolio is the central and common point for the student 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

Student-Centered Philosophy
" 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)

Constructed Meaning
"The portfolio is a laboratory where students construct meaning from their accumulated experience." (Paulson & Paulson, 1991, p.5)

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

Insights from 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

To assess = To sit beside the learner
“ The word assess comes from the Latin word assidere, which means to sit beside . Literally then, to assess means to sit beside the learner .”
Stefanakis, E. (2002) Multiple Intelligences and Portfolios . Heinemann, p.9

Overlap of Assessment Types Electronic Portfolios: that support Assessment FOR Learning Assessment Management Systems: that support Assessment OF Learning Institution-centered Learner-centered “ Checklist of Competencies” • Balance • “Students’ Story of Learning” Positivist Constructivist

What is the best tool?
Do you need an all-in-one system or multiple tools?

Categories of E-Portfolio Software Created as part of my study of different online tools: http://electronicportfolios.org/categories. html Not tools for telling but tools for talking! - Julie Hughes, University of Wolverhampton

Recent changes in technology

Architecture of Interaction Architecture of Participation (Web 2.0)
allows a
Pedagogy of Interaction
(ePortfolio 2.0)

Web 2.0 tag cloud

Web 2.0 is becoming the Personal Learning Environment of the “Net Generation”
Learning that is…
Social and Participatory
Lifelong and Life Wide
Increasingly Self-Directed
Motivating and Engaging
… and Online!

http://electronicportfolios.org/categories.html Web 2.0

Major Categories of ePortfolio Tools
Individual & Institutional
Authoring Tools
Static Web Services
Interactive Web Services
Institutional
Software - Server required
Hosted Services
Assessment Systems - Hosted Services
Higher Lower Level of personalization & creativity Higher Lower Level of interactivity

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

Separate Systems - Learner-Centered
Learners maintain collection across the lifespan, institutions maintain evaluation data & links
All you need is an <EMBED> Code! (Hall Davidson)
Learners’ Digital Archive & Blog Learner-owned Lifelong Web Space Class portfolio Guidance portfolio Employment portfolio Institution’s Server or Service & Purposes Limited Time Frame hyperlinks Institutional data Meta-tags Faculty-generated evaluation data Life-wide focus Social networks

Using a Blog Handout

Questions to Ponder
What happens to electronic portfolios once learners leave an institution?
Can learners continue to maintain their own “digital documentation of development” throughout their lifetime? (Do they even want to?)
Has the process of reflective practice become a habit of mind that will support lifelong learning?
Cognitive Dissonance

Social Learning How can we integrate ePortfolios with what we know about social learning and interactivity?

Premises of Deep Learning
Motivation
Active Learning
Interaction with others
A deep foundational knowledge
“ Because portfolios get students into a rich and deep knowledge base focused on their own learning experiences, portfolios are highly motivating. Collaboration with others deepens these individual experiences by allowing probing questions, socially constructed knowledge, and alternative viewpoints.
Zubizarreta, J. (2009) Learning Portfolios. Jossey-Bass , p. xx

How can you leverage the technologies learners own? Accessibility from “net books” and home computers Connectivity with cell phones Audio (podcasts) and Video (digital stories)

“ every day-ness”
How can we make ePortfolio development
a natural process integrated into
everyday life?
Lifelong and Life Wide Learning

Making ePortfolios Stick
Will your students want to use the ePortfolio process after they graduate?
Will ePortfolio tools be available to them after graduation?

Key Qualities of an idea that is made to stick:
Simplicity
Unexpectedness
Concreteness
Credibility
Emotional
Stories

Simplicity : "How do you strip an idea to its core without turning it into a silly sound bite?"
Unexpectedness : "How do you capture people's attention... and hold it?"
Concreteness : "How do you help people understand your idea and remember it much later?"
Credibility : "How do you get people to believe your idea?"
Emotional : "How do you get people to care about your idea?"
Stories : "How do you get people to act on your idea?"
Qualities

Think!
What are the engagement factors that drive the use of social networks and how can we incorporate those factors into ePortfolios?

Interview with Founders of My Space on Charlie Rose Show, Feb 3, 2009
CR: why is it [MySpace] so compelling for so many people?
Chris DeWolfe: A lot of it is about the ability to express yourself. So if you look at your MySpace Profile, you have your music that you're listening to, you have the colors, you have the background, you have the videos. So, I look at your Profile, if you have one, and I can get to know you pretty quickly … So, I think it's an online representation of who you are, which is really fascinating, and it's a great way to stay in touch with people, and it's a great discovery mechanism.
(Me): Engagement just won't be a factor until we can incorporate those elements of personal expression in ePortfolios . (http://electronicportfolios.org/blog/2009/02/myspace-founders-on-charlie-rose.html)

Reflection … is the “Heart and Soul” of a Portfolio… A Reminder…

Move beyond text-only artifacts
Encourage development of multimedia artifacts
Introduce alternative strategies for reflection
Digital storytelling
Blogging

Reflective Learning for the Net Generation
"Why don't students spend time to reflect on the things they are learning? Our initial research suggests that Net Generation students dislike using written text, but their engagement increases when they use digital storytelling. Digital storytelling is an innovative approach to reflective learning in which pictures and sound are collected and assembled to form a multimedia story. “
“ The combination of multimedia and technology motivates students to creatively produce digital stories that stimulate reflective learning. Digital stories present a personal and reflective narrative using a range of media, especially photographs and video. In addition, students can feel empowered and develop multiple literacies that are essential for lifelong learning.”
Christopher Murray and Dr. John Sandars, Medical Education Unit, University of Leeds- http://www.medev.ac.uk/newsletter/01.18.html

Why Digital Stories in ePortfolios?
Reflection is the “heart and soul” of portfolios
Digital Stories can humanize any model of ePortfolio
Digital Stories add VOICE

A Whole New Mind
Daniel Pink
Balancing Right-Brain skills for the “Conceptual Age” with Left-Brain skills from the “Information Age”

6 Essential High-Concept, High Touch Aptitudes Dan Pink, A Whole New Mind
Design (not just function) - create objects beautiful, whimsical, emotionally engaging
Story (not just argument) - the ability to fashion a compelling narrative
Symphony (not just focus) - synthesis--seeing the big picture
Empathy (not just logic) - forge relationships - care for others
Play (not just seriousness) - laughter, lightheartedness, games, humor
Meaning (not just accumulation) - purpose, transcendence, and spiritual fulfillment.

Storytelling as a Theory of Learning
Two educators from New Zealand - staff developer and health educator
Relates storytelling to literature on learning and reflection
Provides stages of storytelling related to reflection

The Learning Cycle David Kolb from Dewey, Piaget, Lewin, adapted by Zull

Experiential Learning Model Lewin/Kolb with adaptations by Moon and Zull Try out what you have learned Learn from the experience Reflect on the experience Have an experience Practice Metacognition

A Dozen Purposes for Digital Storytelling
Introduction of Self
Voice & Personality
Legacy
Biography
Memoir
Reflection
Transition
Decision & Direction
Benchmarking Development
Change over Time
Rich Multimedia Artifacts
Evidence of Collaboration
Documentary
Record of Experience
Oral Language Development

Voice & Personality
Voice is often missing from electronic portfolios, both literally and rhetorically.
A digital story provides that voice: listening to the author, we hear a real person, getting a sense of their unique personality.

Do Your e-Portfolios have VOICE?
Individual Identity
Reflection
Meaning Making
New Literacy
“ When words are infused by the human voice, they come alive.”
- Maya Angelou

Voice = Authenticity
multimedia expands the "voice" in an electronic portfolio (both literally and rhetorically)
personality of the author is evident
gives the reflections a uniqueness

Helping Students Tell Their Stories
COLLECT more than text documents
Pictures
Audio
Video
Focus on REFLECTION over time
Help students make CONNECTIONS
Support multimedia presentation formats

Convergence

What’s Your Story? Richness not possible in print

Wordle.com This following Word Cloud was created collaboratively by educators around the world, who contributed keywords that came to their mind when thinking about Digital Storytelling. Words that appear larger were used by more contributors. http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/07/27/digital-storytelling-part-ix-wordle/

Two “Paradigms” of Assessment (Ewell, 2008) Ewell, P. (2008) Assessment and Accountability in America Today: Background and Content. P.170 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

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 and deep learning?

Opportunity Cost – a conversation with a high school teacher:
"It took all the thinking out of it. They gave me the standards and told me which artifacts to put into each one! It wasn't as effective as what my students did!” http://electronicportfolios.org/blog/2008/07/necc-2008-update.html
What learning opportunities are we missing when we completely structure the learner’s portfolio?

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Final Wish…
May all your electronic portfolios become dynamic celebrations and stories of deep learning across the lifespan.

Dr. Helen Barrett
Researcher & Consultant
Electronic Portfolios & Digital Storytelling for Lifelong and Life Wide Learning
Center for Advanced Technology in Education University of Oregon College of Education
[email_address]
http://electronicportfolios.org/
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Iupui Oct09keynote

by Helen Barrett on Oct 26, 2009

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Iupui Oct09keynote — Presentation Transcript