This document discusses effective practices for using e-portfolios. It defines e-portfolios as online spaces for storing digital work, presenting selections to others, and supporting processes like authoring and reflection. E-portfolios can serve as repositories, assessments, professional development tools, or showcases. They require balancing institutional control with learner control. Assessment can involve archiving evidence for evaluation or submitting work for marking. Effective e-portfolio use involves aligning their purpose to context and designing learning activities accordingly while technologically and pedagogically supporting processes, ownership, and transformation.

1. 05/11/2013
Effective Practice with e-Portfolios
North Highland College UHI
Joan Walker
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution NonCommercial –Share alike 3.0
Unported license.
JISC RSC Scotland
support@rsc-scotland.ac.uk

2. Effective Practice with ePortfolios
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“e-Portfolio tools typically offer an
online personal space or repository
of digital items combined with a
means of presenting selected items
to others, plus tools to support the
processes involved such as
authoring, synthesising and
presenting material for different
purposes and audiences, capturing
and reflecting on learning, setting
targets and engaging in dialogue.”
Crossing the Threshold
Moving e-portfolios into the mainstream
JISC 2012

3. ePortfolio for...
Repository
Assessment &
Accreditation
PDP
ePortfolio for...
Showcase for
Skills &
Knowledge
ePortfolio for...
processes
Private use
Icons by DryIcons

4. Effective Practice with ePortfolios
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A Question of Balance
Institution controlled
e-Portfolio
Learner controlled
e-Portfolio
Image from Flickr by the open university licensed through CC

5. Effective Practice with ePortfolios
Assessment of
Learning
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An archive of evidence +
evaluation
Assessor determines and
evaluates evidence
Work submitted for
manual marking or to an
assessment
management system
Results in Accreditation
Image from Flickr by stockimage.com licensed through CC

6. Effective Practice with ePortfolios
Institutional e-Portfolio
Focuses on the achievement of standards
• Management of the system - control and admin
overheads
• Structuring and mapping to performance criteria
of courses
• Is using the e-Portfolio mandatory ? Are
accessible alternative formats provided ?
• Interoperability with other systems
• Can others apart from the learner make changes
to the e-Portfolio ?
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7. Effective Practice with ePortfolios
Assessment for
Learning
What is really
making me
think?
What are my
targets?
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How am I
doing?
Is this the
best way for
me to learn?
Where do I
have to focus
my revision?
What are my
strengths and
weaknesses?

8. Effective Practice with ePortfolios
Assessment & feedback theories
Underpinning concepts
David Nicol
Developed 12 principles of assessment & feedback. Focuses on
principles of good assessment and feedback design
David Boud
Focuses on developing students’ own skills in assessment, selfevaluation, authentic assessment, assessment in the workplace
Royce Sadler
Focuses on the transition from feedback to self-monitoring and
developing independence in learning
David Carless
Focuses on learning oriented assessment (LOA), sustainable
feedback practices, feedback timing
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9. Effective Practice with ePortfolios
Learner e-Portfolio
Focuses on growth & development
• How can e-Portfolios be evaluated to ensure validity
and reliability of data ? Is it an official record of a
learner’s work ?
• Who owns it and takes responsibility for the content ?
• How long should it be kept what mechanisms in place
for exporting to another system or portable media ?
• How should an institution promote and support its use ?
• How do staff encourage deeper learning through
critical reflection by using e-Portfolio system ?
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10. Effective Practice with ePortfolios
Embedding Effective Practice
e-portfolio implementation principles
Purpose needs to be aligned to context to maximise
benefits
Learning activities need to be designed to suit the
purpose
Processes need to be supported technologically and
pedagogically
Ownership needs to be student centred
Transformation (disruption) needs to be planned for

11. Effective Practice with ePortfolios
Further Information
» Jisc RSC Scotland web resources
http://www.scoop.it/t/e-portfolios-in-practice
» Crossing the Threshold – moving e-Portfolios into the
mainstream
http://bit.ly/KL8FO0
» Effective pratctice with e-Portfolios
http://bit.ly/19OZfyn
» Implementation toolkit
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/eportimplement
» e-Portfolios – What institutions really need to know
http://bit.ly/1dHs1oT
» e-Portfolio Toolkit from Jisc InfoNet
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/e-portfolios
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