This document discusses a study on e-portfolio implementations at institutions of higher education. It identifies five "threshold concepts" that are troublesome for e-portfolio adoption: the role of purpose, learning activity design, processes involved, issues of ownership, and the disruptive nature of e-portfolios. Overcoming preconceptions related to these concepts is key to successful large-scale implementation. The study analyzes case studies of institutions that have achieved different levels of maturity in e-portfolio adoption based on an "ePI framework." The goal is to develop guidance for practitioners and administrators to help more institutions journey from localized to institutional e-portfolio implementations.

1. Joint Information Systems Committee 18/03/2022 | | Slide 1
Troublesome e-portfolio implementation: A
threshold concepts approach to judging
institutional maturity
Gordon Joyes,
University of
Nottingham
JISC e-Portfolio
consultant from
2007
Director of the JISC
e-Portfolio
Implementations
Study 2010-11

2. Joint Information Systems Committee 18/03/2022 | | Slide 2
Troublesome e-portfolio implementation: A
threshold concepts approach to judging
institutional maturity
Lisa Gray
Joint Information
Systems Committee
Elizabeth Hartnell-
Young
Learning Sciences
Research Institute
Angela Smallwood
Centre for International
e-Portfolio Research
University of Nottingham,
UK

3. Joint Information Systems Committee
Why is large-scale e-portfolio
adoption lagging behind VLE adoption?
 In HE in the UK and elsewhere there is still weak central influence on
local pedagogy and the lecturer tends to control the curriculum and how
it is learnt (Mayes, 2009) .
 The pedagogic choice can tend to be discipline dependent (Becher &
Trowler, 2001)
 It is recognised that there are a wide range of pedagogies that can be
supported by e-learning (JISC, 2004; 2009).
 The VLE allows for this pedagogic diversity.
 Can the same be said of the e-portfolio? They are potentially disruptive
but may fit more easily within some disciplines , e.g., Medicine and the
Health Sciences and Initial Teacher Education.
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4. Joint Information Systems Committee
The purpose – process matrix
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5. Joint Information Systems Committee
Findings from the analysis of 21 JISC funded projects
 Implementation was not straightforward in spite of all the
guidance available , e.g. , the JISC e-portfolio InfoKit. In part
due to:
– the range of purposes/contexts in which they can be
applied
– the range of processes that need understanding and
supporting
– the number of stakeholders involved in decision making
 The research indicates that there are a number of threshold
concepts that need to be understood and that there is an
experiential journey that is involved in implementation.
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6. Joint Information Systems Committee
What are the features of a threshold concept?
'Threshold Concepts' may
be considered to be "akin
to passing through a portal"
or "conceptual gateway"
that opens up "previously
inaccessible way[s] of
thinking about something"
(Meyer and Land, 2003).
They represent ‘troublesome’
knowledge,
i.e. counter-intuitive(Perkins, 2006)
18/03/2022 | slide 6

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‘Troublesome’ knowledge - the evidence
 It is difficult to agree on a definition for an e-portfolio (system, learning
process, presentation, archive);
 Many educators tend not to use the term at all;
 Purposes seem almost endless and so choosing where in the
learning process and when to implement them can seem confusing;
 Even with guidelines and case studies of exemplars those
implementing e-portfolios seem often to reinvent the wheel, make
really ‘obvious’ mistakes compared to those who have a deeper
understanding of the area;
 Understanding of e-portfolios seems to develop with experience and
over time suggesting that there are key issues to understand.
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8. Joint Information Systems Committee
Threshold Concepts associated with e-portfolio
implementation
These relate to:
1. Their PURPOSES:
2. LEARNING ACTIVITY DESIGN:
3. The PROCESSES involved:
4. OWNERSHIP issues:
5. Their transformative and DISRUPTIVE NATURE
18/03/2022 | slide 8

9. Joint Information Systems Committee
Threshold concept 1: The role of purpose
 For successful implementation, the purpose/s behind the
use of the e-portfolios must be aligned to the particular
context.
 Some contexts suit some purposes more than others
and this needs to be determined by an analysis of the
benefits (and costs) of the purpose in that particular
context.
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10. Joint Information Systems Committee
Threshold concept 1: The role of purpose
 This is associated with the preconceptions that:
– There is one definition of an e-portfolio;
– One e-portfolio system necessarily works in all
situations;
– After students are inducted to e-portfolio processes,
for example those involved in PDP, they will apply this
across their courses.
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11. Joint Information Systems Committee
Threshold concept 2: The role of learning activity design
 There must be a conscious design and support of a
learning activity/activities suited to the purpose and
the context,
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12. Joint Information Systems Committee
Threshold concept 2: The role of learning activity design
 This is associated with the preconceptions that:
– Users will work out how to use an e-portfolio system
to suit their needs;
– The e-portfolio implementation can be left to study
skills specialists.
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13. Joint Information Systems Committee
Threshold concept 3: The role of process
 The processes involved in the creation of the e-portfolio
in the particular context must be understood and both
technical and pedagogic support needs to be provided.
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14. Joint Information Systems Committee
Threshold concept 3: The role of process
 This is associated with the preconceptions that:
– Students are digital natives and so will easily adapt to
using e-portfolios;
– Users understand processes like feedback, reflective
writing, selecting information, planning;
– Tutors/ mentors know how to support their students in
using e-portfolios.
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15. Joint Information Systems Committee
Threshold concept 4: The role of ownership
 The e-portfolio processes and outcomes need to
be owned by the student. This view leads to considering
portability & choice of tool (use of their own phone,
camera, audio recorder, Web 2.0 application)
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Threshold concept 4: The role of ownership
 This is associated with the preconceptions that:
– There needs to be one e-portfolio for life;
– Bespoke technologies, i.e. PDAs and digital cameras
are best for information capture in the workplace.
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Threshold concept 5: The disruptive nature of e-portfolios
 E-portfolios are disruptive from a pedagogic,
technological and an institutional perspective because
they tend not to fit exactly within existing systems.
 This has implications for the nature of the curriculum and
its assessment as well as staff workload and pedagogic
and technical support, particularly in novel work-based
learning and life-wide contexts.
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18. Joint Information Systems Committee
Threshold concept 5: The disruptive nature of e-portfolios
 This is associated with the preconceptions that:
– An e-portfolio will save everyone time;
– An e-portfolio can simply replace a paper-based portfolio system;
– Human Resources departments/ employers and university
admissions will value an e-portfolio in the application process;
– A successful project implementation will readily transfer;
– The curriculum and pedagogic approaches remain unaffected by
the introduction of e-portfolios;
– Information capture in the workplace is unproblematic.
– Access by learners to e-portfolios is unproblematic.
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19. Joint Information Systems Committee
Threshold concepts and JISC communications
 Guidelines/guidance will only make sense to a
stakeholder if the threshold concept is understood and
the preconceptions resolved.
 Is this why the wheel has been invented so many times in
the e-portfolio area?
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Implementation should not be a game of chance
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The Challenge
The threshold concepts approach:
 Reveals the complexity of the area – not ‘simpler’ guidance.
 Recognises that for transformation in relation to practice to
occur an institutional approach needs to be adopted that
takes into account the needs of the ‘learners’ in a wide range
of contexts.
 For senior managers this signals the possibilities of
optimising cost benefits
JISC recognises that guidance on large-scale
implementation is needed and is funding the ePI study.
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22. Joint Information Systems Committee
ePI study
 Most institutions seem to move from a localised model of
implementation, where only three of the threshold concepts,
that of the role of purpose, learning activity design and
processes may be considered, to an institutional approach
where the role of ownership and the disruptive nature of e-
portfolio implementation are fully considered by a wide range
of stakeholders.
 Others have implemented whole institutional PDPs.
 How have institutions with large-scale e-portfolio
implementation managed that journey?
 These understandings could be used to support e-portfolio
adoption - the ePI study
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24. Joint Information Systems Committee
e-portfolio implementations framework
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25. Joint Information Systems Committee
The ePI study
 Aug 2010 – May 2011
 Use the ePI framework to identify large-scale implementations where
there is evidence of ‘some’ slices of maturity
 Invite HE/ FE institutions and professional organisations to collaborate in
creating case studies that illuminate their journeys – identifying key
decisions, strategies and policies and lessons learnt
 Interview practitioners and senior managers
 Beginning with five in the UK and moving to 14
 Working with a parallel project funded by New Zealand MoE
 Including Australian case studies
 Output – ePI toolkit (developed with the JISC infoNet) aimed at
practitioners and senior managers
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27. Joint Information Systems Committee
The ePI study wiki
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28. Joint Information Systems Committee
Exemplar 3
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29. Joint Information Systems Committee
Exemplar 3
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30. Joint Information Systems Committee
Exemplar 6
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31. Joint Information Systems Committee
Exemplar 6
cs14.pdf
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ePI study
Google: eportfolio study
Website:
https://sites.google.com/site/epistudy/
Email: gordon.joyes@nottingham.ac.uk
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34. Joint Information Systems Committee
Any questions
???
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