This document discusses implementing e-portfolios using Google Sites. It notes the goals of e-learning include supporting problem-based learning and enhancing student engagement. The intended outcomes of e-portfolios are to embed graduate attributes, develop digital literacies, and increase student reflection and self-awareness. Challenges include combining different artifacts and ensuring portfolios are lost, secure, portable and reusable. Advantages of e-portfolios include enhancing the reflection process and developing a lifelong learning tool. Google Sites is proposed as the tool as it integrates well with other Google tools and has online support. A phased implementation approach is outlined.

1. Implementing an e-portfolio
Gregory Doyle
Faculty of Health Sciences, UCT

2. Goal of e-learning
“to support class based problem-based learning (PBL)
sessions, and enhance student engagement and
promote clinical reasoning” (Otago)
“to improved access to medical education, support faculty
in their teaching, expand the pool of faculty by
connecting to partner and/or community teaching sites
and sharing of digital resources for use by students.”
(Human Resources for Health)

3. Background
• Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Exit Level Outcomes
• Currently
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4. Intended Outcomes
• Embed graduate attributes
• Accommodate the user’s developmental capacities
and needs across a lifetime
• Develop digital literacies
• Increase self-awareness, engagement in reflection
and monitoring their personal development
• Smooth migration to electronic format

5. Challenges
Combining differing artefacts:
- Forms
- Reflections
- Reports
Ensure that e-portfolios:
Lost / Secure / Portable / Reuse
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6. Affordances of emerging technologies
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an_Palms_Reflect_in_Lake_Tuendae.jpg
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Reflection
Monitor
Assessment

7. Affordances of emerging technologies
•Individual customization
•Improvements in knowledge and understanding
•Increased self-awareness and engagement in reflection
•Enable them to immediately record written reflections
•Retrieve and collate reflections for assessment
submission
•Gain access to peers’ work
•Receive feedback

8. Effective Practice
• Integration with the curriculum
• Flexibility of the system which should be easy and
efficient to use
• Sufficient technical and pedagogical support
• Adding multimodal material such as podcasts, videos
and images.

9. Risks
• Possible negative responses to the pedagogical
challenges due to the change
• Learning any new system takes time,
• Will the nature of their reflection will change because it
is computer based
• Access to electronic (including mobile) devices for all
students to enable them to access their portfolios
• Privacy and security in terms of who has access to
what information – also Google own data!
• Backup of portfolios
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10. Advantages of using e-portfolios:
Process
•It is valuable exercise in self-assessment through the reflection
process
•Learning takes on a new depth through the reflection process
•Students’ self-esteem and self-confidence will be enhanced as they
take control of their learning.
•Students develop their own goals for their learning.
•Assessment of their learning may become more student-centred; the
student 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.

11. Advantages of using e-portfolios:
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.

12. Tool – Google Sites
http://sites.google.com/a/healthedu.uct.ac.za
•Google Sites vs Mahara vs Wix
•Cloud based system
•Easily supported locally with online support
•Easily integrate other Google tools - blogs, docs,
spreadsheet and forms
•Google Apps for Education (GA4E)
https://sites.google.com/site/colettecassinelli/proscons
•Templates available – set up “walk throughs”
•Continual development of utilities – Digication
http://www.digication.com/google

13. Useful sites
• https://sites.google.com/site/eportfolioapps/online-
tutorials-sites
• http://surfingdream.com/video-tutorials/google-sites-
for-eportfolio/google-sites-for-eportfolio.html
• https://sites.google.com/site/resourcecentereportfolio/h
ow-to-use-google-sites
• https://sites.google.com/site/eportfolioapps/online-
tutorials-sites/sites-how-to

14. Way forward
• “Install” GA4E
• Set up 2 pilots, 3rd and 4th quarters 2013
• Faculty workshop
• Extend Google Sites in 2014
• Pilot Mahara in 2014

15. Evaluation
“The evaluation of e-learning should include a peer-
review process and an assessment of outcomes such
as learner satisfaction, content usability, and
demonstration of learning” (Otago)