When it comes to ePortfolios in higher education, I am quite a newbie. In our school we have gradually shifted from a portfolio system to an ePortfolio system. It is called CITO (Centraal Instituut voor Toets Ontwikkeling = Central Institute for Test Developing). When we asses children we save all the results into a computer program called LVS (Leerling Volg Systeem = Pupil follow-up System). When a pupil leaves the school we have an overview of 8 years of assessment. I am not only collecting assessment results but I also add my learning support reports, general reports and general notes I make of the child’s progress. So our ePortfolio is very focused on the "Learning Tracker" side of ePortfolios.
Beetham (2003) has written an interesting paper in which she describes the potential of ePortfolio systems. I have focused on chapter two (potential applications and purpose of ePortfolios) and chapter four (Organisational, management and regulatory issues).
Chapter two describes the different processes which ePortfolios can support. Beetham mentions the following:
Summative Assessment
"Demonstrating competence according to criteria set out within a programme of study or by an accrediting body". This process is quite alike with what I'm collecting from my students as well at this moment. The assessments are integrated within my ePortfolio for the children. However, other relevant assessments can't be imported by this software, which is in my opinion, a big negative.
Ideally Beetham suggests to have an ePortfolio which has both, built in assessments and a way to import external assessments.
Learning and ‘learning to learn’: “enabling the learner to identify and reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, making use of formative feedback, and enabling professionals to support learners in ways appropriate to their achievements and preferences, by drawing on information in the profile”; Another aspect which applies to my use of our national ePortfolio for our children (did I mention it is semi-compulsory by our national Inspector??). I can add information into the file about their progress of learning. Beetham questions, however, that there is little consensus on what constitutes useful information.
Another useful aspect of this process is described by Beetham as pre-course diagnostics and on-course learner tracking. On-course learner tracking is an aspect which I have described in the intro, the pre-course diagnostics is new for me. I have to be honest that I don’t add this information into the ePortfolio but it makes sense. Beetham says: “Evidence of previous achievements can be used diagnostically: a simple search of the profile will identify records of pre-requisite subjects and key skills”.
A recent trend has been to see the e-portfolio as a ‘digital space’ or a ‘personal learning space’ within an integrated e-learning and assessment environment. Learners can carry on a range of activities in this space, some of which will later be presented for assessment.
Collaborative Learning can be a key issue here: “Siemens (2004) foresees the inclusion of collaborative tools within the e-portfolio to allow contact with peers, mentors, tutors, experts etc, as well as interaction with external resources.”
Presentation: showcasing the learner’s best or most relevant achievements in the context of a specific learning or career opportunity, for example on application to a university or during a professional development review;
This sounds all very nice, but how many CVs are entirely truthful nowadays…I might be touching a sensitive subject here, but how can one authenticate if the information in ePortfolios is accurate?
Beetham argues: “Using e-portfolios for presentation at transitions raises some of the same issues as using them for summative assessment. Accredited qualifications require authentication from an institution or awarding body, and the reviewer (employer or receiving institution) must have confidence that such records are secure and authentic”.
Personal and professional development planning: supporting the general process of reflection, self-evaluation and action planning for lifelong learning, including guidance on educational and/or career pathways.
In my personal and professional career, portfolios have been a good asset to gather useful material to present to my new employer. Over the years my 3 band Ring has been growing quite a lot: certificates, professional career evaluations, self evaluations, followed courses, reports about job responsibilities, reflections etc.
An ePortfolio is, in my opinion, an electronic version of this but I think has much more to offer.
Beetham mentions in her paper another insightful aspect of using ePortfolios: “Higher level and professional learners might be expected to become relatively self-sufficient in the exercise of these skills, but learners with less confidence and experience are recognised to need structured personal development opportunities. This support could be provided by an electronic service – even by sending reflective prompts in text messages27 – but most commentators regard this as an area in which human interaction remains the gold standard. There are at least as many examples of best practice with paper-based as with electronic systems, all of which will need to be drawn on if learner profiles are to be used successfully for personal development”.
Finally I would like to mention the ownership issue. In Unit 1 I asked myself “who owns the data which is stored by the student/learner/employee? I was asking myself this question as I was looking at different ePortfolio applications. There doesn’t seem to be a general format. Is the information exchangeable, what happens with the content if I stop studying at the OU and want to export my “My Stuff” materials?
In chapter 4, Beetham argues that these issues still remain relatively untested: “For some organisations there are political concerns over the management and authentication of data. Institutions and awarding bodies must retain ownership of qualifications data which only they are in a position to authenticate; at the same time, however, learners must be able to access that data, and to grant others access to it. What responsibilities does an organisation have with respect to these learners and their information? These issues remain relatively untested”.
Beetham’s paper gave me a good insight in the use of ePortfolio systems…and it was a good way for me to get into H808 again. I would recommend this paper to others as well.
The ownership question keeps haunting me and as this paper is written in 2003, maybe this issue might have been tested in the meantime.
Next: the Aalderink-Veugelers Paper from 2005.
Cheers, Eugene
