Portfolios are designed, composed, creative and curated spaces
A portfolio is..
- A collection of authentic and diverse evidence, drawn form a larger archive. The National Learning Infrastructure Initiative (NLII)
- A purposeful collection of student work that illustrates efforts, progress, and achievement in one or more areas [over time]. The collection must include: student participation in selecting contents, the criteria for selection, the criteria for judging merit, and evidence of student self-reflection. The Northwest Evaluation Association
- A collection of digital artefacts articulating experiences, achievements and learning. Behind any product, or presentation, lie rich and complex processes of planning, synthesising, sharing, discussing, reflecting, giving, receiving and responding to feedback. These processes - referred to here as 'e-portfolio-based learning' - are the focus of increasing attention, since the process of learning can be as important as the end product' (JISC, 2007).
- Trent Batson (AAEEBL President) "Is it a genre? A learning space? A resume? A collaborative space? An owned space? A record? A repository? A website? And what is its purpose? To advance reflective and integrative thinking? To support the authentic and experiential high-impact practices as described by George Kuh? To get a job? Fulfill learning outcomes? Support competency-based learning? Or self-paced learning? Or adaptive learning? Or workforce development?"
- Randy Bass has noted that “one essential quality that makes high-impact practices high impact…is that they help students find a sense of purpose in their learning,” and that integrative social pedagogies, including e-portfolios, help students “find new meaning in their learning—by connecting and reframing” (personal communication). What happens when we combine e-portfolios with demonstrated high-impact practices like first-year experiences, service learning, or study abroad? Can we approach e-portfolios, as my Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis colleague Susan Scott has suggested (Kahn and Scott 2013), as a meta-high-impact practice? Under what circumstances and in what contexts can e-portfolios most effectively expand the impact of high-impact practices?
- a cabinet of curiosities, a curated collection of artefacts and evidence in a range of multi-modal forms.
Why ePortfolios?
•Intentional and integrated learning (Huber & Hutchings, 2004)
•Meta high impact practice (Randy Bass, 2014)
•Mapping artefacts and evidence of learning
•Grand narrative
•Employability
•Career development
•Social learning
•Identity
•Meta high impact practice (Randy Bass, 2014)
•Mapping artefacts and evidence of learning
•Grand narrative
•Employability
•Career development
•Social learning
•Identity
What have we learned?
•Based on current surveys of technology use in HE by ECAR (EDUCAUSE), most colleges in the USA use eportfolios with over half of all students using them during their college career (Terry Rhodes, 2014).
•Like AAC&U, AAEEBL views eportfolios as the “meta high-impact educational practice” (Trent Batson, 2014).
•“folio-thinking” (Chen, Penny Light & Ittelson, 2011) is a key way to prepare learners at every level—including faculty and administrators—for 21st Century work and life.
•A course approach advances student success, makes learning visible, supports reflection, fosters deep learning and can be the catalyst for learning-centred institutional change (Eynon, Gambino, Torok, 2014).
•Like AAC&U, AAEEBL views eportfolios as the “meta high-impact educational practice” (Trent Batson, 2014).
•“folio-thinking” (Chen, Penny Light & Ittelson, 2011) is a key way to prepare learners at every level—including faculty and administrators—for 21st Century work and life.
•A course approach advances student success, makes learning visible, supports reflection, fosters deep learning and can be the catalyst for learning-centred institutional change (Eynon, Gambino, Torok, 2014).