EPortfolio

Some affordances of eportfolios

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Introduction

See also Personal learning plans (PLPs), Social media landscape and Web 2.0

...an electronic portfolio, also known as an e-portfolio or digital portfolio, is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the Web. Such electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and hyperlinks. E-portfolios are both demonstrations of the user's abilities and platforms for self-expression, and, if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time. Some e-portfolio applications permit varying degrees of audience access, so the same portfolio might be used for multiple purposes.... " Wikipedia

An ePortfolio is a digital collection of media files (i.e. text, image, sound, video, hypertext) collected and curated for online presentation. Traditionally, ePortfolios have duplicated real world portfolios and afford users the opportunity to showcase their work and reflect on it. ePortfolios are sometimes used in conjunction with personal learning plans (PLPs).

In library settings, ePortfolios have been used to measure the effectiveness of information literacy instruction and student progress in programs delivered face-to-face (Diller and Phelps, 2008) and online (Florea, 2008). Increasingly, social media allow ePortfolio users to share their work and to comment on the work of peers. Eportfolios increase opportunities for collaborative work by being explicit about your learning goals. An ePortfolio can be fully integrated into a user’s work/life profile (e.g. Posterous) or be more private with logins required (e.g. eportfolio.org).

Foti and Ring (2008) propose the “find, refine, design and bind” workflow in eportfolios as a way to build on the theory of constructive learning. Their idea is nuanced in that they recognize ePortfolios are extensions of identity, and thus they argue for a reframing of the term to iPortfolio. Since virtual identity is a substantial element of the ePortfolio, this is a compelling idea. Hiradhar and Gray suggest that the principles of mixed (or hybrid) learning can be applied to ePortfolios so that users can benefit from undertaking formal learning in informal settings. Many educational programs include ePortfolios as a part of a personal development program (PDP) and in order to foster greater personal attachment and relationship to work and learning. This, it is suggested, provides learners with professional confidence in their futures (e.g. Luchoomun, McLuckie, and Van Wesel 2010).