It's About Learning

Minimalist Definition of an Eportfolio

Dwayne Harapnuik — August 4, 2015 — 1 Comment

The minimalist definition of an eportfolio:

a learner’s digital evidence of meaningful connections

Can portfolios really be defined so simply and succinctly as a learner’s digital evidence of meaningful connections? I think they have to be considering the following:

Learning is the making of meaningful connections (see related posts meaningful connections).
Eportfolios are a learner’s digital evidence of learning.
Therefore eportfolios are a learner’s digital evidence of meaningful connections.

I have also been reviewing the literature on eportfolios ever since the term has been developed over 20 years ago and there is no shortage of definitions and debates on what constitutes an eportfolio. Furthermore, the literature is filled with obtuse (see post Our work doesnt’ have to be obtuse to be important ) academic writing that is all too often challenging to read and detracts for the usefulness of the eportfolio discussion and process. It is my hope to reduce or simplify the definition of an eportfolio and not add any unnecessary complexity.

However, if my minimalist definition doesn’t offer enough substance, then I suggest that you refer to a 2007 CETIS SIG mailing list discussion between Sutherland and Powell where they ratified the following definition before the mailing list audience:

An e-portfolio is a purposeful aggregation of digital items – ideas, evidence, reflections, feedback etc, which ‘presents’ a selected audience with evidence of a person’s learning and/or ability.

While this definition is somewhat expanded it really doesn’t say that much more or offer any more significance than the proposed minimalist definition. The more we add to the definition the more we start moving into a discussion of the why, or purpose, of portfolios and how we create them. I will be writing about the Why and the How of eportfolios in future posts.

For those who need to know more or see a more thorough handling of the definition of eportfolios please refer to the following links:

Dr. Helen Barrett, the most renowned proponent of portfolios/eportfolios offers the following definition and links to supporting essays on her Frequently-Asked Questions about Electronic Portfolios page. Barrett argues that there are two types of portfolios, the working and presentation portfolio, and that we need to combine both types to be most effective. While she is correct, she unfortunately overlooks the fact that modern tools like WordPress enable the learner to do both the working and presentation portfolio into one site.
http://electronicportfolios.com/faq.html

University of British Columbia (UBC) Eportfolios – What is it? UBC has been working with eportfolios for several years and their toolkit approach to using eportfolios provides a useful and pragmatic starting point.
http://elearning.ubc.ca/toolkit/eportfolios/

University of Waterloo – ePortfolios Explained. Another good starting point for learning about the eportfolio process.
https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/educational-technologies/all/eportfolios

JISC eportfolio – Perhaps on the most compressive sites on the eportfolio.
https://www.jisc.ac.uk/full-guide/e-portfolios

Alverno College has one of the longest traditions (since the 70’s) of using a portfolio as part of their assessment-as-learning process. They currently use the Diagnostic Digital Portfolio (DPP) which enables the learner to follow their learning progress throughout their student career at Alverno.
http://www.alverno.edu/ddp/

References:
Barrett, H. C. (2000). Electronic Portfolios–A chapter in Educational Technology; An Encyclopedia to be published by ABC-CLIO, 2001. Retrieved from http://electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/aahe2000.html

Barrett, H. (2000). Electronic Teaching Portfolios: Multimedia Skills+ Portfolio Development= Powerful Professional Development. Retrieved from http://electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/encyclopediaentry.htm

Sutherland, S. and Powell, A. (2007), CETIS SIG mailing list discussions. Retrieved from https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A1=ind0707&L=CETIS-PORTFOLIO#3

In Eportfolio, Meaningful Connections eportfolio, Learning, meaningful connections

Does Technology Belong In… We’re Still Asking the Wrong Question

Dwayne Harapnuik — July 30, 2015 — Leave a comment

http://www.wsj.com/articles/does-technology-belong-in-classroom-instruction-1431100454

Does Technology Belong in Classroom Instruction? – WSJ via kwout

You can’t blame the Wall Street Journal for setting up a classic debate between Lisa Nielsen, director of digital engagement and professional learning for the New York City Department of Education and José Bowen the president of Goucher College and author of “Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning.” Nielsen argues that technology can personalize learning, increase collaboration and access to to content and subject matter experts, and prepare learners for the work environments of the future. Bowen argues that technology can be a distracting and that our classrooms need to be places of mental stillness where we (teachers) promote reflection and deep concentration.

The are both right! If used properly and in the right context technology can increase collaboration and access to information enabling learners to do things in ways that they could not do without technology. Used improperly and in the wrong context Jose Bowen is right because technology can distract and if you need to do something face2face that requires great concentration and reflection then technology can get in the way.

The problem is that we all too often focus on the technology itself, assume that it can provide a quick fix and keep on asking the wrong questions when we look for its impact. If we focus on the learning and the learner first, consider what learning outcomes we wish for the learner and then look for strategic activities and technologies to help us achieve those outcomes we can then use technology as a tool to help take the learner where they need to go. Technology should serve the learner and their purposes. Not the other way around.

We still are not getting our priorities strait if we are asking if technology belongs in the classroom. It is not an “if” question it is a “how” questions. Technology is not only in our classroom it is all around us and we use it every day. This simplistic either or thinking and debate over whether or not to use technology in the classroom must stop. For advice on how we can stop this simplistic thinking and debate refer to the post How to Patch “Hole in the Bucket” Thinking

What are you doing to move from an “if” to a “how” discussion?

Read the full WSJ article…

In Learning classroom, debate, technology

TeachingCenter – Key & Peele

Dwayne Harapnuik — July 29, 2015 — Leave a comment

What if….?

In Video - Wednesday Watchlist comedy, humor, teacher

5 Keys to Spreading Blended Learning Across the University

Dwayne Harapnuik — July 28, 2015 — Leave a comment

5 Keys to Spreading Blended Learning Across the University via kwout

According to researchers from Canada’s York University, the demand for blended learning is growing. A survey 2,121 students in 34 courses, revealed that 48 percent of their students wanted to take blended courses, while 40 percent wanted to take classes in person.

Getting to this point will not be easy. In addition to getting students move from the passive sit and get to the go and show of active learning, blended learning requires that organizational leaders will also need to address the following 5 key hurdles:

Make sure that institutional, faculty and student goals match up.
Provide policies, one-on-one training and technology infrastructure to support faculty.
Bring key deans, provosts and other university leaders on board.
Meet each type of faculty technology adopter where they are and tailor approaches accordingly.
Evaluate blended learning’s effect on student outcomes in order to give the “early majority” faculty something concrete to factor into their decision.

While these factors are key there are two more fundamental issues that can stop blended learning in its tracks – time and space. Redesigning a course to use the blended learning model takes significant time and unless given release time to make these changes many faculty are not able to do this type of redesign “off the sides of their desk”. A lack of time is another factor for students. Blended learning involves significant amounts of active learning which requires a much higher time commitment from the learner. They must do more of the work. Not all students are aware of this time commitment and with families, full time jobs and the pressures of life there are just not enough hours in the day. This is often compounded by the fact that many instructors new to blended learning will add blended learning activities to already full schedules instead replacing activities.

These blended learning activities that make up the classroom component of the blend will often require collaboration or group activities and many organizations do not have enough flexible space that will allow for group work. Lecture halls and most classroom are configured for the passive reception of information. While these traditional settings can still be use to allow peer based instructions and other minimal forms of collaboration most blended learning activities will require flexible space.

While these two additional challenges are significant they are not insurmountable. With help from instructional design specialists the issues of time for student assignments can be addressed. The issues of release time for course development or redesign can also be address with proper curriculum planning. Educational institutions have begun exploring flexible learning spaces and the learning space literature is filled with examples of how to move forward so this challenge also be addressed.

Implementing blended learning across the entire institutions is challenging but it is worth the effort. It is our responsibility to ensure that we creating the best learning environment for our learners and blended learning is one of the ways we can do this.

Read the full article…

In Blended Learning allignment, space, time