Integration of e-Portfolios into ITE: The learner’s perspective Derek Young

e-Portfolio can be used to refer to a system or a collection of tools that support e-portfolio related processes (such as collection, reflection, annotation, etc.). The term ‘e-portfolio’ can also refer to the products emerging through those systems or tools, and it is helpful to think about the purposes to which learners might put their e- portfolios (for example presentation for assessment, to support transition, or to support and guide learning). JISC overview paper

An e-portfolio can be viewed as a collection of artefacts which can be used to demonstrate knowledge, reflection, and learning.

Generation 2.0 Phone Text SkypePodcastBlog WikiUtubeMySpace DVDMP4/Video Flickr We don’t have to teach how to USE social software – we have to teach how to LEARN through social software

Background: ‘m’ is for Mobile! Games consoles ‘Ultra Compact’ computers ‘Smart phones’ PDAs Laptops / Compact Laptops Tablet PCs Media players (podcasting +/- video) Mobile phones ‘hybrid’ devices

Change Re-packaging for 2.0 generation Change to: context not content delivery and interaction form and format point of use time and place

E-Portfolio Tailored for each discipline – type and purpose Product Process Teaching product competency Teaching pedagogy embedded within the process Research Dynamic - Wiki – artifacts – blogs – podcast – learning journals Assessment

E-Portfolio for Assessment Summative – formative Reflective Supplementary Replacing Discipline specific Generic Evidence based learning Problem based learning

JISC Devolved E-Learning Transferability of e-Portfolios in Education

Rationale Requirement for learners to compile a portfolio of work - employability, transferable skills, reflective learning - PDP Take forward as they move into a professional teaching career as the basis for ongoing Continuing Professional Development Wide range of e-portfolio and PDP software available - uniformity in design and content is at best limited Problems with transferability across sector and between institution and workplace – ownership, compliance, storage, service

Examples of current issues identified by practitioners: ‘The need for continuity and interoperability across institutional contexts (university, local education authority, professional body etc) is particularly important in our view.’ ‘Movement of NQTs in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the lack of continuity in e- portfolios for all teachers – different requirements, platforms, expectations etc. How do we support teachers from other areas?’

Aims Review current use and design of e-portfolios in Higher Education Teacher Training courses in the UK Review user views on the success and failure of implementing e-portfolios as an enhanced learning tool

Objectives Report on current use and integration of e-portfolios as part of the learners Professional Development Planning (PDP) on Education courses delivered within a Higher Education Institution (HEI) or delivered as Higher Education (HE) within a Further Education College (FEC) Collect exemplars of ‘best practice’ from education departments in both HEIs and FECs in order to inform the sector Collate and present informed recommendations for the future integration of e-portfolios within CPD for practitioners within the Education profession

Phase One: Institutional The initial research study and sector surveys. Cross-sectional study looking at Education programmes delivered in HEIs and delivered as HE in FECs to identify the various designs and levels of e-portfolios used by those learners undertaking a variety courses in Education and highlighting points of commonality, differences and barriers across the sector All HEI’s offering Teacher Training were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey. Employed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data, the survey investigated: –existing e-portfolio packages and tools currently used in education; –current use of e-portfolios in teacher training; –current use of e-portfolios to support learner PDP.

Phase One - Results Only 33% of respondents are currently using some type of e-portfolio 52% plan to implement e-portfolios in the future Most frequently reported E-portfolios used include PebblePAD, Blackboard Add-on, Moodle, PDP Progress & Web-CT portfolio Few (11%) have e-portfolios fully embedded within the curriculum 49% of e-portfolios are partially embedded in the curriculum 59% of respondents are using e-portfolios for both reflection and assessment 54% use e-portfolios for formative assessment – remainder use both summative and formative assessment 64% feel e-portfolios assist in attaining their PDP aims

However!! Introduction of compatibility and interoperability standards Northern Ireland e-Portfolios Working Group Universities tend to make unilateral decisions as to which option to adopt and the best scenario at present is a number of colleges franchised to a central university, or a group of regional based universities, which might adopt a similar design

Phase Two – Universities currently involved University of Newcastle University of Sussex University of Dundee University of Strathclyde University of Ulster Southern Cross University, Australia

Phase Two – Aims For the Learners Evaluate learner expectations on their use of the selected e- portfolio tool; Evaluate ongoing learner experiences during their introduction to the use of e- portfolios to facilitate learning; Evaluate learner reflection on the impact of e-portfolios as a tool for learning (including uptake of e-portfolios); International collaboration on e-portfolio use For the Teacher Educators Evaluate teacher educator views on their use of the existing e-portfolio tool For the Teachers/Practitioners Evaluate practicing teachers views on current CPD practice

Learner surveys Learner Blog – 5 institutions 3 learner case study groups Teacher trainer survey Teacher trainer case studies Practitioner surveys Practitioner case studies

Phase Two – Teacher Educators Surveying staff on their use of e-portfolios –Including e-portfolio tool functionality –Issues surrounding student assessment –Usability of software –Perceived student benefits

73% agreed that students are able to value their own capability through improved self-awareness 80% agree that e-portfolios allow learners to critically reflect on their own learning 80% agree that students become more independent learners 57% agree that e-portfolios encourage self-motivation to learn 66% agree that learners enhance their ability to present themselves to others 66% agree that learners enhance their employability through engaging with e-portfolios

50% agree that e-portfolios enhance interaction between learners 50% agree that e-portfolios enhance knowledge sharing between learners 50% agree that providing the opportunity for online discussion encourages autonomous learning

Phase Two- Learners Surveying students prior to their introduction to e- portfolios (in the beginning of the academic year) –Perceived learning benefits –Their definition of an e-portfolio –Perceived components of an e-portfolio –General expectations and anxieties Maintain ongoing contact with the learners through a project Blog and discussion board prompted by research questions End of year survey

Blog Prompts Help and Training E-Portfolio Technology Sharing Reflection Assessment

Training The university has allowed me plenty of support, and a detailed session from an e-portfolio specialist gave us an adequate enough crash course in to how e-portfolio's work. I do not know of a single person on my course who actually enjoys using the e-portfolio and I think it is because of the lack of knowledge we have about its uses. We HAVE to use this e-portfolio to submit certain assignments and it makes it so much harder when you are not entirely sure of the technology you are using. I think that further guidance would be beneficial to most people in my year as we were basically given our user name and password and had to work it out for ourselves from there. We all complained about the lack of help/support we were given, so they gave us a two-hour class on using it- which wasn't useful at all and put us off using it even more!

Reflection I do however find it useful to use the e-portfolio for reflective purposes. I like to submit where I am in my course and how I feel it is going at the time and then look back on it later and learn from it. My lecturer in particularly has encouraged weekly blogging 'sessions' that have allowed my course in to reflect amongst ourselves on theorists, practices, and I in particular have chosen to use it as a means of sharing my successes and woes of teaching to date!! I tend to use the tool for reflection, especially on my teaching practice because there is a lot of reflection needed and this helps me get everything noted down so I can go back to it when I choose/feel the need to do so. I also like to use it when I'm angry or upset because you can rant on for as long as you like knowing that someone may well be listening (reading) out there somewhere.

Placement The tool has been very useful to those of us in our Curriculum Studies group, particularly since we went our separate ways on the Diagnostic Placement. Our tutor invites us to blog one another on educational texts in order to develop educationally literate views, which also allows us to reflect on our teaching experience so far. This tool as part of our course discussion has been pretty helpful, especially when we have been on placements as not seeing one another but sharing our experiences this way has been helpful-plus its a way of checking on how everyone is doing. It's been a valuable tool in the sense that we can share our experiences and also have a log of the really quite clever things that other people say, and to which we can refer to later!

Social networking I’m particularly keen to be up to date with the blogging world because of how it can be used to inform my teaching when I am qualified, pupils can use blogs to reflect on work or indeed they may use it as a discussion for me to assess in the future. I see blogging as a fantastic tool to bring education to life. Setting up a class blog in school could be a way of teacher, pupil communication on an educational basis...Work due date, latest news, events, and perhaps teacher talk direct with pupils. I would hope that when I get a class of my own, that I will be able to adopt this blogging approach with my classes. I experienced this first-hand at my last teaching placement. I set up a blog for sixth form students to debate their coursework essays on Othello. They got the hang of it really quickly and it was helpful in developing their thoughts and sharing their ideas.

Recap Del II project – 80% Practitioners lack the ability to direct change Competency based assessment tool Accreditation – registration – GTCs Social support network – placement Transitional tool Professional portfolio Ownership – learner – staff Embedded – additional workload

Identified benefits Autonomous learning Experiential learning Developmental learning Learner retention Interactive Maintain quality of product Dynamic process and delivery Integrated Social software - iPod

Summary of Key Issues I.T. training for students Course Priorities – e-portfolios need to be fully embedded Student choice Time consuming Instructors have strong aims of what they would like the e- portfolios to achieve Technical implications Assessment Issues