1. Beyond the Blog: getting the right level of structure in an ePortfolio to support learning.
Simon Cotterill, Paul Horner, Sue Gill, Tony McDonald, Paul Drummond, David Teasdale, Anne Whitworth, Geoff Hammond

2. Aims of this paper
Position: there is still a need for some level of structure for ePortfolios in most learning contexts.
Work in progress: developments with ePET which aim to integrate blogs and community publishing into the ePortfolio.
Present an inclusive definition of ePortfolio

3. Introduction
Rapid growth of freely available blogging and social networking sites on the Internet (as part of the ‘Web 2.0’ phenomena)
Growing anecdotal evidence that these technologies can have benefits for supporting learning
What are the implications for ePortfolio – do we need them anymore?!

4. Web 2.0
“Web 2.0 refers to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services — such as social-networking sites, wikis and folksonomies — which aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users…”(Wikipedia)
The components of "Web 2.0" (blogs, Wikis etc.) have existed since the early days of the Web
Real change characherised by:
Large communities with access to fast Internet
(moving towards the ‘Real World Web’)
Greater ease of publishing
Relatively unstructured environments
Self assigned semantics (blog categories, tagging etc)

5. Internet Communities: post ‘Web 2.0’
Blogs
-Picture blogging (e.g. Flicker)
-Video blogging (e.g. You Tube)
-Social Networking (e.g. my Space / Facebook)
-Wikis
-Social book marking / sharing common interets (Delicious / StTowards the ‘Real World Web’
umbleUpon)
Map from:
Examples not endorsements!

6. Can ‘Web 2.0’ support learning?
Bartlet-Bragg A Reflections on pedagogy: Understanding adult learners’ experiences of weblogs In Burg BlogTalks Reloaded. Social Software - Research & Cases (2006)
see:
Williams, J. B. and Jacobs, J. (2004). Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 20(2),
But many reports are anecdotal / serendipitous learning

7. 85% of US College students use Facebook 7th most visited
Website in 2006
SPIRE Project
Results and analysis of
Web 2.0 services survey
digital_repositories/spiresurvey.doc
1,369 students
December 2006 – February 2007
More research required
Into educational value of
Blogs/Web 2.0

8. How do we define ePortfolio? How much structure should
Does the availability of free blogs and social networking sites mean that specialist ePortfolio applications are now redundant?
How do we define ePortfolio?
How much structure should
there be in an ePortfolio?
Escher’s relativity
-we have different views and points of reference!
Tensions between positivist
& constructionist philosophies
(Paulson & Paulson, 1996)

9. The Case for Structure Intrinsic structure Extrinsic structure
‘scaffolding’
structured educational / CPD programmes
assessment
structured skill sets, objectives, outcomes and competencies
Interoperability for LLL, mobility, learning through multiple agencies (e.g. using IMS ePortfolio, Europass-CV & HR-XML).
Extrinsic structure
guidelines / assessment criteria
guidance / direction from tutors & mentors

10. ….but how much structure?
The level of structure required is very much dependent on the learning context, pedagogic requirements and the individual learner needs.
ePET: flexible structure and high level of customisation:
Cotterill SJ, Aiton J, Bradley PM, et al. A flexible component-based ePortfolio: adapting and embedding in the curriculum. In: In Jafari A, Kaufman C, ed. Handbook of Research on ePortfolios. Pennsylvania: Idea Group Inc, 2006.
Cotterill SJ, Horner P, Hammond GR, et al. Implementing ePortfolios: adapting technology to suit pedagogy and not vice versa ! Proc. ePortfolio 2005
Cotterill SJ, McDonald AM, Drummond P, Hammond GR. Design, implementation and evaluation of a 'generic' ePortfolio: the Newcastle experience. Proc. ePortfolios 2004 [ISBN ].

11. Unstructured Blog but with explicit links to skills/outcomes

12. Community Publishing
Both assigned and user-initiated learning communities
Both ‘open’ and ‘closed’ learning communities
User control of access to their blog entries at private, community, institution and public levels

13. Support for categories from both individual & community / programme

14. Integration of blog and ePortfolio

15. EPICS-2: North East regional collaboration for personalised, work-based, and life-long learning
Partners include: 5 Universities in NE England
FE colleges (Falcon network)
JISC Regional Centre
large evaluation studies of ePortfolios with Blogs/Social publishing
personalised learning pathways
mobile technologies
technologies to support work based learning
interoperability to support LLL
identity management

16. Conclusions
Varying levels of structure (according to purpose[s] and context) in ePortfolios can support learning
It is this structure that in part differentiates ePortfolio from ‘generic’ Web 2.0 tools.
We are presenting our ‘work in progress’, to further extended customisation of ePET to support a range of structured and unstructured portfolio tools with integrated blogging and community publishing tools explicitly designed to support learning.
Further research / evaluation is required
Simon Cotterill

17. Towards an inclusive definition of ePortfolio
No ‘Universal’ definition in the mature paper-based portfolio literature: reflecting diverse purposes; different educational philosophies and practices
A nice starting point from the paper-based portfolio literature:
“..a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits to the student, or others, [their] efforts or achievement in one or more areas.” Arter and Spandel (1991)
Needs to focus on the journey, not just the destination (outputs)
Needs to touch on the differences / “value added” by technology

18. My Definition - Ok, its an Essay!!!
In general, an ePortfolio is a purposeful collection of information and digital artifacts that demonstrates development or evidences learning outcomes, skills or competencies. The process of producing an ePortfolio (writing, typing, recording etc.) usually requires the synthesis of ideas, reflection on achievements, self-awareness and forward planning; with the potential for educational, developmental or other benefits. Specific types of ePortfolios can be defined in part by their purpose (such as presentation, application, reflection, assessment and personal development planning), pedagogic design, level of structure (intrinsic or extrinsic), duration (episodic or life-long) and other factors.
Simon Cotterill, October 2007

19. Definition #2 the ePortfolio application:
(aka ‘ePortfolio Management System’)
ePortfolios can be produced using simple tools (such as presentation software or blogs) but more typically using specialist ePortfolio applications that contain a level of structure (pedagogy and learning outcomes/skills) with a high level of customisation for specific contexts and support for multiple purposes.
ePortfolio applications allow the owner to share specific parts or views of their portfolio online and support feedback and dialogue. Ideally ePortfolios are interoperable (for example with learning environments, recruitment services or for the migration of portfolio data to support continuity in life-long learning).
Simon Cotterill, October 2007

20. Further Information Simon Cotterill S.J.Cotterill@ncl.ac.uk

21. So what are Portfolios ? Unstructured Formative Factual / Quantitative
Sample
Best work
Learner Owned
Episodic
Structured
Summative
Reflective / Interpretive
All work
Representative
Employer Owned
Life-long
Portfolios have been around for years, mean all things to all people.

22. ePortfolios are defined by their purpose
(may be multiple)
Portfolio for
Presentation
Application
(job / promotion)
Portfolio for
Assessment
Accreditation/
Revalidation
Sharing / dialogue
Learner’s
‘repository’
Institutional
Data
PDP
(shared)
PDP / Reflective
(private)
Portfolio for
Appraisal
Central data:
Transcript
MIS/ HR data
Programme data:
Granular assessment data
Outcomes / skills sets

23. What is a Blog? From Wikipedia:
“A blog is a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order.…Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject such as food, politics, or local news; others function as more personal online diaries.... The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs….”.
Date retrieved: 15 October :28 UTC
Unstructured
Easy to use
Also, Blogs tend to be: