Why utilize an e-Portfolio?

I am frequently asked by educators, “What is the REAL value of e-portfolios?” While this may seemingly be a straightforward question, most often the real question is, “Do e-portfolios have any value?” My answer is yes, when used correctly and maintained.

Students have always used some type of “portfolio” system in higher education, even before the dawn of the World Wide Web. Writers and journalists had a consortium of published articles bound to black cardstock to display the professional piece; photographers commonly carried a large portfolio case of their top photographs with commentary below each mounted picture; architects carried a portfolio that showcases their creative designs and production that resembled a transportable museum, so to speak. While some of these pre-www. portfolio practices are still used today, many students and universities have embraced e-portfolios to facilitate reflection, application, and showcasing a portfolio of work to potential employers.

Even with the establishment of e-portfolios being a venue for students to learn, reflect, and show their work, there is still uncertainty of the value of this method. Common arguments against e-portfolios are:

• Outdated technology
• Students losing password and login information post-graduation
• Upkeep is too much work
• Lack of technology skill level by student and/or instructor to use and maintain an e-portfolio

So, why have an electronic portfolio, or e-portfolio, as part of your course curriculum if there are valid and logical arguments against the technology? If the world around us has changed into an e-communication streaming medium with e-mail, VoIP, ipads, and even TelePresence videoconferencing, why should we not expect students to learn, reflect, network, and share using this mode?

E-portfolios are a valuable developmental tool for instructors to use in the classroom to facilitate ongoing reflection, learning, and application. Most e-portfolios typically showcase skills and achievements in what resemble a blog format. Depending on the e-portfolio host or site a university uses, a student may have more limitations on what they can showcase and the format in doing so.

I found a great resource on why we need to have e-portfolios in the classroom from Penn State. This tutorial gives excellent reasons and resources for educators on using e-portfolios in the classroom. Please click here to watch the short video provided by Penn State.

Next week, I will cover basic e-portfolio platforms that are used by colleges and universities nationwide. You can also get creative with e-portfolios (education or professional based) by creating a dynamic and interactive blog! I will not only show you how to get started with each resource but final products so you can make the final decision on what fits your learning needs.

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Paradigm Shift

Creating a learner-centered environment for students is widely accepted among scholars in multiple post-secondary disciplines as common practice in curriculum design. As professors, we have hastily shifted the paradigm of knowledge solely dispensed from elite scholars within the ‘ivory tower’ of higher education by engaging learners through applied-learning and embracing technology as a tool in teaching. This is an exceptional time to be teaching in higher education as traditional paradigms shift to embrace learning that is not feasible solely in closed physical classrooms.

As technology and social media revolutionize education, we are not only serving learners by engaging them in the world but meeting an expectation. Learners expect to use technology in coursework as it is demanded as a common skill set in the corporate environment. Further, learners entering the post secondary classroom are adapt to using technology. Today’s college student is part of the cell phone, video game, Facebook, application, internet, and it’s got an app generation. These traditional college freshman age learners are part of the first generation to be born post-dot-com-bust of the late 90s. This means that this generation of learners grew up learning with technology from the start of their K-12 education.

Embracing this change has not been easy for everyone in higher education. However, the open source education movement is giving teachers options to engage students using technology in the classroom that was not previously available in years past. Technology Gurus’, as I like to refer to (including myself), use social media and technology such as Moodle, Flickr, WordPress, Google, Animoto, TED, among others, to bridge the gap between students and the world they live in.

Open source resources allow teachers to be empowered by showing learners the coursework in a new paradigm: Putting theory into practice to engage students in the world they live in. Do you know that a lay person can watch a class at Harvard or Stanford through podcasts? Did you realize that students can self-publish their projects and essays using blogs, such as WordPress, in addition to professional resources such as Blurb and LuLu? Or, how about following blogs and engage in commentary to learn more about a culture that cannot normally be reached within the walls of a classroom?

Are you interested in the paradigm shift now? Check back next week where I provide valuable resources for teachers to use open source and technology resources to embrace applied-learning and technology as synchronous tools.

 

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