This was a presentation given at ASCILITE 2009 (Auckland). Please cite as: Owen, H. (2009, December 6-9). ePortfolios and unfamiliar spaces: Exploring the potential, the challenges and the barriers. Paper presented at the Same places, different spaces - ASCILITE 2009.
Abstract: "When decisions are made to implement initiatives using e-portfolios, anxiety is sometimes expressed because of the challenge of exploring ‘new spaces’. This can occur, for example, when academic practitioners are required to re-address learning, teaching and assessment practices, and upskill in ICT.
This paper has three main aims. The first is to ground the subject in current literature. Reference will then be made to two research studies conducted at Dubai Men's College where the use of e-portfolios was proposed and in one case implemented. The barriers identified around e-portfolios are described, along with an overview of current attitudes expressed at Unitec NZ during small-scale trials. To date, a comparative research study has not been conducted, but the collation of findings offers a rich picture of potential challenges for academic practitioners around adopting e-portfolios. Finally, the paper draws the threads together to recommend ways of avoiding some of these possible pitfalls."
Access the full paper at: Owen, H. (2009). ePortfolios and unfamiliar spaces: Exploring the potential, the challenges and the barriers [Electronic Version]. Same places, different spaces - ASCILITE 2009 from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/procs/owen.pdf.
5. Dubai Men's College Images can be located at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/sets/72157616406173115/detail/ (with kind permission of Jeff Rossiter
6. Student Portfolios Images can be located at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/sets/72157616406173115/detail/ (with kind permission of Wayne Godfrey
13. Relevant & authentic To watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FsQSM2m9ss&feature=player_embedded; Image can be located at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/4155679707/
14. Preferences creative & personalisable Image can be located at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/4155867099/
15. Reflection & evaluation Watch the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irMZU1k-G4s, Image can be located at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/3994841666/sizes/o/in/set-72157622422056955/
16. Sharing & feedback Image can be located at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/3994087119/in/set-72157622422056955
19. Images can be located at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/; video can be watched: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90ORtMXVW2M Professional development
20. Image can be located at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/4002237037/ Interconnectedness (i16s)
21. Resources Image can be located at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/4156254489/
22. Timing: needs & motivation Image can be located at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/4156208143/
23. Scaffolding Image can be located at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/4156262821/
24. Portable Image can be located at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomcochrane/3923520927/
25. Where to from here? Image can be located at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/3696214317/
26. Communities site can be located at: www.horsesmouth.co.uk/index.publisha ; Image can be located at:http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/4156302773/
27. Conclusion Images can be located at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/ Images can be located at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/
28. Thank you for your time... dayling@unitec.ac.nz [email_address] Images can be located at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24289877@N02/
Notes de l'éditeur
Developmental/showcase/professional Private/public space Trust/rapport Rehearse as a group as well as an individual Collection of 'projects' - some half-finished, some ready for the next production, some still in the concept phase, some abandoned Spend time as an apprentice, sweeping, painting scenery, learning the vocabulary Start to rehearse. Feedback from director/peers (work collaboratively to interpret a script) Personality - interpretation of the script (role/assessment/rubric) Audience - who are they? Appropriacy. Don't always know (global) Dress rehearsal/first night - iterative feedback loop
1. Presentation (showcase of ‘best’ work and accomplishments either during study or in the workplace); 2. Learning / process (includes guidance around reflection, analysing, thinking critically, making connections, identifying problems, and learning over time); 3. Assessment (evidence to demonstrate specific learning outcomes to an ‘authority’); 4. Personal development (used for registration, certification, professional development, and career progression. Usually involves a review process, action plan, and recognition of required professional criteria); 5. Multiple-owner (enables a group or organisation to represent research, projects and growth); and 6. Working (includes some or all of the characteristics identified in 1-5 above – hosted in a tool that facilitates flexible accessibility/privacy to discrete elements of the ePortfolio. Specific elements could for instance be selected from a working ePortfolio to create a presentation ePortfolio). Education/training learning assessment reflection tracking planning Personal self identity lifelong/lifewide learning personal development wellbeing Employment career planning resume/CV professional development employability skills promotion
Dubai Men’s College (DMC), one of fourteen colleges in the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) system, is located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A selection of career-oriented and vocational qualifications (such as media studies, business, IT, aviation, and engineering) is offered ranging from certificates to Bachelors’ qualifications. English is the language of instruction. All students at DMC are Emirati male nationals, whose first language is Arabic, and the majority of whom are between the age of seventeen and thirty, with approximately ten percent of students also employed in full-time jobs. To enrol on the Foundations programme it is mandatory for students to purchase laptops, and the college is equipped with wireless connectivity. In Higher Diploma Foundations (HDF), one such project was the development of the Computer, Research Skills and Projects (CRSP) course. Students participated over forty weeks, in a range of activities and tasks associated with four key projects: The Country Project, The Famous Person Project, The Career Project, and the Inventions, Developments and Change Project. The Career Project was the main period where students were given direct input and support around developing an ePortfolio. The Diploma Foundations programme already had a fully-integrated paper-based portfolio. As part of the eLearning implementation project it was proposed that an ePortfolio be piloted. Due to strong resistance from the Diploma team, the suggestion was not adopted, although they did work towards integrating eLearning into their programme and classroom practice. A research study was conducted throughout this process, some of the findings from which shaped the decision not to use ePortfolios. Barriers mentioned included: • lack of technical skills; • no practical experience using ePortfolios; • questions around the pedagogical and practical value of changing to an ePortfolio; • increased complexity of planning; • teaching more time-consuming due to design and ePortfolio skills development; • requirement to upskill; • potential technology / technical problems; • perceived lack of IT support; • possible student resistance; • team buy-in; and • lack of time release.
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Developmental tool / reflective practice & agent of change Momentum - identity shift; from the profession to the teacher, and from the teacher to the 'competent' teacher; to academic leader, Universal shift / global demand - beyond our control; professionals required to demo competence - quality control / accountability champions process not tool / empowerment - Web 2.0 versus institutional Keeping it simple to begin with (start with text if necessary) - asking questions such as who already has Facebook? Transferability Who is the audience? Context We haven't imposed a way of doing things/tech/example/struc
For faculty, the potential for the fostering of lifelong learning and professional development planning engendered by the use of ePortfolios is considerable (Hallam et al., 2008). Furthermore, other stakeholders, including employers and professional organisations are interested in future possibilities, in particular those who employ graduates (ibid, 2008). Support for academic practitioners has been offered in several forms including: • development of Communities Of Practice (CoPs) (Cochrane & Kligyte, 2007); • department specific workshops tailored to the discipline; • development of a suite of online resources around ePortfolios, including models, examples, case studies, ‘how to…’ videos, that are accessible independently as well as being used in face-to-face sessions; • informal brainstorming and planning sessions; • team teaching where a teaching and learning advisor assists in the facilitation of sessions with students around the use of ePortfolios; • 'just in time' training (when an academic practitioner encounters something they need to do, and seeks help from either peers or a teaching and learning advisor); • sharing of effective practice and training sessions facilitated by academic practitioners; and • guidance for ePortfolio programme integration/development groups. Academic practitioner reactions have been mixed. Positive feedback includes the recognition that the dynamics of face-to-face sessions with students shifted, with students empowered to become much more active, vocal and engaged. Also, some academic practitioners noticed that their students became increasingly self-directed and reflective, as well as motivated to complete assignments. Furthermore, comments were made about their own (and their students’) improved confidence with a range of technologies, increases in interactions between themselves and students as well as peers with peers, and enhancement of written and verbal communication skills.
How to use ePortfolios to foster continuous professional development / Communities of interest/learning Sociocultural theory indicates that the process of human development, cognition and context are not discrete factors. Learning occurs in social settings (Tharp & Gallimore, 1989) comprising communities, rules, tools, and activities, where there is potential for an individual’s higher mental functions such as logical memory, verbal and conceptual thought, and complex emotions to mature (Kublin, Wetherby, Crais, & Prizant, 1989). Importance is thereby placed on cultural and social aspects of learning experiences (Owen, 2006), in turn signifying Web 2.0 as potentially desirable for ePortfolios. Development Excellence Reflective Creativity End point Competence Descriptive Guidelines ( Mason, C., Cochrane, T., & Owen, H. (2008, March). E-portfolios. Paper presented at the Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation Lunchtime Series, Unitec New Zealand, Auckland.) Peer, family & professional support Individual learning Paced collaborative learning Student to student Student to community Teacher to student Community of learning/inquiry Structured learning resources Model of Online Learning - "Toward a Theory of Online Learning", Terry Anderson, Athabasca University 2004.
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
Osteopathy Medical imaging Sport Business Don DoLs (group ePortfolio) TPA (reaction of TPA initially - defensive; Lata/Vickel) Promotion staff (reaction to begin with 2008; no real results - 2009 Daniel Performing Arts; Nicola Dunham Education) Unsolicited enquiries / interest / teacher in crisis all picked up ePFs Reflection / evaluation - what have we learned along the way? Resources (Amy Ling) Concepts - e.g. ePF as performance Motivation - reason for developing ePf Accessibility - of concepts and resources
People have chosen Web 2.0 - Ning, blogs, Tumblr, Word, Publisher, collection of indiv Word docs (uploaded) FUTURE - colleagues as coaches - dvelopment comes from the envrionment in which you work; sharing process, experiences, content = community; identity. giving power back to people -Spend as much time on your ePortfolio as you want as it pays back. "Community is making a comeback" (Douglas Aiken, 2009) - connection; belonging. Receiving affirmation around your learning journey. State what our vision is. Break into discrete goals - what is important to us (design, for example, reflects this - this is why you should never dictate form/content). Global community of practice around professional practice/neutral/supportive