This document discusses balancing the two purposes of e-portfolios - as a process/workspace and as a product/showcase. It notes that e-portfolios can serve learning/process/planning purposes as well as marketing/showcase/employment and assessment/accountability purposes. The document emphasizes finding a balance between these different purposes to allow for student engagement, deep learning, and continuous improvement as well as accountability. It provides examples of tools and strategies that can help achieve this balance, including using separate tools for assessment and student portfolios, incorporating social and reflective elements, and enabling student choice and voice.

1. Balancing the Two Faces
of E-Portfolios
Dr. Helen Barrett
University of Alaska Anchorage (retired)
Seattle Pacific University (adjunct)
New England College (adjunct)
REAL ePortfolio Academy (founding faculty)
International Researcher & Consultant
Electronic Portfolios and Digital Storytelling for Lifelong and Life Wide Learning

2. Key Concepts
• Definitions, Portfolios for Lifelong
Learning
• Balancing the 2 Faces of E-Portfolios
• Peter Ewell’s 2 paradigms of assessment
• Identity Development & Online
Professional Branding
• Metacognition, Reflection, Motivation &
Engagement
• Digital Storytelling and Reflection

3. Golden Circle
What?
How?
Why?
3

4. WHAT?

5. Specialty Case Responsibilities
Portfolio
Workspace
Showcase
One Word,
Many Meanings
Art Work Investments
Collection of Artifacts

6. Who was the
first famous
“folio” keeper?
DEFINITIONS

7. Leonardo da Vinci’s Folio

8. What is a Portfolio?
• Dictionary definition:
a flat, portable case
for carrying loose
papers, drawings, etc.
• Financial portfolio: document
accumulation of fiscal capital
• Educational portfolio: document
development of human capital

9. What is a Portfolio in Education?
A portfolio is a purposeful collection
of [academic] work that exhibits
the *learner/worker’s+ efforts,
progress and achievements in one
or more areas
[over time].
(Northwest Evaluation Association, 1990)

10. +Electronic
• digital artifacts organized online
combining various media
(audio/video/text/images)

11. E-Portfolio Components
< Multiple Portfolios for
Multiple Purposes
-Celebrating Learning
-Personal Planning
-Transition/entry to courses
-Employment applications
-Accountability/Assessment
< Multiple Tools to Support
Processes
-Capturing & storing evidence
-Reflecting
-Giving & receiving feedback
-Planning & setting goals
-Collaborating
-Presenting to an audience
< Digital Repository
(Becta, 2007; JISC, 2008)

12. WHY?

13. Multiple Purposes
from Hidden Assumptions
What are yours?
• Showcase • Assessment • Learning
•
http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMag2008/choosing%20an%20eportfolio/cool-cartoon-
346082.png

14. Hostos CC Vision
To bring about an integrated
institution-wide e-Portfolio
environment to maximize the
creative, academic, and
professional potential of
every student.

15. Hostos CC Mission
Encourage integrative learning by
creating online learning spaces
that foster student reflection on
academic learning, personal and
professional goals, and career planning to
increase student performance, retention, and
engagement.

16. Purpose
• The overarching purpose of
portfolios is to create a sense of
personal ownership over one’s
accomplishments, because
ownership engenders feelings of
pride, responsibility, and
dedication. (p.10)
• Paris, S & Ayres, L. (1994) Becoming Reflective Students and Teachers.
American Psychological Association

17. E-Portfolios in
Generational Contexts
1. Family – Birth & up
2. Formal Education
– K-12 - Schools
– Adult/Post Secondary Education
3. Workplace – Professions
4. Retirement – Legacy

18. Digital Identity
• Creating a positive digital footprint

19. Handout
Lifelong Context for E-Portfolios

20. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201
Digital Birth: 01006006722/en/Digital-Birth-Online-World
Welcome to the Online World
• Mothers with children aged under two (N=2200) that have
uploaded images of their child (2010)
• Overall – 81%
– USA – 92%
– Canada - 84%
– (EU5 - 73%)
UK - 81% France - 74% Italy - 68% Germany - 71% Spain –
71%
– Australia – 84%
– New Zealand – 91%
– Japan - 43%
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sailbit/3329477282/
The research was conducted by Research Now among 2200 mothers with young (under two) children during the week of 27
September. Mothers in the EU5 (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain), Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan
were polled.

21. Four key pillars of Lifelong Learning
(Barbara Stäuble, Curtin University of Technology, Australia)
http://lsn.curtin.edu.au/tlf/tlf2005/refereed/stauble.html

22. Knowing the learner
(Self-awareness)
• Understanding prior knowledge
• Motivation for and attitudes
toward learning
• Help learners understand
themselves
• See their growth over time

23. Planning for learning
(Self management)
• Setting goals
• Develop a plan to
achieve these
goals

24. Understanding how to learn
(Meta-learning)
• Awareness of learners to
different approaches to
learning
• Deep vs. Surface Learning,
Rote vs. Meaningful Learning
• Different Learning Styles
• Help learners recognize success
• Accommodate approaches that are not
successful

25. Evaluating learning
(Self monitoring)
• Systematic analysis of learners’
performance
• Responsibility to construct meaning
• Be reflective & think critically
• Learners construct meaning,
monitor learning, evaluate
own outcomes

26. Deep Learning
• involves reflection,
• is developmental,
• is integrative,
• is self-directive, and
• is lifelong
Cambridge (2004)

27. QUOTE
 The e-portfolio is the central
and common point for the student
learning experience… It is a reflection
of the student as a person undergoing
continuous personal development,
not just a store of evidence.
-Geoff Rebbeck, e-Learning Coordinator, Thanet College, quoted in
JISC, 2008, Effective Practice with e-Portfolios

28. Portfolio Learning
Experience
Reviewing Feeling
Publishing & Recording
Selecting Sharing &
Receiving Feedback Synthesizing Dialogue Organizing
Planning Collaborating
Understanding Reflecting
Conceptualizing
& Constructing
Meaning
Figure 2 A model of e-portfolio-based learning, adapted
from Kolb (1984)
JISC, 2008, Effective Practice with e-Portfolios, p. 9

29. “metacognition lies at the root of
all learning”
“…self-knowledge, awareness of how and why
we think as we do, and the ability to adapt and
learn, are critical to our survival as
individuals…”
- James Zull (2011) From Brain to Mind: Using Neuroscience to
Guide Change in Education

30. “Know Thyself”
Temple at Delphi

31. Managing Oneself
Peter Drucker, (2005) Harvard Business Review
• “Success in the • What are my strengths?
knowledge economy • How do I perform?
comes to those who • What are my values?
know themselves –
their strengths, their • Where do I belong?
values, and how best • What should I
they perform.” contribute?
• Purpose: Use • Responsibility for
ePortfolios for Relationships
managing knowledge • The Second Half of your
workers' career Life
development

32. Some Basic Concepts
 “ePortfoliois both process and product”
 Process: A series of events (time and
effort) to produce a result
- From Old French proces(“‘journey’”)
 Product: the outcome/results or
“thinginess” of an activity/process
- Destination
 Wiktionary

33. Balancing the Two Faces of
E-Portfolios
Working Portfolio Presentation Portfolio(s)
Digital Archive Docs The “Story” or Narrative
(Repository of Artifacts) Multiple Views
Collaboration Space Sites
(public/private)
Reflective Journal Blog Varied Audiences &
Purposes
Portfolio as Process Portfolio as Product
Workspace Showcase

34. Handout

35. Structure of E-Portfolio Types
• Portfolio as Process/ • Portfolio as Product/
Workspace Showcase
– Organization: – Organization:
Chronological – Thematic – Documenting
Documenting growth over achievement of Standards, Goals
time for both internal and or Learning Outcomes for
external audiences primarily external audiences
– Primary Purpose: – Primary Purpose:
Learning or Reflection Accountability or Employment or
Showcase
blog website
– Reflection: immediate – Reflection: retrospective
focus on artifact or learning focus on Standards, Goals or
experience Learning Outcomes (Themes)

36. Multiple Purposes
from Hidden Assumptions
What are yours?
• Showcase • Assessment • Learning
•
http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMag2008/choosing%20an%20eportfolio/cool-cartoon-
346082.png

37. Multiple Purposes of
E-Portfolios in Education
– Learning/ Process/ Planning
– Marketing/ Showcase/ Employment
– Assessment/ Accountability
"The Blind Men and the Elephant”
by John Godfrey Saxe

38. ePortfolio designs/strategies for
different purposes
• Learning Portfolios
–Organized chronologically
–Focus of Reflection:
Learning Activities &
Artifacts
–Tools: Reflective Journal (blog)
–Faculty/peer role: Feedback on
artifacts and reflection

39. ePortfolio designs/strategies for
different purposes
 Showcase Portfolios
(Employment, Self-marketing)
 Organized thematically
(position requirements)
 Focus of Reflection:
Suitability for position
 Tools: Choice of portfolio
owner – personalized web
pages – digital footprint
 Personal online branding

40. ePortfolio designs/strategies for
different purposes
• Assessment/Accountability Portfolios
(Summative assessment)
– Organized thematically (outcomes, goals
or standards)
– Focus of Reflection: Achievement of
Standards (rationale)
– Tools: Assessment system
with data from scoring rubrics
– Faculty role: Evaluation

41. Forms of Assessment
Formative Summative
Assessments Assessments
Provides insights (Assessment OF
for the teacher Learning or
Evaluation)
Assessment FOR Provides insights
Learning (and data) for the
Provides insights institution
for the learner
Nick Rate (2008) Assessment for Learning &ePortfolios, NZ Ministry of Ed

42. Two “Paradigms” of Assessment (Ewell, 2008)
Assessment for Assessment for
Continuous Improvement Accountability
Strategic Dimensions:
Purpose Formative (Improvement) Summative (Judgment)
Stance Internal External
Predominant Ethos Engagement Compliance
Application Choices:
Instrumentation Multiple/Triangulation Standardized
Nature of Evidence Quantitative and Quantitative
Qualitative
Reference Points Over Time, Comparative, Comparative or Fixed
Established Goal Standard
Communication of Results Multiple Internal Channels Public Communication
and Media
Uses of Results Multiple Feedback Loops Reporting
Ewell, P. (2008) Assessment and Accountability in America Today: Background and Content. P.170

43. Opportunity Cost
• The alternative you give up
when you make a decision…
• The cost of an alternative that must be
forgone in order to pursue a certain action
What is the opportunity cost of emphasizing
accountability in portfolios over reflection,
deep learning, and continuous improvement?

44. Goal: Balance in Electronic Portfolios
Purpose
Accountability Improvement
(Institution-Centered) (Student-Centered)
(Or Course-Centered)
Along a Continuum
?? ??
Opportunity Cost

45. Goal: Balance in Electronic
Portfolios
Accountability Purpose Improvement
Highly Structured
Uniformity and Standardization
Required Assignments
Faculty Evaluation Engagement
Complexity Deep Learning
Checklist Personalization
Data! Choice and Voice
Lifelong Skills
Ease of Use
Ownership
Opportunity Cost Time

46. Goal: Balance in Electronic
Portfolios
Purpose
Accountability Improvement
Flexible Structure
Self-Assessment & Feedback
Lifelong Learning Skills
Faculty Time More Social Learning
Ease of Scoring Personalization
Collection of Data Choice and Voice
for Accountability Engagement
Institutional Story
Support
& Funding?
Opportunity Cost

47. Goal: Balance in Electronic Portfolios
Purpose
Accountability Improvement
Faculty Feedback Self-Assessment
Uniformity Personalization
Flexible Requirements Choice and Voice
Data Student Engagement
Program Improvement Increased Achievement
Faculty Time Involvement Social Learning
Complexity
Opportunity Cost

48. Finding Balance in E-Portfolio
Implementation
Tools
 Use separate tools for assessment management and
student e-portfolios?
 Ball State’s rGrade& WSU’s Harvesting Gradebook
 Incorporate blogging and social networking tools for
interactivity and engagement
 Open Source Tools: WordPress, Movable Type, Mahara
 Allow embedding student Web 2.0 links, including
video, into their e-portfolios
 Enable exporting e-portfolio to students’ lifetime
personal webspace

49. Finding Balance in E-Portfolio
Implementation
Strategies
 Acknowledge the importance of both portfolio as
workspace (process) &showcase (product)
 Support student choice and voice in e-portfolios
 Facilitate reflection for deep learning
 Provide timely and effective feedback for improvement
 Encourage student use of multimedia in portfolios for
visual communication and literacy
 Digital Storytelling & Podcasting
 Picasa/Flickr slideshows
 Acknowledge/Encourage students’ Web 2.0 digital
identity

50. Boundaries Blurring
(between e-portfolios & social networks)
• Structured
Accountability
Systems? or…
• Lifelong interactive portfolios
Picasa
Facebook
blogs
Mash-ups Flickr
YouTube
wikis Ning
Twitter

51. Social networks
• last five years
–store documents and share
experiences,
–showcase accomplishments,
–communicate and collaborate
– facilitate employment searches

52. Processes
Social
Portfolio Networking Technology
Collection Connect Archiving
(“Friending”)
Selection Linking/Thinking
Listen
Reflection (Reading) Digital Storytelling
Direction/Goals Respond
Collaborating
(Commenting)
Presentation
Share
Publishing
Feedback (linking/tagging)
52

53. Portfolios can help learners
find their Voice…
and explore their
Purpose and Passions
through Choice!

54. HOW?

55. Expressive vs.
Structured Models

56. Why Web 2.0?
Access from Anywhere!
Interactivity!
Engagement!
Lifelong Skills!
Mostly FREE!
All you need is an <EMBED> Code

57. Mobile Web is becoming the
Personal Learning Environment
of the “Net Generation”
Learning that is…
oSocial and Participatory
oLifelong and Life Wide
oIncreasingly Self-Directed
oMotivating and Engaging
o… and Online all the time!

58. Think!
Engagement
Factors?
Social networks?
ePortfolios?

59. Is the Future
of ePortfolio
Development
in your Pocket?
• “Capture the Moment” – Reflection in the
Present Tense
• What am I learning at this moment?
• Using the tools in our pockets!

60. With iOS
(iPod Touch,
iPhone, iPad)
Text
Images
Audio
CAPTURE THE
Video MOMENT

61. Reflection with WordPress App

62. Post to from Mobile
Phones
• Send email to pre-arranged email
address
• Use BlogPressiOS app ($2.99)
• Set up Blogger Mobile and
send SMS

63. Blogging* by eMail
*the act of sharing yourself
Tumblr Posterous
• Set up account on website • Just email to
• Send email to: post@posterous.com
myaccount.tumblr.com • iPhone App
• iPhone App • Cross-post to Facebook&
• Call in your posts for audio Twitter
post to blog
• Cross-post to Facebook&
Twitter

64. Learning is a Conversation!
E-portfolios should be
more Conversation
than Presentation
Because Conversation transforms!

66. Twitter
micro-blogging
“tiny bursts of learning”

67. What about Motivation?
Why would a student want to put all
that work into developing an ePortfolio?
How do we make it relevant?

68. Similarities in Process
• Major differences:
– extrinsic vs.
– intrinsic motivation
• Elements of True
(Intrinsic) Motivation:
– Autonomy
– Mastery
– Purpose

69. Pink’s Motivation Behavior
Type X - Extrinsic
• fueled more by extrinsic
X
rewards or desires
(Grades?)
Type I – Intrinsic
• Behavior is self-directed. I

70. Successful websites = Type I
Approach
 People
feel good
about
participating.
 Give users
autonomy.
 Keep system as open as possible.
- Clay Shirky

71. Autonomy &ePortfolios
–Choice
–Voice
–Sharing
–Feedback
–Immediacy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenturamon/342946821/

72. Mastery &ePortfolios
• Exhilaration in Learning
• Sports? Games?
• Compliance vs.
Personal Mastery
• Open Source movement
(Wikipedia vs. Encarta)
• Make a contribution

73. Mastery &ePortfolios
 ePortfolio:
 Flow
 Showcasing
Achievements
 Increased self-awareness and self-
understanding
“Only engagement can produce Mastery.”
(Pink, 2009, p.111)

74. FLOW
• a feeling of energized focus
(Csíkszentmihályi)
• Creativity

75. Student Engagement!
 CQ + PQ > IQ (Friedman, 2006)
[Curiosity + Passion > Intelligence]
 Find voice and passions through
choice and personalization!
 Portfolio as Story
 Positive Digital Identity
Development - Branding
 “Academic MySpace”

76. USE E-PORTFOLIOS TO
DOCUMENT MASTERY

77. Purpose &ePortfolios
• Relevance
• Big picture
• Engagement

78. Good Question…

79. Because Purpose and Passion
Co-Exist

80. Help students find
their Purpose and Passion
through Reflection &
Goal-Setting in
E-Portfolio Development

81. Digital Tools
for Reflection
Reflective Journal
(Blog)
Digital Storytelling
and Engagement

82. Self-Regulated Learning
Abrami, P., et. al. (2008), Encouraging self-regulated learning through electronic portfolios. Canadian Journal of
Learning and Technology, V34(3) Fall 2008. http://www.cjlt.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/viewArticle/507/238
Captions/Journals
Blog
Mobiles
What?
Now What?
So What?
Blog Pages Web Sites

83. Do Your e-Portfolios have
CHOICE and VOICE?
• Individual
Identity
• Reflection
• Meaning Making
• 21st Century Literacy
• Digital Story of Deep Learning

84. Voice
6+1 Trait® Definition
• Voice is the writer coming through the
words, the sense that a real person is
speaking to us and cares about the message.
It is the heart and soul of the writing, the
magic, the wit, the feeling, the life and
breath. When the writer is engaged
personally with the topic, he/she imparts a
personal tone and flavor to the piece that is
unmistakably his/hers alone. And it is that
individual something–different from the
mark of all other writers–that we call Voice.
• http://educationnorthwest.org/resource/503#Voice

85. Portfolio as Story
"A portfolio tells a story.
It is the story of knowing. Knowing
about things... Knowing oneself...
Knowing an audience... Portfolios are
students' own stories of what they
know, why they believe they know it,
and why others should be of the same
opinion.”
(Paulson & Paulson, 1991, p.2)

86. Roger Schank, Tell Me a Story
“Telling stories and listening to other
people's stories shape the memories
we have of our experiences.”
Stories help us organize our experience
and define our sense of ourselves.

87. From Mead School District’s Student
Portfolio Handbook:
Remember, you are telling us a
story, and not just any story.
Your portfolio is meant to be
your story of your life over the
last four years as well as the
story of where your life might
be going during the next four
years: tell it with pride!

88. Digital Storytelling Process
• Create a 2-to-4 minute digital video clip
– First person narrative
[begins with a written script ~ 400 words]
– Told in their own voice [record script]
– Illustrated (mostly) by still images
– Music track to add emotional tone

90. A Reminder…
Reflection & Relationships
… the “Heart and Soul” of an e-
portfolio…
NOT the Technology!
90

91. My Final Wish…
• dynamic celebrations
• stories of deep learning
• across the lifespan

92. My Story

93. DR. HELEN BARRETT
@EPORTFOLIOS
Researcher & Consultant
Electronic Portfolios & Digital Storytelling for Lifelong and Life Wide Learning
eportfolios@gmail.com
http://electronicportfolios.org/
http://slideshare.net/eportfolios
https://sites.google.com/site/mportfolios/