Briefing Paper: E-portfolio technologies

The aim of this paper is to identify and describe key technical issues currently facing schools implementing e-portfolios now or in the future. This information will be used to facilitate discussion and provide context for the E-portfolio technologies activity within the DER Technical Standards for Education project. It is expected that the document will develop and grow with input and guidance from the focus group throughout the project.

For the purposes of this activity, an e-portfolio can be considered a tool for aggregating information about a learner, which could be used for a range of purposes such as facilitating reflection and collaboration, supporting learner transitions, and assessment. However, it is not the intention of this paper to provide an authoritative definition of what an e-portfolio is, and this working definition may evolve through the activity.


© Copyright 2009 University of Southern Queensland

Business drivers

  1. There is a growing awareness of the potential benefits for using e-portfolios in Australian schools and beyond
  2. A number of policy drivers at the Federal and state and territory levels call for more learner-centred approaches to education
  3. E-portfolios may be used to support students moving between schools and jurisdictions, or into further education and work

Interoperability challenges

During key transition points for learners (eg. From primary to secondary school) an e-portfolio may be used to facilitate the transition, requiring interoperability to be considered if the e-portfolio is moved from one system to another.

There may also be issues of interoperability with types of content used in e-portfolios. Such issues should inform the development of guidance for systems developers, students, teachers and others supporting the development of e-portfolios.

Another key interoperability challenge in the development and use of e-portfolios is with their structure. Semantic interoperability with regard to the structure and components of an e-portfolio may be important, particularly where an e-portfolio follows a learner from one context to another.

Interoperability with Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Higher Education (HE) is also an issue for consideration in supporting a life-long approach to e-portfolios. The Australian ePortfolio Project (HE) and the VET e-portfolio roadmap are both relevant national activities for further consultation and collaboration.

Scenario

The following scenarios present three situations which highlight the need for greater collaboration and technical interoperability with e-portfolio usage across the schools sector and beyond. A key pain-point for technical interoperability in e-portfolios is transitions from one context/system to another and two of the scenarios deal with this issue.

Changing schools

Jason is a grade 4 student whose family is moving from Queensland to South Australia. In collaboration with his teacher, peers and parents, Jason has been progressively using his e-portfolio to build up a picture of his learning experiences. His teachers have encouraged him to add examples of his work to his e–portfolio, and sometimes e-portfolio content is used for assessment purposes.

Jason’s e-portfolio has been a constant throughout the last four years of primary school and he is proud of his work. When he leaves his Queensland primary school, his teacher arranges for his e-portfolio to be archived and it is copied onto a flash drive. With permission from his parents, Jason’s new school in South Australia organises for his e-portfolio to be added to that primary school’s e-portfolio system. Once it has been uploaded, he is able to access it and continue using it as before. Jason shares it with his teacher, Mr Ferante which allows him to see Jason’s previous work and learning experiences.

Transitioning from primary to secondary school

At Watergardens Primary School, grade 6 students are supported to develop their e-portfolios to help them make the transition from primary to secondary school. This is facilitated by all grade 6 teachers, who support their students in recording information about their current learning as well as the expectations they have for their high school careers.

When the students start high school, they have the option of taking their e-portfolios with them to continue documenting their learning journey. Although the use of e-portfolios might vary from primary to secondary school, the ability for the learners to take evidence of their learning outcomes with them allows them to reflect on the transition process.

Learning and assessment

Mary and her friends are working on a project in year 10 environmental studies at Toowoomba State High School where they are monitoring a local creek for water quality and recording their findings. The students are required to record and track a wide range of variables including pH, temperature, phosphates and nitrates in collaboration with the Toowoomba local council. Like her peers, Mary is using her e-portfolio to progressively record her findings and to develop her assignment for final assessment.

Once finished, Mary grants her environmental studies teacher access to the Gowrie Creek Project section of her e-portfolio and is graded on the results. The grades themselves are stored in the school’s Student Management System as normal, and a copy of the final digital report is also archived by the school. Mary is able to access the grade assigned to her via the school’s Learning Management System which is integrated with the e-portfolio system through a single sign on.

Interoperability and technical analysis

Each of the scenarios described above have consequences for the technical systems and standards required to support them. These consequences raise challenges that require further investigation and collaboration. The recently released VET e-portfolio roadmap outlines 9 key national goals requiring national collaborative action. These goals also have relevance to the schools sector:

  1. Portability: Enable portable e-portfolios and associated content to effectively support learner transitions and lifelong learning.
  2. Verification: Enable electronic verification of educational qualifications, membership of professional associations or trade/occupational licensing information.
  3. Privacy: Ensure that personal data is protected and under the control of the e-portfolio owner.
  4. Ownership: Ensure key stakeholders, including e-portfolio owners (learners) and organisations hosting e-portfolios systems, understand their copyright and intellectual property (IP) obligations.
  5. Access control: Enable effective authentication methods for third parties seeking access to sensitive personal information.
  6. Infrastructure: Advocate the availability of sufficient web connectivity, appropriate access devices, and sufficient digital infrastructure.
  7. Storage: Establish a shared understanding of storage issues and requirements for e-portfolios in VET.
  8. Embedding: Establish a strategic approach to developing effective e-portfolio practice.
  9. Transitions: Promote e-portfolio good practice, which supports learner transitions and key national policy drivers such as RPL (recognition of prior learning) and fast-tracking apprenticeships.

E-portfolio portability

Through collaboration, better interoperability of e-portfolios and associated content is possible across the schools sector. For example, with a national curriculum, content in an e-portfolio could be tagged against the curriculum so that it could be more easily identified and found later. This can then be used when a student is moving between schools or jurisdictions.

Content formats used in an e-portfolio will have an impact on the longevity of the content. Simple guidelines and national agreement on content formats facilitates greater technical interoperability and supports longevity of e-portfolios.

Systems interoperability

Systems that host or support the development of e-portfolios need to facilitate the development of e-portfolios, which can be exported and used in other systems. E-portfolios themselves need to be able to utilise and enforce agreed access control policies. As there may be a requirement for learners to have access to their e-portfolio, systems should be able to export and import e-portfolios to facilitate portability. This is particularly important for supporting student transitions.

Relevant standards and specifications

There are a limited number of specifications that directly address e-portfolios, however a number of specifications are relevant to the e-portfolio domain.

E-portfolio specific

Content specific

Metadata


The Technical Standards for Digital Education project is funded by the Australian Government's Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

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