e-Portfolios

e-Portfolios

The premise of this strand of Bridges CETL’ work was that e-Portfolios could help support the delivery of an integrated skills-rich and employability focused curriculum by:

• Enabling students to gather evidence of learning from a variety of sources (academic, workplace and personal);
• Supporting development over an extended time period;
• Providing an evidence base for review by tutors, employers and others;
• Enabling distance travelled to be observed as well as the demonstration of specified outcomes.

The evidence from a range of activities sponsored by the Bridges is that, in the right circumstances, e-portfolios can achieve these outcomes – and more!

Before the BREO system and PebblePad platform were launched, the University trialed e-portfolios via Blackboard. The trial showed the value of e-portfolios but raised some concerns about the use of the system. With the support of Bridges CETL, the University piloted and implemented PebblePad.

Staff perspective on e-portfolios

The following perspective on e-portfolios was presented by Dr Andrea Raiker and Lesley Lawrence at the UoB Bridging the Gaps 2010 Conference:

E-portfolios supporting and structuring PDP processes can enable transformative learning resulting in reformed knowledge leading to new structures of thought, affecting esteem and efficacy. However, if used inappropriately they can reinforce negative perceptions and hinder learning.

Read more about the perspective in Andrea's paper - see resources section below.

Feedback from students on e-portfolios

• "E-portfolios are getting you organised, all your thoughts and ideas about what you really want and being able to generate an excellent CV."
• "Electronic format and the presentation will encourage me to develop PDP."
• "I think it is (very useful) actually because you can see how you are developing yourself and you can see week by week what you have been doing as well."
• "I can use the e-portfolio to apply up for jobs because these days some jobs do want an online portfolio and I have never had one before this, so I have now got one."
• "It is fantastic I do enjoy publishing my work in e-portfolios because it is easy and accessible whenever I need it."

Resources

• Raiker, A. (2009) - 'A personalised approach to improving students' learning outcomes'. In C. Nygaard & C. Holtham (eds.). Improving Students' Learning Outcomes. Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School Press (view PDF);
• Gaitan, A., Manton, R. & Jankowska, M. (2007), Piloting e-Portfolios project report (view PDF);
• Article about the UoB initial pilot of e-portfolios: Gaitan, A., Manton, R. & Jankowska, M. (2008) - Moving forward from piloting e-portfolios: applying the lessons learnt to wider adoption, CRA 'PDP & ePortfolio Newsletter', click on Issue 15;
• Raiker, A. (2008), e-Portfolios and Staff Development project report (view PDF);
• Story of a UoB graduate - benefits of e-portfolios (view PDF);
• The PDP, e-Portfolios and PebblePad at the University of Bedfordshire report by Peter Norrington, CETL e-PDP Development Officer (view PDF).