Introducing an e-Portfolio System
When introducing e-portfolios into your institution or to your students you need to consider the 'what's in it for me?' question that will be asked by both staff and students. Both groups need to be capable of using the software, perhaps in innovative ways, in order to get the most out of the system, and this does of course involve training.
They also need to be motivated to use the system - there has to be a reason for them to use it. The system itself needs to be easy to use, seamless from one section to another and aimed at the learner. Early feedback from learners using such systems does seem to be very positive, so the signs are good. To quote from a school student - 'you do more work, but it is less like lessons elsewhere in the school. This is more interesting, it is about yourself.'
To increase motivation, emphasise the process not the product (as the quote above shows). The extensive review carried out by Gough et al (The Effectiveness of Personal Development Planning for Improving Student Learning, 2003) showed that PDP can have a positive effect on learning and attainment, and student approaches to learning; you need to demonstrate/emphasise these to your learners in order for the benefits to be realised. Some of your students may not immediately recognise the value of PDP and so it may become a bit of a sales pitch in the early stages of use. Tutors will often engage with e-portfolios if they are using them themselves for PDP. Although research in this area is still emerging, there is a growing body of effective practice for you to draw upon. An example of implementation was given by Cochrane, Queensland University of Technology, at the e-Portfolio Conference 2005. They ran a pilot and then trialled with 4,000 learners prior to institutional roll-out. Many staff were sceptical at first but as they saw others using the e-portfolio system they started to use it themselves. They managed the implementation using a project management approach and view this approach as crucial to the success. A good practice model to follow can be found in our Project Management infoKit.
Your learners can be encouraged to store many different types of assets - from word documents to multimedia presentations. These can be used to evidence across modules or learning outcomes and so assist your learners to integrate their learning or take a holistic view of their learning. This can have storage space implications - sufficient space needs to be allocated so that learners do not become frustrated with a restricting system.
