ePortfolios at University of WollongongAn Australian Campus-wide Implementation

Presenter

• Ms Sarah Lambert

• Project Manager

• Student ePortfolio Project

• University of Wollongong, Australia

• Slambert@uow.edu.au

UoW and ePortfolios

• strategically exploring electronic portfolios since 2002

• Home-grown database product in 2002/03

• Recommendations to further explore build/buy options in 2004

2002/03 product

Many drivers

• Commitment to Graduate Attributes

• Employment trends

• Rise in Professional Skills, course accreditation

• Interest in ePortfolios to facilitate reflection on learning and the university experience

• AUQA

AUQA

• Australian University Quality Audit recommended pursuing ePortfolio to allow UoW to– “embed the Graduate Attributes into the

curriculum and into teaching and assessment practices” as well as draw on the individual’s whole of life experiences outside the curriculum.”

UoW approach

• Academic integration for quality uptake

• Focus on embedding in programs

• Focus on urgent discipline needs with external accreditation pressures– Discipline specific Professional Skills

• Look into offering an optional ‘open to any student’ ePortfolio later

ePortfolio tool

• Reviewed a range of products• Signed with Blackboard for Portfolio for Vista for

18 months– Tight integration with our LMS/VLE ie Vista– Enterprise wide solution, ITS support– Meets key criteria

• Can assign Qualities/Skills to files in ePortfolio• External and internal access for review• Management tools for customisation for Faculties/cohorts

Customisation

• ePortfolio template can have– Customised graphics for the discipline– Inventory of professional skills pre-loaded via

“goals” tool– Website structure of folders/areas pre-loaded

• includes a “how to use this ePortfolio” help module for students

Customised Goals

Reality Check: Problems

• Tool failed or performed poorly on some evaluation criteria

• Users aware of alternatives with better interfaces and editing capabilities– Eg PebblePad, open-source

• Will Blackboard be responsive to our needs?

• Will management be happy to renew our licence?

Feature Request Wishlist: Countdown

• Number 3– Problem: Weak constructivist learning tools– There is no ability to assign goals to journal

entries (reflective learning) nor any ability to structure the text entries via web-form

– Solution: Add ability to assign goals to journal entries

– Solution: Re-purpose Vista grading matrix (editable rows and column headings) as data entry option for journal tool

Feature Request Wishlist: Countdown

• Number 2– Problem: Too easy to NOT assign goals– Weak upload facility does not enforce tagging

with searchable metadata eg skills inventory from goals tool. This is another step, which may be forgotten/neglected. Extra/ongoing training required to get students to do it right.

– Solution: Add a setting/option for uploading files to make it mandatory to tag each item uploaded with at least one goal/skill at the time of upload.

Feature Request Wishlist: Countdown

• Number 1– Problem: Loss of ePortfolio when students

graduate– Export option prior to graduation not attractive

(significant GUI and functionality downgrade). Everybody wants access to ePortfolio after graduation.

– Solution: Cheap post-graduation hosting. Free ‘access key’ login for 12 months. Then annual hosting fee c AU$20 for unemployed, AU$50 for employed.

Where to next

• Mainstream ePortfolio service via regular eTeaching Support services at UoW– Increase uptake into academic programs and

Careers Service programs

• Australian survey of usage for national scoping study (Carrick funded: QUT, UoW, Uni of Melbourne, UNE)