Online Portfolios

Pros and Cons of Different Software, Services and Strategies

Based on my Online Portfolio Adventure, Fall 2004

My evaluation study of online software, services, or strategies

• Electronic Portfolio Org (http://electronicportfolios.org/myportfolio/versions.html)

• Under On-line Publications• To date, recreating my new

portfolio using 17 different software packages, services, or strategies

My advice

• When learning new tools, use familiar tasks

• When learning new tasks, use familiar tools

What is the State of the Art of e-Portfolio Development?

• Publishing environments:– Optical media (CD-R, DVD-R)

– WWW

• Authoring environments:– Common Tools

– Customized Systems

Common Desktop Toolswith hyperlinks

• Office - Word, Excel, Powerpoint

• Hypermedia authoring tools - HyperStudio

• Adobe Acrobat

• HTML Editors - Front Page, Dreamweaver, Netscape/Mozilla Composer

• Multimedia AuthoringMacromedia Director & Flash, Ezedia

Online Portfolio Tools• HTML editors plus web server space

– Netscape/Mozilla Composer, Geocities

• Blogging tools - include entry categories– Movable Type, WordPress, BlogWave Studio

• Online Content Management Systems (CMS)

– Userland Manila, Blackboard CMS

• Open Source Software - Plone (Zope), PHP/MySQL

Online Portfolio Tools• Customized Commercial Systems

- Higher Ed– General Hi-Ed: nuVentive’s iWebfolio, ePortaro– Teacher Ed: LiveText, TaskStream, FolioTek,

McGraw-Hill’s FolioLive, Chalk & Wire

• Customized ePortfolio Tools developed in-house– Maricopa CC, PLP (Vermont Institutes),

MNSCU/AveNet, Alverno DDP, Johns Hopkins, IUPUI Epsilen, UWashington,,

• Open Source ePortfolio - OSPI (rSmart/UMN), others in development

Online Portfolio Tool Characteristics

• Custom-designed Electronic Portfolio Systems- (A) system includes database to align artifacts to standards

• Free Server Space• Open Source Software• Commercial Software - primary market: Higher Ed,

Teacher Ed, PK-12, Any• Content Management System (CMS)• Web Log Software or Online Journals - “Blogs”• License agreement with - individual or institution• Hosting - Hosted: resides on a centralized server; Server:

software installed or data stored on own server space• Cost & Storage space available

Conclusions

• Too early to judge• Scales applied to each system

- “Trade-offs” - “Balance”– Creativity– Ease of Use– Cost/Storage & ROI– Features– Flexibility/Customization Allowed– Integration with Assessment System– Transfer & technology skill development

• “They each exhibit trade-offs between the flexibility inherent in an HTML-based tool with the relative ease-of-use but lack of creativity in a system built on a data-base.”

The Process

Portfolio ProcessesTraditional

• Collecting

• Selecting

• Reflecting

• Directing• Celebrating

+ Technology

• Archiving• Linking/Thinking

• Storytelling

• Collaborating

• Publishing

Digital Tools for Reflection

Blogs and Wikis

What is a blog?

• Abbreviation for “web log” which is an online journal organized in reverse chronological order…the most recent entry on top

• Emerging into the mainstream in the last 18 months

• Very popular with adolescent girls

• Free, open source and commercial tools available

Blogs* in Education*Web logs=online journals

• WebBlog (http://www.weblogg-ed.com/)

What is a “wiki”

• Hawaiian term for “quick”• A tool for collaborative writing• Anyone who reads a wiki page

can click the EDIT button and add or edit text

• Another “older” technology that is emerging into common use.

Planning Questions

Planning Worksheet

Handout

• Page 1

What is the purpose of the portfolio?

Show growth over time

Document ongoing learning and professional development

Assessment – achievement of standards or goals

Employment (Marketing)

Other:_______________________________

Who are the various audiences for the portfolio?

Student

Parent

College

Faculty

Potential employer

What kind of technology does the primary audience have access to?

• VCR

• Floppy Diskette

• Hard Disk Drive

• LAN Server

• CD-R/W

• WWW Server

• DVD Player

What hardware and software do you

have / how often do you have access?

• Computers (how many)– RAM– Storage space– Connections (USB, firewire)– CD or DVD recorders

• Digital cameras

• Video cameras

How often will students have access to technology?• Daily

• Two or three days a week

• Every week

How can you leverage the technologies students own?• Accessibility from home computers

• Connectivity with cell phones & PDAs (digital images, reflections)

• What about video storage or streaming?

• Other technologies?

Competencies

Student Portfolio Competencies

• Collect evidence of learning• Select specific evidence the demonstrates a

particular outcome, goal or standard• Reflect metacognitively on learning

represented in evidence, making a case that the artifacts constitute evidence of achievement

• Make connections in their learning• Set goals for future learning

Faculty Portfolio Competencies

• Model all of student competencies PLUS:• Implement classroom-based assessment

FOR learning strategies• Provide specific and detailed feedback to

learners about their learning• Support student reflection through modeling

and research-based practices• Create an environment that facilitates

students' deep learning

Technology skills

• File Management Skills (i.e., naming files, organizing in folders, able to move and copy files, search and find files on a network folder, a hard drive or a CD-ROM)

• Converting artifacts into digital format (i.e., scanning images, recording audio, digitizing video, depending on technological background or teacher or student)

Online Tools

Handout of Technology Decisions

• Page 2

Storage for Digital Archive or Working Portfolio

LAN-based Server

WWW-accessible Servero Space Allocation ____ MB

o In-house

o Out-sourced

Formats for Digital Artifacts

Text (.txt, .htm)

MS Office (.doc, .ppt, .xls)*

Graphics/Images (.gif, .jpg)

Sound (.aiff, .wav, ra, .mp3)

Video (.mov, .avi, .wmv)

Acrobat (.pdf)

Inspiration (.ins)*

eZedia (.zoi)**

Common Tools

MS Office*Database (Filemaker Pro, Access)NoteTaker*Inspiration* or Kidspiration*eZedia**iPhoto*iMovieWeb Page EditorKidPix*AppleWorks*

IT Online Customized System

• In-house development• Open Source Portfolio Tools• Commercial System

– TaskStream– LiveText– Chalk & Wire– ePortaro– FolioTek– McGraw-Hill Folio Live– iWebFolio by nuventive

Common tools used for constructing portfolios

• Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)• Web page Editor and Web Browser• E-Mail Program, including attaching files• A simple graphics editor to scan and/or resize

images• A simple digital video editing program to add

digital stories to portfolio

Formats for Publishing Presentation Portfolio

• CD-ROM

• DVD

• Videotape

• WWW

• Secure WWW Server hosted:– In-house– Commercial Server

Archiving

• Format *– Acrobat PDF– HTML/XML

* Archival formats approved by the Library of Congress: ASCII Text (web pages) and Acrobat (PDF)

• Medium– CD-ROM

– DVD

– WWW server

Pros and Cons of Tools Explored

Fall 2004

HTML Editors

• Mozilla Composer

• Dreamweaver

• Front Page

• Pros:– Creativity

• Cons:– lack of support– Security/Password– Requires higher skill

level– Cost– Require Server

Open Source Tools

• Mozilla Composer

• Plone CMS

• Open Source Portfolio (OSPI)

• WordPress (blog)

• Pros:– free

• Cons:– lack of support– Security– Lack of creativity

(OSPI)– Require server

Free Web Site Builder with Free Web Space

• Geocitieswww.geocities.com

• Tripodtripod.lycos.com

• Pros– Free– Some design tools

• Cons– Lack of support– Ad supported– Security/password

Commercial (Teacher Ed)(all hosted)

• TaskStream

• LiveText

• Chalk & Wire

• FolioTek

• FolioLive

• Pros– Security/Password– Support– Database backend– Tie artifacts to outcomes/

goals or standards

• Cons– Cost– Lack of Creativity

Commercial (Higher Ed)

• Blackboard

• Nuventive’s iWebFolio

• ePortaro

• Pros– Security/Password– Support– Database backend– Tie artifacts to outcomes/

goals or standards

• Cons– Cost– Lack of Creativity

Content Management Systems

• Manila

• Plone

• Blackboard

• Pros– Intuitive Interface– Control over publishing

content– Security-Password

• Cons– Cost (except Plone)– Server required

Blog Software

• Movable Type

• WordPress

• Pros– Intuitive Interface– Focus on reflection– Popular tool

• Cons– Server required– Chronological order

Home-Grown Customized Systems

• Maricopa CC’s MyEport

• Vermont Institute’s PLP

• MNSCU (AveNet) eFolio Minnesota

• Snoqualmie SD (MGT)

• Pros– Created for portfolio

purpose– Tie artifacts to

outcomes/ goals or standards

• Cons– Cost (varies)– Lack of creativity

Helen C. Barrett, Ph.D.Research Director

The REFLECT Initiative

A research project to assess the impact of electronic portfolios on student learning, motivation and engagement in high schools