Exploring the potential of ePortfolios for student learning and assessment

Online Workshop Description

Paper-based portfolios have been used in education for many years. In recent times the electronic portfolio or eportfolio has emerged as a preferred option, allowing portfolio owners to take advantage of digital technologies, often supported by specific eportfolio software. This workshop is being offered in order to raise awareness of the educational potential of ePortfolios and guide further investigation of the subject.

The workshop will introduce the concept of ePortfolios and examine their use in various contexts with special focus on the use of an ePortfolios for assessment. In the context of assessment, we will examine a range of issues including:

• The benefits of using ePortfolios for assessment
• Ensuring academic honestly and prevent plagiarism in ePortfolios
• Using ePortfolios for peer review and peer assessment
• Ensuring security and privacy of ePortfolios

The workshop will examine a number of case studies which will highlight common uses of ePortfolios in the higher education context before examining a range of software options which academics may use in implementing ePortfolios in their teaching practice.

Dr Helen Barrett's Brief Biography

In 2005, Dr. Helen Barrett retired from the faculty of the College of Education at the University of Alaska Anchorage and is now living in the Seattle area. She has been researching strategies and technologies for electronic portfolios since 1991, publishing a website (http://electronicportfolios.org), chapters in several books on Electronic Portfolios, and numerous articles. She was on loan to the International Society for Technology in Education between 2001 and early 2005, providing training and technical assistance on electronic portfolios for teacher education programs throughout the U.S. under a federal PT3 grant. In 2005, Dr. Barrett became the Research Project Director for The REFLECT Initiative, a two-year research project, underwritten by TaskStream, to assess the impact of electronic portfolios on student learning, motivation and engagement in secondary schools.

Dr. Barrett is currently doing research for a book on Interactive ePortfolios to be published online. She has been an adjunct faculty member for Seattle Pacific University, where she taught about Issues and Advances in Educational Technology. Her international consulting focuses on the integration of ePortfolios for Learning and Digital Storytelling in K-12 schools and higher education. She is an Apple Distinguished Educator.

At the European ePortfolio Conference in Maastricht, October 2007, Dr. Barrett received the first EIFEL Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to ePortfolio research and development.

In 2011, Dr. Barrett established the REAL ePortfolio Academy for K-12 teachers, providing online courses for individuals and assessment/planning support for K-12 institutions.

Online environment

The seminar will be delivered using Adobe connect. Ticket holders will be sent an email prior to the event with instructions on joining the session.