A report on e-portfolios : design features, uses, benefits, examples & emerging trends

This paper gives a more sophisticated response to the rapid (re)emergence of the e­portfolio buzz­word. Starting from a basic e­portfolio design pattern, a wide range of variations are explored. The aim is to establish a body of knowledge for guiding users and technology providers, so as to achieve an ever­more appropriate and fruitful alignment of needs, designs, platforms and informed choices. The key benefits of e­portfolio approaches are discussed, with some coverage of the variations, and suggested research and development directions. Deep and persistent diversity­creating factors are highlighted. A range of mini case studies from Warwick are then examined to throw further light upon the combinations of real and perceived needs, platform affordances and design choices. Finally, this is a fast evolving field, especially given the near ­ubiquitous adoption of platforms with e­portfolio­like elements (Facebook, LinkedIn etc). Technology and academic support services must look further forwards to emerging practices and requirements just at the edge of the institutional­perceptual horizon. We must be prepared to shape these potentially disruptive developments for the benefit of students, teachers, the institution and society

The cart before the horse? Exploring the potential of ePortfolios in a Western Australian medical school

In 2014, the School of Medicine Fremantle of the University of Notre Dame Australia initiated a study to explore the curriculum underpinning portfolios used by first-year medical students. The School had used portfolios since 2005 and judged it timely to consider digital technologies as a mechanism to enhance student learning and improve efficiencies. A qualitative approach was adopted that investigated how the curriculum intersected with two ePortfolio platforms: Blackboard and Mahara. Data pertaining to the way in which Blackboard and Mahara ePortfolio platforms supported existing curriculum were collected from students through focus groups and tutors via interviews. As a measure of comparison, data were also collected from students and tutors who used the existing paper-based portfolio system. Findings confirmed that the curriculum should shape the way in which technology solutions are interpreted and implemented. It is posited that low-tech solutions are sometimes most appropriate for the curriculum context. However, exploring the potential of digital technologies helped the School to imagine other possibilities for curriculum renewal. Indeed, one outcome of the research was the development of a plan to re-invigorate portfolios, shifting the current task-based emphasis to one which recognizes the key role of reflection. The study may be of interest to teachers and managers seeking to explore ePortfolios as part of broader curriculum renewal initiatives

Implementing a Mobile Social Media Framework for Designing Creative Pedagogies

The rise of mobile social media provides unique opportunities for new and creative pedagogies. Pedagogical change requires a catalyst, and we argue that mobile social media can be utilized as such a catalyst. However, the mobile learning literature is dominated by case studies that retrofit traditional pedagogical strategies and pre-existing course activities onto mobile devices and social media. From our experiences of designing and implementing a series of mobile social media projects, the authors have developed a mobile social media framework for creative pedagogies. We illustrate the implementation of our mobile social media framework within the development of a new media minor (an elective set of four courses) that explicitly integrates the unique technical and pedagogical affordances of mobile social media, with a focus upon student-generated content and student-determined learning (heutagogy). We argue that our mobile social media framework is potentially transferable to a range of educational contexts, providing a simple design framework for new pedagogies

Pre-Service Language Teachers' Autonomous Language Learning with Web 2.0 Tools and Mobile Applications

Although the key role of utilizing Information and Communication Technology tools in foreign language learning and language teacher education is well-established in the literature, understanding the extent to which the student teachers of English are aware of and proficient in using ICT tools remains a key consideration. Therefore, this study was set out to investigate what Web 2.0 tools and mobile applications (henceforth apps) are used by student teachers in their personal and educational life. Consequently, this study, a) explored the familiarity of student teachers with available Web 2.0 tools and mobile apps, b) the frequency of the use of these tools, c) the aims of using these tools. The participants were 388 student teachers from two state universities in Turkey. The data were collected through a questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis of the questionnaire data and content analysis for the qualitative data. The findings revealed that most of the participants exhibited low degrees of familiarity and use towards the Web 2.0 tools and mobile apps. Results indicated that the most commonly used tools are the ones that contribute listening to and watching native and non-native English speakers. Moreover, student teachers do not know or use some technological tools such as corpus tools and virtual worlds, whose effects are well-established in the literature. One major implication of the results is that language teacher education programs offer a course on educational technology to student teachers of English

The Impact of Digital Portfolios on the Economics End of Course Assessment

Digital Portfolios, also known as electronic portfolios, became more visible in the educational landscape. This study employs a causal comparative design to assess the impact of web-based digital portfolios on seniors’ standardized economics assessment scores at a Metro Atlanta high school. The purpose of this study is to determine if students’ use of digital portfolios caused differences in economics end-of-course (EOC) assessment scores (dependent variable) between different groups of high school students (independent variables) across two years of implementation. Using the first-generation activity theory as the theoretical framework, the researcher frames the study as an activity system where the groups of high school seniors (subjects), digital portfolios (tools), and the objective is earning proficient scores on the economics EOC assessment. Data was collected from the spring 2018 and spring 2019 Georgia Milestones economics assessments and analyzed with a factorial ANOVA. The researcher found statistically significant differences between the mean economics EOC assessment scores of students who used digital portfolios in their economics classes compared to students who did not. Of the students who used digital portfolios, the researcher also found statistically significant differences between students enrolled in AP economics courses compared to students enrolled in regular economics courses and statistically significant differences between gifted and non-gifted students. Implications from the study could initiate a paradigm shift in the approach to purposefully fusing technology into secondary classrooms, especially economics classrooms. Furthermore, the findings of this study could create a demand for more research or training of specific technological strategies to support student learning in economics, preparation for end-of course tests, and other summative exams

Conference Program [2012]

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Perceptions of Technology in Dance Education: the Effect of Technology on Student Learning and Teaching Strategies of the Twenty-First Century Skills in Dance Education

The purpose of this study was to assist educators in understanding the advantages and disadvantages of using technology in a dance classroom to teach the twenty-firstcentury- skills of creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. This research evaluated perceptions of technology integration through the lens of fifty-four current dance educators with a goal of discovering the effects technology has on teaching strategies and student learning in a dance classroom. The research instrument used in this study was an electronic survey that included both quantitative and qualitative questions to analyze the data. The data suggested that current dance educators supported the use of technology in dance education, yet shared mixed reviews on when and how technology should be integrated in the dance classroom