ePortfolio for the 21st century…

When you ask people about possible uses of an ePortfolio (electronic portfolio), more often than not words such as ‘folder’, ’container’ or ‘files’ are bandied about. But there is more to an ePortfolio than its being a digital collection of one’s work. In the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands and Australia, for example, ePortfolios serve a range of purposes and audiences, and are implemented using different software tools to promote personal and professional development in a variety of contexts.

At the ELC, the ePortfolio is used as a tool to help students’ organize and showcase their independent English language learning efforts. Since September 2007, the ELC ePortfolio has been introduced to over 900 PolyU students, involving over 40 ELC teachers in credit-bearing and non-credit-bearing language subjects, as well as in English-enriched activities such as the English Award Scheme and the Centre for Independent Language Learning (CILL) ePortfolio Competition.

As the ELC continues to explore effective ePortfolio practice to support independent English language learning, it might be useful to strip our thinking back to two guiding questions.

What makes an ePortfolio?

An ePortfolio is the product created by the learner, a collection of digital evidence articulating experiences, achievements and learning. An ePortfolio is also the process of learning, where the presentation of the product involves planning, sharing, self-monitoring, reflecting, receiving and responding to feedback.

How can an ePortfolio help learners address challenges in the 21st century?

Our students will graduate into a world that moves quickly and unpredictably, with emphasis on the need to work in collaborative teams, and to be adept at rapid innovation in response to a highly competitive market. There is emerging evidence from research of the value of developing ePortfolios that may help to address these challenges through provision of support in four key areas:

English language learning: through additional opportunity to collaborate and interact with teachers, peers, and others outside class in English, and to track progress and achievement in English proficiency over time
Learning: generating profound forms of learning through reflection, self-evaluation and incorporation of feedback into learning
Transition: through demonstrating a rich portrait of learners’ aspirations and accomplishments on application for admission to study or work, and in preparation for new and unpredictable situations
Professional development: providing a range of source materials as evidence of success for prospective employers, staff appraisal or development review, or professional accreditation

Looking ahead…
The ELC ePortfolio will continue to play a key role in a number of upcoming initiatives, providing a modern, web-based forum in which students can demonstrate their level of English in a format that has high utility value. These include:

• Secondary school gifted students - the ePortfolio will be used in summer 2010 and 2011
• The Department of Health Technology and Informatics is planning to introduce the ePortfolio for its students
• With effect from 2010/11, students studying ELC3505will be able to get a bonus mark if they complete the ePortfolio. This is funded by the Teaching and Learning Development Grant 
• The CILL Gold Award will be using the ePortfolio
• The New Media Literacies CAR proposal plans to utilize the ePortfolio
• New ELC language subjects such as Practical English for University Students and English for   University Students are planning to incorporate it
• Students taking the Reading and Writing Literacy courses will have the option of showcasing  their work through the ePortfolio

If you are interested to find out more about the ELC ePortfolio, visit:
http://eportfolio.elc.polyu.edu.hk
username: demot1   (log on as ‘teacher’)
password: demopwd
Or
username: demos1 (log on as ‘student’)
password: demopwd