Electronic Portfolios Illuminate Learning

After examining a broad range of research on learning from a number of fields, the National Research Council (2000) had three key findings that it published in How People Learn (Bransford, J., 2000).
(1) it is critical for the educator to unearth students’ pre-conceived notions so they can challenge these constructions and help the learner build new levels of understanding;

(2) students must be able to organize knowledge in ways that facilitate its retrieval and application

(3) metacognition plays an important role in helping students take responsibility for their own learning.

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Key Findings Portfolio Assessment Electronic Portfolio Assessment

The teacher must understand what the learner knows and thinks.

Portfolios reveal many facets of students learning and thinking.

They contain artifacts that the student has included with captions to accompany them

The student has choice in selecting items to include to respond to a set of criteria

Eportfolios allow for multiple representations of artifacts and a richer selection of delivery modes.

Digital video, audio tracks, pictures, diagrams, text, scanned items, photographs can all be included.

Developmental portfolios permit formative feedback for a better understanding of the student.

Thinking is revealed through content, reflections and hyperlinks to associate artifacts and ideas.

The learner needs deep content and the ability to organize and retrieve information.

Student constructed portfolios teach the learner how to organize the artifacts they are presenting via categorization and a table of contents

Portfolios help students apply the content they have learned.

Eportfolios help organize to another level through linking of documents.

The organization doesn't not have to be linear but can connect and reconnect through hyperlinking to help students synthezise new ideas and understandings.

Web sites can easily be backed up and retreived from a number of locations.

A metacognitive approach helps students take responsibility for their own learning

Portfolios should have reflective pieces that encourage the student to think about their learning and explain to the audience how their artifacts relate to standardized criteria.

Eportfolios can be more easily shared either through media, internet or intranet servers. This offers a wider audience for feedback and growth.

It's easier to follow the developmental growth of the learner.

The ability to share portfolios electornically, facilitates the dissemination of models and ideas .

P O R T F O L I O S	Key Findings	Portfolio Assessment	Electronic Portfolio Assessment
	The teacher must understand what the learner knows and thinks.	Portfolios reveal many facets of students learning and thinking. They contain artifacts that the student has included with captions to accompany them The student has choice in selecting items to include to respond to a set of criteria	Eportfolios allow for multiple representations of artifacts and a richer selection of delivery modes. Digital video, audio tracks, pictures, diagrams, text, scanned items, photographs can all be included. Developmental portfolios permit formative feedback for a better understanding of the student. Thinking is revealed through content, reflections and hyperlinks to associate artifacts and ideas.
	The learner needs deep content and the ability to organize and retrieve information.	Student constructed portfolios teach the learner how to organize the artifacts they are presenting via categorization and a table of contents Portfolios help students apply the content they have learned.	Eportfolios help organize to another level through linking of documents. The organization doesn't not have to be linear but can connect and reconnect through hyperlinking to help students synthezise new ideas and understandings. Web sites can easily be backed up and retreived from a number of locations.
	A metacognitive approach helps students take responsibility for their own learning	Portfolios should have reflective pieces that encourage the student to think about their learning and explain to the audience how their artifacts relate to standardized criteria.	Eportfolios can be more easily shared either through media, internet or intranet servers. This offers a wider audience for feedback and growth. It's easier to follow the developmental growth of the learner. The ability to share portfolios electornically, facilitates the dissemination of models and ideas .