Abstract:

Digital technologies have become pervasive in education at all levels and educators need to embrace the use of technology to support teaching and learning (Skiba & Baron, 2006). Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios), defined as digital containers that are capable of displaying audio, graphical, and textual artifacts (Barrett, 2000), have become increasingly popular for use at the university level (Watson & Doolittle, 2011).

This can be attributed to their flexibility in purpose, including tracking learning, serving as a formative or summative assessment, presenting professional development, or a combination of these purposes (Barrett, 2000; Watson & Doolittle, 2011). The literature base on utilizing ePortfolios in teacher education is substantial and it is commonly cited that ePortfolios also provide many of the same benefits described above for teacher education candidates (Gibson & Barrett, 2002).

One method for alleviating faculty discomfort in such a transitional process is to adopt the use of a framework that provides a general roadmap for implementing ePortfolios. The framework was created to support those in the process or beginning the process of implementing ePortfolios in a higher education context by guiding them through key aspects of systemic innovation as it relates to ePortfolios (Blevins & Brill, 2014).

The first author has spent close to five years successfully designing and implementing an ePortfolio process with secondary level preservice teachers. The elementary education program still utilizes paper-based portfolios. The department now needs to fully transition all programs over to utilizing ePortfolios, which are completed and presented at the end of the student teaching experience. The first author wishes to utilize a more tangible framework in which to help guide others that will become involved with this transition.

This presentation will describe the ongoing process of transitioning one university’s teacher education program from paper-based portfolios to ePortfolios as it relates to the utilized ePortfolio implementation framework. Presenters will discuss the successes and opportunities for growth when bringing ePortfolios to an entire program within the liberal arts, private university context.

References:
[1] Barrett, H. C. (2000). Electronic portfolios = multimedia development + portfolio development: The electronic portfolio development process. Retrieved from http://www.electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/aahe2000.html
[2] Blevins, S. J. & Brill, J. M. (2014). Leveling the playing field: Using development research to create an ePortfolio implementation framework for educators. 2014 Proceedings from the American Association of Educational Research, Philadelphia, PA.
[3] Gatlin, L., & Jacob, S. (2002). Standards-based digital portfolios: A component of authentic assessment for preservice teachers. Action in Teacher Education, 23(4), 35-42.
[4] Gibson, D., & Barrett, H. (2002). Directions in electronic portfolio development. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 2(4), 556-573.
[5] Skiba, D. J., & Barton, A. J. (2006). Adapting your teaching to accommodate the net generation of learners. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 11(2), 15.
[6] Watson, C. E., & Doolittle, P. E. (2011). Eportfolio pedagogy, technology, and scholarship: Now and in the future. Educational Technology, 51(5), 29-33.

Keywords:

ePortfolio, Teacher Education.