Activity+5

According to Meyer, Wade, Pillay, Idan, and Abrami (2010), “An electronic portfolio is a digital container capable of storing visual and auditory content including text, images, video and sound” (p. 1). In today’s world of e-learning, electronic portfolios are becoming prevalent in K-12 education. As Karagiorgi and Symeou (2005) share, e-portfolios, in the K-12 arena, help provide us with a model that supports the learning process with a focus on accountability. This electronic storage tool provides insight and reflection while capturing transparency through the use embedded strategies and structures. E-portfolios can support how users learn, progress, and grow over time, and are quite versatile enabling students and faculty to incorporate a number of purposes (Gautreau & Ahmed, 2008). Students can use e-portfolios to create a self-contained web page that displays evidence of their learning competencies and abilities for courses, graduation requirements, and future and current employers (Mueller, 2005; Gautreau &Ahmed, 2008). Teachers can use e-portfolios to compile their course syllabi, current curriculum vitae, and professional or personal information. Work related projects can be created in a web based format that staff can quickly email and share with others (Gautreau &Ahmed, 2008). In addition, faculty members can use e-portfolios to demonstrate progress for the retention, tenure, and promotion process.

While e-portfolios have numerous uses, perhaps one of the most significant values is its ability to capture assessment authentically. Authentic assessment is a form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world responsibilities that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills (Mueller, 2005). Authentic assessment can easily be associated with project-based learning and John Dewey’s theory of "learning by doing." For assessment purposes, e-portfolios can be used as examples of students’ authentic activity and are especially useful for formative purposes, showing progress over time (Mueller, 2005). These sentiments are also reflected in constructivism and constructionism. Like important elements linked to constructivism and constructionism, portfolios must be personally meaningful for individuals to become engaged in the learning process (Grant, 2002). Evaluation from the constructivist perspective examines the thinking process. Constructivist designers assume that every learner has a unique perspective (Karagiorgi & Symeou, 2005). Therefore, e-portfolios support pedagogical processes that including reflecting on one’s own learning and providing feedback to peers to stimulate their own reflections (Meyer et al., 2010). E-portfolios should be considered an educational resource, the principal goal of which is to provide evidence for, and evaluate the progress made by a student during his or her learning process (Barbera, 2009).

**References **

Barbera, E., Almirall, M., Ahumada, M., & Mora, J. (2009). The practical application of e-portfolio at the open university of catalonia: Assessment of competence based learning. Retrieved from http://www.eife-l.org/publications/proceedings/ilf07/Contribution134_a.doc.pdf

Gautreau, C., & Ahmed, S. (2008). Blackboard management and professional development strategies to agument teaching and learning. //Journal of Online Learning and Teaching//, //4//(3). Retrieved from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol4no3/gautreau_0908.htm

Grant, M. (2002). Getting a grip on project-based learning: Theory, cases, and recommendations. //Computer Technologies//, //5//(1). Retrieved from http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/win2002/514/project-based.pdf

Karagiorigi, Y., & Symeou, L. (2005). Traslating constructivism into instructional design: Potential and limitations. //Educational Technology and Society//, //8//(1), 17-/27.

Meyer, E., Wade, A., Pillay, V., Idan, E., & Abrami, P. (2010). //Using Electronic Portfolios to Foster Communication in K-12 Classrooms" The Dynamic Classroom: Engaging Students in Higher Education//. Atwood. Retrieved from http://grover.concordia.ca/epearl/promo/en/download/Meyer_using_electronic_portfolios.pdf

Mueller, J. (2005). The authentic assessment toolbox: enhancing student learning through online faculty development. //Journal of Online Learning and Teaching//. Retrieved from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol1no1/mueller.htm