Tech Play Assignment 2: Eportfolio Tools

REFLECTION

What is an Eportfolio and how would one create one?

• Collect items potential for use in the Eportfolio,

•  Select the pieces to be used,

• Reflect on what the items represent and if they are the correct artifacts to present, and

• Connect the items and evaluate what they represent and the message they convey as a collective representation for the portfolio.

Creating an Eportfolio is growing in popularity and very much a sign of our times, integrating education and technology. Today’s professionals are critical thinkers who are open to collaboration and evaluation of a person and their “knowledge”. Companies today are looking for individuals who can bring creativity and knowledge to an organization and I believe a Eportfolio is the best way for someone to showcase their prior work and abilities.

TECHNOLOGY AFFORDANCES

As a graduate student pursuing a MS in Organization, Learning, and Technology I see great value in a portfolio. I chose this field of study to help develop a mindset that will allow me to keep up with the use of technology in the classroom. Eportfolios are on track to become the center of student assessment in our technologically centered world and learning how to use and integrate technologies such as an Eportfolio are crucial to prepare students for the workplace which is moving in the same direction. 

Eportfolios are a great tool for assessment verses a test or traditional type activity. Some students’ never fair well on an exam or standard assessment and a portfolio allows for other means of assessing the student and their abilities. Test, assessments and other forms of identifying a student's ability all have their place, but portfolios in my opinion, provide the most holistic assessment of one's abilities. 

Physical paper portfolios remain stagnant and are limited to the size of the paper.  While it provides future employers with a snapshot of experience, it limits the details one can provide to a future employer.

Google Sites is one of the most commonly known and recommended platforms for educators.  Students can use it to create and host their own digital portfolios. The site is simple and easy to use and they can set up their new website within minutes- for free, with a Google account. They can create as many pages as they want, then upload their content, and share with others. 

CONTEXT

If I were an instructor, I would introduce my students to as many technology resources as possible and allow them to decide what best suits their preferred method of content delivery (within reason). Ideally, I would select a few platforms to begin with, assign students to research a digital Eportfolio of their choosing and then collectively discuss the pros/cons, the affordances each allow and which are best suited for which specific situations. Lastly, they would design a final digital Eportfolio and outline why they selected that specific platform.

In other contexts, I think the affordances of print versus digital as well as platforms really depends on the individual and his or her requirements, or perceived requirements. After hours of researching various Eportfolios platforms, I realize that even my own requirements change depending on what information I think I want to add and I haven’t even begun to consider what I plan to do with it. For example, if someone wanted to include a document with an audio recording, unfortunately, the free version of Wix would not permit me to upload an audio file.

CREATE SOMETHING

While I am not instructional faculty, through this assignment, I have thought of several ways the faculty I oversee could use Eportfolios in the classroom to enhance the students learning, as well as showcase their knowledge for future employers.  I specifically saw great benefit for the entry-level workforce education training programs.  The use of an EPortfolio in the Patient Care Technician and Industrial Maintenance Technician training programs would give the students the opportunity to share the technical skills they have learned throughout the entirety of the program. 

For example, the Patient Care Technician (PCT) training program encompasses three components- EKG, Phlebotomy and Nurse Aide skills.  The Eportfolio creation could be given as an early assignment in the training program and students would have the ability to build upon it throughout the program- it would provide an overall Augmentation.  The PCT students could share the proficiency in blood draws through picture or video, share personal experiences of their clinicals and provide reflection about why they chose the healthcare field.  It would be an encompassing document the instructor could use as an end of course grade AND share with future employers.

The Industrial Maintenance Technician training program is heavily skill based. Students are guided through a six course series of classes, all building upon the other, with the last course focusing upon Workplace Skills and Employment.  While it would take an extended coordination of effort from instructors, beginning with the first course, while the assignment would technically be and assignment for the Workplace Skills and Employment course, the students could upload copies of their OSHA 10 certifications, share a video of a completed electrical circuit relay, and upload an example of a PLC program they wrote.  They each course they successfully complete, the student could showcase the highlights of the instructional material they mastered.  The development of the Eportfolio would essentially replace a traditional resume, previously created in the Workplace Skills and Employment course. This example would serve as a Modification in assignments in order to transform learning.