ACTIVITY THEORY WEB-BASED STUDENT PORTOFOLIO
H.M. AL-HAMADI
N. AL-OTAIBI ∗ ∗
∗
H. AL-OUD ∗ ∗ ∗
Abstract: Students Portfolios are used to students growth, developments, and accomplishments. They
are used to develop and maintain students artifacts during their four-year program of study, as well as
for assessment and evaluation. Students collect, compile and store their significant work and evidences
of their academic growth and performance in their portfolios. The students portfolios provide an
alternative assessment approach that assists students to engage in an active learning experience that
encompasses self-learning and reflections. However, without a web-based capabilities, students not
only deprived from taking advantages of the recent technology but also lack the online collaboration
and assistance from their instructors and advisors. This paper explains the importance of collaboration
and guidance for students learning and cognitive development using Vygotsky’s activity theory. It
emphasizes the significance of student web-based portfolio as a collaboration instrument. The active
theory methodology is utilized to design the web-based portfolio for students collaborative and
constructive learning.
Keywords: Student portfolio, Web-based portfolio, Outcome-based portfolio, Electronic portfolios,
Activity theory, Collaboration, Web-based application, Outcome-based assessment, Outcome-based
learning.
I.
INTRODUCTION
The college for Women at Kuwait University utilizes portfolio assessment and evaluation in
addition to other evaluation methods to enhance the outcome-based educational programs in the
college. This paper presents a design of student’s web-based portfolio using activity theory for
collaborative learning. The main objective of using activity theory is to design and implement webbased student portfolio as a collaborative instrument that promotes electronic teaching/learning
process in order to achieve college and program outcomes. This web-based student portfolio provides
an online educational collaborative environment that is shared by all who are concerned with the
educational process. It allows convenient global access of information through the Internet and serves
as an interactive tool for the student’s continuous self-learning and reflection. The beneficiary
community of this system are the students, instructors, supervisors, mentors, portfolio committee
member, program evaluators and accreditation reviewers.
The College for Women at Kuwait University exploits students’ portfolios for outcome-based
education. Outcome-based education introduces an exceptional challenge to both students, instructors,
and program evaluators. With outcome-based education students experienced difficulties and
frustration understanding various college outcomes, program outcomes, and course outcomes.
Moreover, each outcome is subdivided into fragments or sub-outcomes called indicators. A
fundamental requisite and objective for student portfolio preparation in the College for Women at
Kuwait University is to that students are required to understand and classify their artifact according to
the various outcomes and indicators. This requirement necessitate an active and continuous online
guidance and assistance from faculty, instructors, mentors, and supervisors. Several students
expressed their frustration of their hard journey building up their outcome-based portfolios.
Therefore, the implementation of a web-based student portfolio system is necessary to facilitate
classifying artifacts according to outcomes and to act as a mediation tool by which students
communicate with their portfolio advisors and instructors.
It is obvious those ABET learning outcomes such as the one described [1] is not only demanding
superior technical skills but also emphasizing skills and abilities communicate effectively and engage in
a continuing professional development. ABET requires that the learning outcomes must be assessed
based on collected data. The collected data is used to demonstrate the fulfillment of the student skills
and applied to further development and improvement of the program. A student portfolio is one of the
evidences that illustrate various student skills and multi-dimensional assessment.
The Information Science Department is one of the departments of College for Women at Kuwait
University that adopts outcome-based education in three hierarchal levels: college, program, and course.
On the college level, general college courses are required to achieve certain outcomes that are important
to both the college and university missions. The program outcomes are on par with ABET outcomes as
provided by the ABET accreditation criteria for computing programs which are directly related to the
program objectives. On the course level, each course is structured to achieve a set of outcomes particular
to the course and is mapped to the program and the college outcomes. One of the core courses required
by all programs in the college is “student portfolio”. Continuously, each student collects artifacts of her
course work and extra curricula activities in a portfolio that reflect her achievements and illustrates her
learning progress and accomplishments. The students are educated and prepared to deal with outcomebased education. Each course instructor consistently includes the course outcomes and their relation to
the program and college outcomes in the course syllabus and continually explains and connects course
material to the various course outcomes.
Students’ portfolios are collected and accumulated with time. The overwhelming volume and
the tremendous time required by students to organize their portfolios according to outcomes, necessitate
the use of an electronic web-based portfolio system. This helps instructors and mentors in assessing
portfolios and simplifies extraction of important information for assessing program and college
outcomes. It provides a structured framework by which students and mentors communicate, reflect and
improve the educational learning/teaching process.
Vygotsky’s theory [posits that knowledge transfer form social level to the individual level is
mediated by what is called “tools of the mind”. These tools of the mind, such as language, are essential
to achieve high psychological functions in a human social life. The “tools of mind” that this paper
presented is web-based electronic portfolio that mediates student’s learning and cognitive develop in
academic social environment of the university.
Several related work in the literature focus on web-based portfolio and outcome-based
assessment. The design and implementation of an electronic outcome-based student portfolio is
illustrated in [5]. Activity theory and the design of collaborative e-learning for teacher training
programs is discussed in [6]. In [7], the Web is used to create student-centered curriculum. An
electronic portfolio is used as a tool for assessing students' outcome at Rose-Hulman Institute of
Technology is discussed in [8]. A self-directed learning experience is presented in [9]. It employs webapplication in a design course. A web-based portfolio system and its use in student assessment [10] as
developed and implemented at an Institute of technology in Taiwan is discussed. In [11], the design and
development of a web-based learning portfolio system at the National Taipei University of Technology
is discussed.
This paper is organized as follows. Section 2 discusses activity theory and collaboration.
Section 3 describes the web-based portfolio design. Section 4 samples of the web-based portfolio.
Section 5 reserved for the conclusion.
II.
ACTIVITY THEORY AND COLLABORATION
One of the prominent advantages of the world wide web is being inherently a social tool that can
provide a versatile collaborative social environment. The socio-cultural theory by Vygotsky [2] affirms
the need for collaboration for human development and learning. The theory postulates that social and
cultural activities are the basis for individual cognitive development within the zone of proximal
development defined by Vygotsky [2]: “The distance between the actual developmental level as
determined by individual problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through
problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers”. As a result of this
theory, individual learning is gained through collaboration and guidance of other social members who
hold superior knowledge and capabilities. The individual learning and cognitive development is a
continuous shared process among the individual and the social environment which provides repeated
assistance and guidance.
Vygotsky’s theory posits that knowledge transfer form social level to the individual level is
mediated by what is called “tools of the mind”. These tools of the mind, such as language, are essential
to achieve high psychological functions in a human social life. The “tools of mind” that this paper
presented is web-based electronic portfolio that mediates student’s learning and cognitive develop in
academic social environment of the university.
Fig. 1 illustrates the mediation triangle model in which (S) stands for subject, which achieves a
target or object (O) using a mediation tool (M) [3]. For the purpose of this paper the subject is the
students, the object is fulfillment of college and program learning outcomes and the mediation tool is
web-based electronic portfolio as shown in Fig 1.
(M) Web-based portfolio
(O) College and
Program Outcomes
(S) Students
Fig. 1. Activity Theory Triangle Model for Outcome-based Portfolio
Leont’ev [3] introduced the activity theory in which all human activities are considered social.
The community in which the activities occur provides collaboration and interactions for education
progress and development. The labor and effort exerted to achieve such activities is divided among the
community members. Fig. 2 shows another version of Vygotsky’s activity triangle developed by Cole
and Engestrom [4]. It extends the three elements of Vygotsky’s triangle (Subject, Object, Mediation
Tool) to additionally include three new elements (Rules, Community, Division of Labor) as illustrated in
Fig. 2.
(Mediation Tool)
Web-based Portfolio
(Subject)
Students
(Rules)
Specifications and
Requirements of
Outcome-based Portfolio
(Object)
College and Program
Outcomes
(Community)
Instructors, Supervisors,
Mentors, Committee members, ...
(Division of Labor)
Roles and Responsibilities
of Academic Community
Members
Fig. 2. Extended Activity Theory Triangle Model for Outcome-based Portfolios
For student web-based portfolio development the activity theory elements of Fig. 2 are defined in Table
1. The students who are preparing their portfolios (Subject) have the goal (Object) to achieve which is
the various college and program outcomes using web-based portfolio (mediation tool). In the college
students interact with the surrounded academic community consisting of instructors, supervisors,
mentors, and committee members (community) who have various roles and responsibilities (Division of
Labor) to advise the student preparing and classify their portfolio according set of college and program
outcomes (Rules).
Table 1. Definitions of activity theory elements for outcome-based Portfolio
Activity Theory Element
Object
Subject
Mediation Tool
Community
Division of labor
Rules
III.
Definitions for Outcome-based Portfolio
Students
College and program outcomes
Web-based portfolio
Instructors, Supervisors, Mentors, Committee members,
Roles and Responsibilities of Academic Community Members
Specifications and Requirements of Outcome-based Portfolio
WEB-BASED PORTFOLIOS DESIGN
The use of the Internet and the World Wide Web are used to overcome the location and time
obstacles. Using a web-based portfolio system students and mentors could access the portfolios on their
convenient times and locations. One major design issues of the electronic portfolio system is its ease of
use through a user-friendly web interface. The portfolio system is used by students and instructors who
may not have strong background in programming, data search and management.
In addition, outcome-based education and assessment adds a new challenge to students who rose
up through 12-years of traditional education and assessment. One of the fundamental design issue of the
electronic portfolio system is to aid students to organize and categorize their artifacts according to
program outcomes. However, on the program level, the system provides a useful tool, among other
assessment tools, for program outcome assessment which is useful for program self evaluation,
improvement and accreditation purpose. It connects course learning outcomes with the program and
college learning outcomes. With this electronic connection, student artifact assessment on the course
level are summed up, averaged, and then associated with the relevant program or college outcome. To
improve on a program or college outcome the reverse direction is used. For example to improve on
communication skills program outcome, the system lists all courses and their corresponding outcome
that the students marked on their artifacts to show their communication skills. Instructors of these
courses can improve on the corresponding course outcome.
The Electronic web-based portfolio system has been designed to meet the following issues:
A. Document student artifacts electronically: Students will be able to connect to the portfolio system
without any restriction on location or time. They are allowed to view their own portfolios, upload
new artifacts, modify or delete an existing artifact, submit an artifact for evaluation, and view
instructors comments and assessment.
B. Assist and simplicity classifying students artifacts according to various outcomes: When uploading
an artifact, students associate it with one or more of the outcomes by clicking the appropriate boxes
beside the outcomes.
C. Provide students accountability: Students are responsible for what artifacts they include in their
portfolio and about their choices of the outcomes they choose.
D. Electronic assessment and evaluation: The system allows instructors who are members of a
portfolio committee to assess student artifacts, record the scores, and provide their comments.
E. Post comments and receive feedback: Students are allowed to view instructors’ scores and the
comments of their own artifacts and post their own comments and flections.
F. Security: The system utilizes both privileged authorization and authentication accesses. The system
provides and distinguishes four levels of authorizations: Administrator, Instructor, Portfolio
Committee members and students. The authentication is done as usual through a username and
passwords.
G. Serve as a resource for accreditation purpose: The portfolio system is based on course, program
and college outcomes. The system provides rich information for outcome assessment and assists for
continuous program improvement.
H. Web-based communication tool: Using the portfolio system instructors are able to broadcast
important information, announcements, and communicate with students.
Artifacts are associated with outcomes. They are classified into three main categories. Each category
contains five outcomes which are subdivided into sub-outcomes. The details of the outcomes can be
found on the Kuwait University, College for women. Web site: www.cfw.kuniv.edu
IV.
SAMPLES OF WEB-BASED STUDENT PORTFOLIO
Taking into consideration the design issues of Section 2, the implementations details is
discussed in [2]. In this section some of the features of the portfolio system is illustrated emphasizing
outcome-based features.
4.1.
Login and Sign in page
Fig. 3. Student Login page
4.2.
Registration Form
Fig. 4. Registration form
4.3.
Upload artifact page. The artifact is assigned a type and classified according to
one or several outcomes.
Fig. 5. Upload an Artifact Page.
V.
CONCLUSION
In this paper activity theory is utilized to design the student portfolio as a collaborative
learning instrument used by college educational community. A web-based portfolio system acts as a
mediating tool that brings students, instructors, mentors, advisors, and portfolio committee members
in one academic social environment. It eliminates time and location barriers and bring students and
teachers in a social educational setting. The online web-based portfolio system is implemented for
the College for Women at Kuwait University to document students’ artifacts according to various
college and program outcomes.
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Department of Research, Kuwait University for
financial support grant # UW01/06.
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Information Science Department, CFW, Kuwait University, PO Box 5969 Safat, 13060, Kuwait. helal@cfw.kuniv.edu
Information Science Department, CFW, Kuwait University, PO Box 5969 Safat, 13060, Kuwait. helal@cfw.kuniv.edu
∗∗∗
Information Science Department, CFW, Kuwait University, PO Box 5969 Safat, 13060, Kuwait. helal@cfw.kuniv.edu
∗∗