E-Portfolios Proposal
Craig Blurton, Ph.D., Acting Director, CAUT, Head, IT & Teaching Group
Proposal: That the University of Hong Kong license e-Portfolio software and provide
training and support for academic staff and student use.
Synopsis: Student e-portfolios, also called "Webfolios" among other things, are
portfolios created and maintained on the World Wide Web by students. There are
commercial software packages as well as university-developed applications for this use.
The purposes of an e-portfolio application include:
 Using an e-portfolio as an assessment tool throughout a student's university
career.
 Using the e-portfolio as an extension to the standard vitae or resume by students
when apply for jobs after graduation.
Proposed process:
1. The Knowledge Hub to convene a working group of academic staff and students
to evaluate e-Portfolio products and selected one or two to pilot. (September
2003)
2. The e-Portfolio software is piloted in several departments. (January – June, 2004)
3. During the piloting period, the users make presentations to other academics and
students about their experiences. (March – June 2004)
4. After the piloting period, a decision – based on the results of the pilot and input
from academics and students – is made concerning campus wide licensing of a
single product. (July 2004)
Two example products:
Product name: e-Portfolio
Company: Chalk & Wire
URL: http://www.chalkandwire.com/eportfolio/
Student example:
http://dagwood.dgrc.crc.ca/eportfolio/portfolio//1037//10215620611149.html
Academic staff example:
http://dagwood.dgrc.crc.ca/eportfolio/portfolio//105//1020094104184.html
Pricing: Varies according to services provided and number of student accounts. For 20013000 student accounts the price is USD $12.50 per student and includes free academic
staff accounts.
Product name: Open Source Portfolio Initiative (OSPI)
1
Company: University of Minnesota
URL: http://www.theospi.org
Demo: Must register at website.
Pricing: ePortfolio code is now available to other colleges, universities and educational
software vendors through the software vendors through the open source license
agreement. It is free to develop and use, and all participating institutions are encouraged
to share code changes with the OSPI community, making rapid changes for all members.
Albion College Digital Portfolio Project
<http://www.albion.edu/digitalportfolio/>
Welcome to the Albion College Digital Portfolio website. This site will introduce you to
the Digital Portfolio Project by providing an overview, information on how to get started,
portfolio samples, and a training schedule. If you have questions that are not answered in
this website you can send your question via e-mail to the digital portfolio coordinator.
What is a Digital Portfolio?
A digital portfolio is an evolving tool that documents your personal, academic and
professional development. It is a visual guide that maps out where you have been, where
you are going and how you plan to get there. Your digital portfolio can also serve as a
tool to communicate your plan to others.
What is the purpose of a Digital Portfolio?
The purpose of the digital portfolio project is to allow you to create a tool to assist you in
presenting what you are learning and planning in your personal, academic and
professional life, and how this learning and planning interconnect. The portfolio is as
much a process as it is a product. It should be considered a "living document" that
evolves as you do.
Personal/Professional Plan and Learning Outside the Classroom. The portfolio personal
planning process will aid you in reflecting on what you are doing outside the classroom
and what you are learning. You will be explaining the skills and knowledge you have
learned as a result of your involvement on campus.
Academic Plan and In-Class Learning. Through developing your academic plan, you will
begin articulating what you are learning in your classes as well as what you are learning
about yourself and your academic goals. How are you applying modes of inquiry?
Merging Plans. As your personal and academic plans lead to your professional plan, your
portfolio will help you explore career paths and academic plans that will best prepare you
for your future.
2




You can use your portfolio as a tool to map out your plan and express yourself to
others. It can also serve as a tool that will help you keep track of information you
will need when preparing for a job or graduate school search.
You can have First-Year Association Mentors, the Career Development staff and
your Academic Advisor review and critique your portfolio during its various
stages. These people can also use your portfolio to assist you with your personal,
academic, and professional development.
You can have professors view your academic, personal, and professional goals to
get a better understanding of why you are taking a particular course.
You can show prospective employers and graduate school committees selections
of your portfolio as part of your job or graduate school search.
What are the goals?




This Digital Portfolio development process will help you explore and
communicate what you are learning from your academic and personal
experiences.
It can also help you plan your academic and personal experiences.
It can help you explore and communicate how your academic and personal
experiences connect.
Finally, it can provide you with a tool to demonstrate and communicate the above.
27 May 2003
(c:\mmy\knowledge-team\e-portfolios-proposal)
3