The word e-Portfolio originates from
the word portfolio, referring to a collection of personal and professional transportable
work/activities, the main difference for the former being the contents and/or
evidence is in electronic format on the internet and/or electronic portable
devices (Rodriguez-Donaire, García & del Olmo, 2010). The need for
e-Portfolio is so vital that it embraces most professionals and students in today’s
world of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). ICT includes computers, the
Internet, and electronic delivery systems such as radios, televisions,
projectors (Fu, 2013), mobile technologies and many other technologies that are
constantly evolving and transforming daily.
In the context of teachers and
education we could define a Teaching Portfolio as “a compilation of carefully
selected materials that describe the faulty member’s teaching activities in the
classroom, clinical practice, and other settings” (Oermann, 1999, p.224). This
definition is restricted in scope, ambiguous and does not reflect the current needs
of teachers. It excludes students and the list of contents or artifacts required
in a portfolio. Therefore we may redefine Professional Teaching Portfolio or an
e-Portfolio as a collection that “includes materials and artifacts to document
or provide evidence of your education, back-ground, philosophy, teaching
strategies, experience in teaching, lesson plans, your personal achievement,
and more” (Shelly, Gunter and Gunter, 2012, p.25). It is important to note that
these artifacts must be stored in electronic format.
It is vital to have an e-Portfolio
for 21st Century teachers because of many reasons. Some of which
are,
·
the pervasive use of ICT in today’s curriculum,
·
increasing need to provide for digital native learners,
·
to develop your own unique identity in the knowledge-world,
·
increase your employability,
·
keeping a breast with current technological needs and
·
application of sound pedagogical approach to new technologies, etc.
Research findings have proven that e-Portfolios
have prompted professional learning for student teachers and are excellent
tools for bridging gaps between theory and practice in teacher education (Darling-Hammond
& Snyder, 2000; Loughran & Carrigan, 1995; Lyons, 1998; Wade &
Yarbrough, 1996; Zeichner & Wray, 2001; Citied by Hauge, 2006). It is vital
for practicing teachers (both digital natives and digital immigrants) for
furthering their career prospects and establishing their say in the age of e-Literacy.
Studies (Flo & Ludvigsen, 2002; Ludvigsen & Flo, 2001; Cited by Hauge,
2006, p.26) have also pointed that portfolios play a significant role as an
institutional change agent, tool or artifact.
What should an e-portfolio consist of?
Urbach (1992, Cited by Oermann,
1999) suggests 7 areas of teaching abilities that should be included in a
portfolio, namely: “what one teaches, how one teaches, changes in one’s
teaching, rigor of one’s academic standards, student impressions of one’s
teaching, efforts at developing teaching skills, and assessments by colleagues”
(p.225). The
type of artifacts in the portfolio will change from person to person depending
on their philosophy and teaching style, type of teaching (brick-and-mortar
classroom or virtual classroom), teaching responsibilities, etc. (Oermann, 1999). Shelly,
Gunter and Gunter (2012) provide a more comprehensive list of 21stCentury materials that could typically be included in a folder. Some of them
include: reflective essays, presentations, research papers, images, videos, multimedia
projects, blogs, wikis, reports, lesson samples, Curriculum Vita, letters from
students/instructors or anything that you believe is pertinent to your
professional teaching-learning background. Simply put “it provides a way for
you to tell a story about yourself” (Shelly, Gunter and Gunter, 2012, p.27.).
