Introduction

What is Folioz?

If you’re wondering what Folioz or an ePortfolio is, why you might want one and what it can do for you, then read on. You’re about to find out.

At the simplest level, Folioz is two things: an ePortfolio and a social networking system combined. An ePortfolio is a system in which students can record “evidence of lifelong learning” – such as essays, artwork or other such things they produce that can be stored digitally. Such things are known as artefacts in Folioz. Social networking systems need little introduction – think BeboFacebook or MySpace (back in the old days). Basically, they give a way for people to interact with their friends and create their own online communities.

But Folioz is much more than just a place to store files. Folioz also includes blogging, a résumé builder, and web services to integrate with other platforms.

artefact_box.png

Folioz framework

Folioz is built with Mahara, an open source e-portfolio application.

mahara_framework.png

With Folioz, you control which items and what information within your portfolio other users see. Such items and information are termed artefacts. To facilitate this access control, all artefacts you wish to show to other users need to be arranged into one area. In Mahara this compilation of selected artefacts is called a ‘page’. You can have as many pages as you like, each with a different number of artefacts, intended purpose and audience. Your audience, or the people you wish to give access to your page, can be added as individuals or as a member of a group. It can even be made publicly available.

For example you could create:

A single page or a collection of pages can make up your portfolio. Unless artefacts are placed in a page, they are not visible to anybody but you. You can use files that you uploaded or journal entries you wrote in as many pages as you wish. You only need one copy of your artefact.

Imagine you collected all your artefacts in a shoe box. Whenever you have a new artefact, you add it to the shoe box. When you are ready to create your portfolio, you take a look at the artefacts in your shoe box and choose those that you want to make available on a portfolio page. You can arrange the artefacts on that page to your liking.

Accessibility

Folioz aims to be usable by as many individuals as possible, including those with disabilities or special needs. Creating accessible web content is a requirement in many countries. In order to provide international guidelines, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) were created. There are three conformance levels under the WCAG 2.0, the latest edition of the guidelines: A, AA, and AAA. Each level requires conformance with previous levels and includes its own specific guidelines for how websites should be made accessible.

With the latest version of Folioz has reached level AA for user-facing areas of the system. The administration of Folioz is predominantly on level AA as well. We endeavour to keep up level AA to continue to provide good navigation of the site to everybody.

We can only control the accessibility of the navigation and overall platform. People uploading or creating content are responsible themselves to make their content accessible.

If you are a screen reader user, you can use the following access keys to navigate the main menu items in Folioz:

Regular user interface:

Implementation: key principles for success

The exemplars within this toolkit were judged to meet the five key principles for successful e-portfolio implementation that was an outcome of a prior study of effective practice (Joyes and Gray, 2010).

The key to effective practice as shown in the e-portfolio implementation model in figure 1 is to: 

  1. Recognise that e-portfolio implementation involves a developmental journey for all those involved
  2. Apply the e-portfolio implementation principles throughout this journey

 

 Figure 1: The e-portfolio implementation model  - the key implementation principles applied across one instance of adoption 

The table of e-portfolio implementation guidance for practitioners below sets out the key issues for practitioners together with statements of effective practice that are related to a consideration of the e-portfolio implementation principles.  The statements of effective practice are supported by some links to the case studies and to resources and events that were noted to support the development of effective practice.  This may be a helpful point of reference when thinking through your own implementation. However, you will know your own context best - the key for success is the application of the principles to your context. Further guidance may be found within Effective Practice with e-Portfolios (JISC, 2008) and the e-Portfolios infoKit (JISC, 2008).

 Table 1:  e-portfolio implementation guidance for practitioners 

e-Portfolio 

implementation principles 

The key issues from a practitioner perspective

Statements of effective practice with links to examples from the e-portfolio implementation case studies

1. Purpose needs to be aligned to context to maximise benefits.

The diversity of purposes for e-portfolios can lead to misunderstandings and ineffective implementation. There needs to be clarity over this at the start the implementation.

2. Learning activity needs to be designed to suit the purpose.

Familiarity with the e-portfolio tool is needed in order to understand what learning activities it can support. 

This enables:

  • conscious pedagogic decisions to be made about use ;
  • an understanding of the scaffolding students need to carry out the e-portfolio based learning activity.

3. Processes need to be supported technologically and pedagogically.

Support for the technology can be offered centrally and e-portfolio tools may offer some generic  pedagogic support, e.g. for action planning.

 

However what is required for processes such as reflection and presentation may vary across courses and so there is a need for course specific support.

 

It is important not to underestimate the level of support needed for both staff and students who may lack technical and/or the 'new' learning skills such as reflection.

4. Ownership needs to be student centred.

Both learners and those they need to share their e-portfolios with, need to access the e-portfolios to support the learning activity and understand the expected learning outcomes; but the e-portfolio in process needs to be private to the individual learner.

How can the learner understand the value of the learner centred part of this process until they have experienced it?

How can access be provided in all contexts including work based learning ones?

  • It is recognised that, even though the purpose within a taught course will have been defined by the lecturer rather than by the learner, the e-portfolio is a personal and private space whilst in construction, and elements of it are shared only when the learner decides to share them. It is also recognised that this aspect of e-portfolios has implications for some students with learning difficulties - see Thanet College case study .

  • The e-portfolio is made available to all students and staff for use during their studies alongside the careful integration in courses - there is evidence that this results in rapid uptake  by students, e.g.,  Birmingham City University and Southampton Solent University, that provides a learning environment that encourages peer support. 

  • The ability to use the e-portfolio and/or export this to other e-portfolios beyond the period of study is provided for.

  • Student voice should be used to promote effective use - see the Business studies at Birmingham City University student video, also this video of students on a construction course at Dumfries and Galloway College  and this  University of Wolverhampton student reflection.  

5. Transformation (disruption) needs to be planned for.

 

The benefits and implications of using the e-portfolio in a particular context are unlikely to be fully understood by others outside that context.

This means that in spite of all the guidance and support that is available, a careful consideration of the ways the context may be unique and ongoing feedback from users is needed to ensure effective implementation.

  • It is understood that each particular instance of e-portfolio use is likely to mean new practice will need to be developed  by learners and those who are supporting them.

  • The implications of this ‘new’ practice are planned for. This has been covered in 1, 2 and 3 above and the case studies provide examples of carefully thought through implementations.

  • Evaluation of practice needs to be ongoing. This was a key feature within the case studies  and wider evaluation of pilot use of e-portfolios was common, in some cases more formal evaluation occurred - see the University of Bradford and Southampton Solent University case studies.

 

Source: https://epip.pbworks.com/w/page/40808690/Implementation%20guidance%20for%20practitioners  

References

JISC (2008) Effective Practice with e-Portfolios

JISC (2008) e-Portfolios infoKit http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/e-portfolios

Joyes, G. and Gray, L. (2010) The trouble with e-portfolio implementation: A threshold concepts perspective In The PDP newsletter Issue 20

 

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