Exploring the pedagogy of ePortfolios

The short post below summarises a few impressions from a recent webinar delivered by Ann Wilson on the ‘Pedagogy of ePortfolios’.

Ann started the session with an introduction highlighting two key areas of use for ePortfolios:

1. As a Process/Workspace and;
2. As a Product/Showcase

Ann then shared a thought-provoking quote from Geoff Rebbeck, e-Learning Coordinator at Thanet College in the UK, with a real focus on the learning experience for the student when using ePortfolios:

The e-portfolio is the central and common point for the student experience… It is a reflection of the student as a person undergoing continuous personal development, not just a store of evidence.

The session then moved onto a sharing of knowledge and experience around how areas within Navitas are using ePortfolios, which was both exciting and inspiring. I really enjoyed listening to Sue Valdeck from English and Foundations Skills (EFS) in NSW discuss how they are using ‘Seesaw’ with great success with their students. I was also invited to present on the work I’ve been doing with the HSA ePortfolio trial here in Melbourne (more about that in this post) and really enjoyed hearing feedback from others in the session. There was genuine interest in the use of ePortfolios in the trial and the use of such platforms such as WIX and Skillsbook.

In the spirit of self-reflection, it struck me after the session how ePortfolios can be customised to meet so many needs for different students, learning contexts and areas of study. As for my own area of Learning and Teaching at Health Skills Australia, never before in the history of nursing have student nurses had the opportunity to use a workspace like this, as well as creating a showcase of themselves as a professional nurse. This has left me with much to think about and a renewed excitement about the trial and venture I am part of. I can’t wait to see where the future of eportfolios at Navitas takes us!

Interested in exploring more about the pedagogy of ePortfolios? Take a look at ‘Effective Practice with ePortfolios‘ (featuring Geoff Rebbeck) and listen out for more from Ann Wilson soon.