Whilst not a new concept, ePortfolios embrace the interactive nature of Web 2.0 technology and are beginning to show signs of bringing about a new pedagogy in education. The wide range of commercial and open source ePortfolio and associated tools currently available allows students to maintain an online repository of digital artefacts. These tools can facilitate reflective, collaborative and lifelong learning, and allow students to showcase skills, knowledge and understanding. A key benefit identified in the literature is the ability to create a personalised and reflective learning experience.

Previous research has shown that the lack of competent and effective use of ePortfolios and the inability of students fully to recognise the benefits to them as learners, are hindering their widespread use.

This paper focuses on a small pilot research project, which seeks to identify the Web 2.0 tools that students following undergraduate awards in technology subjects across various levels at the authors’ institution are currently using. It investigates the extent to which students keep a digital record of their learning and how they perceive ePortfolios as a learning tool.

The students were surveyed by questionnaire providing quantitative data. Qualitative information was also gained by interviewing a smaller group of those students individually to ascertain whether they were able to identify the value of an ePortfolio and how they might envisage using one in their learning.

The outcome of this initial study has helped to determine whether an ePortfolio application was worthy of further development and trialling as a subsequent project.

ePortfolio Research Project

I will be attending EDULEARN10 next week, where I will be chairing the E-content Management and Development (2) session. I will also be presenting my paper on ePortfolios entitled ” The Role of ePortfolios in Higher Education: Their Perceived Value and Potential to Assist Undergraduate Computing Students.”

EDULEARN10 ePortfolio Paper

I have recently returned from this year’s Higher Education Academy’s annual conference held at the University of Hertfordshire, where I exhibited a poster illustrating ways in which Web 2.0 technology can be used in teaching and learning.

HEA Annual Conference 2010 Poster.

Conference highlights from the HEA website.

Committee of Inquiry into the Changing Learner Experience
Available from: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/documents/heweb2.aspx
Accessed: Friday, 8 January 2010

This report is the result of a detailed study into the potential for Web 2.0 tools and applications, in higher education. It was researched and compiled by an independent committee, over a one-year period.

Web 2.0 is a term used to describe a range of Internet developments and new technologies, over the last few years. They include:

• Blogging and micro blogging.
• Wikis.
• Video and picture sharing.
• Podcasts.
• Social bookmarking and tagging.
• Social networking applications.

Social computing has evolved through the use of these new and exciting, online tools and applications. Young people are growing up in a digital world, and people are now using these applications in their everyday lives. We are seeing changes in the way we communicate, interact socially and access information, as many of these activities are taking place online.

Students’ skills, knowledge and experience of technology on entry to university varies, factors here include age, background and prior learning. However, the majority of young people entering higher education have grown up using social computing applications.

The use of Web 2.0 technology in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK is reported as being widespread, and is being employed in a number of areas, including:

• Teaching and learning.
• Admin.
• Marketing.

However, take up is quite often the result of an enthusiastic member of staff, rather than being an institutional decision or policy.

The report discussed students’ views on the use of technology in HE, was shaped by their experience and implementation of it at school/college. They also felt that face-to-face contact with their tutors was as important as the use of technology, in their learning.

Key findings

• The ‘digital divide’ is still a concern, and is evidenced by individuals’ access, competence and engagement with technology.
• UK HEIs are using Web 2.0 technology as well as their international counterparts.
• The use of Web 2.0 in teaching and learning is not yet widespread.
• There are currently no official guidelines or policies in place regarding the use and deployment of this technology.
• Training to equip students and staff with the skills is necessary, in order to access web-based services.
• Students and staff do not yet fully understand how social computing tools and applications may be exploited in learning.
• eLearning 2.0 uses Web 2.0 technology and this may provide a good answer for anytime, any place, flexible learning, whilst enabling individuals to collaborate and communicate with fellow learners .
• Students are cautious about their social computing accounts and applications also being a point of access by their tutors.
• VLEs whilst used widely by HEIs are usually institution bound, and have limitations.

Conclusions

HEIs are traditional in their teaching and learning methods. Therefore, the widespread use of Web 2.0 technology, poses a challenge in terms of its implementation and acceptance, by the students, staff and institutions.

The report also concludes that Web 2.0 may be embraced through skills development and employability preparation. The need for experimentation, collaboration and teamwork, was also identified as being necessary in order to bring about innovation and develop teaching and learning strategies.

Recommendations

The report identified the following areas as being key to bringing about widespread implementation of Web 2.0 technologies, in higher education:

Learner skills

HEIs need to make Web 2.0 tools and applications available to students, and be constantly tuned-in to students’ prior experience and expectations.

Staff skills

HEIs need to ensure that academic staff and competent and fully aware of new technology and how it may have positive impact on teaching and assessment.

Infrastructure

HEIs need to be supported and guided regarding Web 2.0 implementation.

Intersectional relationships

There is much to be gained by bodies from different sectors working together, benefits include the sharing of knowledge and ways in which technology can be successfully deployed in learning.

The workshop was organised by the Association of Learning Technology (ALT), with the support of Becta.
Date: 12/13 November 2009.
Venue: National College for Leadership for Schools and Children’s Services, Nottingham.
Professor Gilly Salmon, head of Leicester University’s Beyond Distance Research Alliance, facilitated the two-day workshop.

Colleagues from primary, secondary, BECTA, ALT, further and higher education participated in the event.
The main aims of the event were:

• To share understanding of using handheld devices in teaching and learning.
• To identify and share ideas and best practice.

Many colleagues brought along a selection of handheld devices they were currently using in learning and teaching.
The event was hands on and workshop based, and provided us all with inspirational ideas and ways in which we could enhance student learning through the use of handheld technology.

We used devices including PSP, Nintendo DS, iPhone, iPod Touch, netbooks and mobile phones.

Through demonstrations and subsequent workshop activity, I learned further how Web 2.0 technology could be exploited through the use of handheld devices.
For example, collaborative working, in real-time is possible through Web connected netbooks/laptops and the use of tools and applications such as Etherpad. Find it here: http://etherpad.com/

We streamed live audio to the Web using a connected mobile phone and iPadio, find it here: http://www.ipadio.com/

Video streaming was put into practice using a connected mobile and the “Qik” video sharing site, find it here: http://qik.com/

Another technology explored was QR code. QR code is a 2D barcode or matrix, which store addresses/URLs and other given information. They are black and white matrix and each one is unique.

Mobile phone users who use a camera phone and have reader software installed, are able to scan – take a picture of the matrix, the phone’s browser will then launch and open the programmed URL, or other information.

Uses in education include: eAdmin, linking to online resources, RSS subscription and lectures.

The event was inspirational and it was good to share ideas and practice, and have the opportunity to develop links with cross sector colleagues.