Learning and Teaching in Practice/Course guide/Assessment portfolio/Digital portfolio

Using a digital assessment portfolio (ePortfolio)
You will need to compile your evidence, and record your narrative and reflective discussion about each of the modules for assessment. The portfolio can also be a record of your burgeoning ideas, thinking and learning through the course. You may find it useful to have one place for this developmental work, for example, a blog, and another place for the final version that you want marked. It is particularly valuable if you make your work available to others in the class as it gives you the opportunity to communicate, collaborate and share ideas and also receive peer feedback.

You will be guided to develop the content of your portfolio through a series of portfolio activities. Instructions for them are located in the topics for each module. A mix of written material and other media (images, audio, video, diagrams etc) can be used as evidence in your portfolio. You can be as creative as you wish.

Steps in compiling a digital assessment portfolio (ePortfolio)

 * 1) Decide on a design for the portfolio – colours, metaphor, headings, ‘look and feel’, and media etc.
 * 2) Select a platform or platforms, and additional tools to be used to manage information, share evidence and to interact with others in class.
 * 3) The portfolio activities for each topic will guide in developing evidence.
 * 4) Please use the Three-Step Reflective Framework to structure your reflective writing (a separate template you can type in is provided on Moodle).

A blog is the ideal platform for writing about your thinking and learning in the course, and sharing it. When your blog is connected to something like Google Sites or a wiki (For example: PBworks, or Wikispaces, or WikiEducator) you can build a formidable portfolio of evidence and reflections about your practice. Google sites enables a more structured portfolio than a blog and also enables files to be stored there.

All these sites have options for privacy if you do not wish to have an open portfolio, and you will need to specifically invite the class members and the lecturer to view your portfolio. The choice of platform depends on the type of portfolio you wish to develop. The portfolio can include text, video, images, audio recordings and links to information.

Reflective writing in your portfolio
Please use the Three-Step Reflective Framework and template to guide and structure your reflections and writing in your Learning Portfolio. (This was developed during Bronwyn Hegarty's (2011) Doctorate research.)

A good example of how to use the Reflective Framework can be found on Christine's blog post about using smartboards.

Setting up a blog
If using a blog, please do the following:
 * View the video (28.52 min) How to Set Up Your Blog in Blogger by Jen Jonson - good clear explanation for teachers covering lots of features.
 * Look at - Help in getting started with blogs to set up a blog.
 * Blogger provides a simple template for blogging if this is your first time. Step by step instructions are provided. You will need a Google account.
 * Wordpress is also good for the more confident blogger.


 * Blogging Handbook for tips on writing on a blog.
 * Don't forget to share the link to your blog as instructed!

Using images on your blog
There are a few easy steps you need to take when searching for images for use on your blog. If you are not using your own images, you need to be careful not to breach copyright regulations. Therefore, it is best to search for images with Creative Commons licensing.
 * Search Google (image) or Flickr (image) at: http://search.creativecommons.org/
 * Check the images you choose have Some Rights Reserved licensing NOT All Rights Reserved.
 * Give attribution to the photographer and the image.
 * To do this, put the photographer's name and the name of the image beneath your image and add the hyperlink to the image - it can be in a smaller font than the rest of the text.


 * Grab the URL for the photographer and embed it in the name - ask if you need help with images.
 * Remember to leave a comment for the photographer to inform him or her how you are using the image (You need to be logged in to do this.)

Examples of blogs
These blogs were kept by teachers in other courses:
 * Sarah Stewart's introduction to the Flexible Learning class.
 * A blog post by Raewyn Lesa called: Is flexible learning a new concept?

Subscribing to other peoples' blogs
It will save you time and make it faster and more efficient to read others' blog posts when you set up a Reader for accessing blog RSS feeds.
 * If they enable email subscribing take the opportunity, and you will receive an email when new posts are made.
 * When leaving a comment on someone's blog, make sure you subscribe to email follow up comments. That way you can more easily join in the 'blog conversations'.

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