Start date: 1 May 2008
End date: 30 November 2008
JISC theme(s): e-Learning
Committees: JISC Learning and Teaching committee
Aims and objectives
1. Identify and classify a range of examples of formative and summative assessment practices that involve e-portfolios in a range of HE and HE in FE settings.
2. Describe in detail a range of examples of formative and summative assessment practices that involve e-portfolios in a range of HE and HE in FE settings.
3. Identify how internal and external assessors[1] carry out the assessment of work submitted as e-portfolios, including:
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Strategies and techniques used
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Supporting tools such as online or computer-based assessment
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Criteria and tools or guidelines for assessing the work of digital artefacts in a range of media.
4. Compare and contrast e-portfolio associated assessment practices, paying particular attention to the benefits and concerns expressed by each relevant stakeholder group, including learners, teachers/tutors, course coordinators, IT systems managers and senior managers, assessors and support staff.
5. Identify future directions for formative and summative assessment practices, and the types of technology, tools and functionality that would support them, and provide examples of how institutional policies would need to change to support these initiatives.
6. Make recommendations to JISC on where it should focus its efforts in this area in realising the potential of e-portfolios to support assessment practices.
[1] These may focus upon external assessors, with internal assessors being followed up under 3 below.
Project methodology
We propose a seven step process:
- identify key variables in the use of e-portfolios;
- through extensive contacts identify successful and less successful practices in e-portfolio use in relation to these variables;
- thereby develop criteria for what is good practice in e-portfolio use. Building on this secure and structured base, we shall then identify and analyse case studies by asking
- Why are portfolios being used as an assessment tool?
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Why e-portfolios are being used as an assessment tool rather than paper-based systems?
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What is being assessed?
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In what ways does this exemplify good (or effective) practice? This systematic approach, drawing in particular on insights gained from the SFC-funded REAP project, will ensure that the very best practices are identified and analysed and that the maximum of productive implications for future work are drawn.
Anticipated outputs and outcomes
A report which will:
- be located within the emerging policy agendas of Burgess and Employer Engagement;
- provide a scan of the overall landscape;
- include detailed descriptions of particular instances of practice and the processes involved;
- provide a clear analysis of the evidence which has emerged from the investigation concerning the key inhibitors and enablers of effective practice and which can be re-applied across contexts to inform development.
Lead Institution