ePortfolio as a learning and assessment tool for promoting leaner autonomy in higher education Olatz López Fernández Universitat de Barcelona (Spain) / III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005

Agenda of research in eP : Evaluation Criteria in order to assess Digital Portfolio (DP) in Higher Education (research instrument) : Empirical study design and implementation of DP in catalan universities, psicopedagogical perspective address to learners : Advance in research of DP III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005

Context International context: eP or DP are considered one of the assessment tools that are improving the quality in the processes of learning in the universities -> LEARNERS European context: European Space of Higher Education, this educative innovation, addressed to new forms of assessing students in universities -> ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING Spanish and Catalan context: Interest in innovate university teaching and promote new forms of learning to the new roles of university student III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005

A good example: “ELP” European Language Portfolio: it has introduced a paradigmatic change in the educative and evaluative model in Europe It is a proposal form the Council of Europe (COE) (2001): where every european govern develop a model based on ELP Pedagogical aspects: –Learner tool for learning languages: doing a passport, a linguistic biography and a dossier (in order to write, document, learn, assess and reflect) –To all Europeans (from children to adults, covering all educative levels of formal education and non formal education) ->diversity. –It is need psychological perspective in its study New topic of research -> our case, from Psycopedagogical perspective as a tool for learn (languages and cultures) and assessment (knowledge, competencies and attitudes)

In Europe, university level is the lowest applied. But its model shows a complex and well done Portfolio, and recent ePs are appearing. It presents informative and pedagogical functions to have present: –Increase transparency –Common competencies –Acreditative document –Learning with a reflective model –Promote auto-evaluation –Increase the responsibility of the learner in its learning (way to learner autonomy) –Increase the motivation to learn Main web (français/english) ELP,COE (Esteve & Roig, 2004; Cassany, 2004)

Our context and research in ELP & eP Preliminary research on ELP Catalan education. First results: Positives: –Interests and motivation for the experience and the topic: learn languages (positive attitudes) –Errors and prejudices are corrected –Good experience to the teacher if he/she is formed Negatives: –Auto-evaluation: more or less, affective components are affecting to the auto-perception –It is consuming a lot of time –To manage group-class Preliminary research on ePortfolio effects in university learners. First results: –It is increasing the quality learning product of the learners –It is increasing the motivation and engagement to the learning and acquisition of knowledge Its use is starting to promote learner autonomy –It is necessary to introduce learners (to platfom and methodology) –It is necessary to work in teams with teachers and to do curricular re-adaptation –However, it is necessary more empirical reseach… III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005 (Cassany et alt, 2004) (Rodríguez et al, 2005; López, 2004; etc.)

¿Who use an ePortfolio? 1. An autonous learner? 2. A learner in a class, with the guide of the teacher and the collaboration of the peers (our case in catalan universities, ) 3. A learner in a course, as a tool for document and reflect his or her learner and different advisors and colleagues III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005

¿Ho the learner use an ePortfolio? 1. In order to learn: eP guarantee his/her privacy, advance, achievements, feedback, etc. 2. In order to be assessed: eP guarantee his/her privacy, formative and summative assessment, auto- evaluation, co-evaluation, etc. 3. Other learner skills to develop: reflection, technological skills, colaboration, etc. III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005

Literature review on eP Our model eP Our model eP (based on criteria eP, 2004, & Socio-constructivist perspective) ePortfolio VLE & Guide of the eP subject ePortfoliolearner (univ.student in a semi- presential class) & Teacher/s Tutorial for the students (individual resources) For teachers (work in teams) International literature & experiences Our experiences in appling Portfolios & good practices in ICT III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005

The eP were created by teacher teams adapting an open source VLE to the structure and functionalities of digital portfolios for university learners All the content was adapted to the formative assessment of learners in learning by tasks, like the ELP experience The preparation of the implementation of eP required a well studied and complex planification for: –design the instrument with teachers –Introduce the methodology to the students University faculty was selected as experts in teaching with Portfolios & ICT (compulsory background) Our case study: University of Barcelona III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005

Our eP were containing: Section: Participants (VLE) Section eP: –Common material: like online guide with a theoretic and applied introduction to the methodology and tool, its evaluation criteria, etc –Tasks and eP structure: CV or “résume” artifact and its reflection (formative assessment) Overall reflextion (Summative assessment) Section: Agenda & News (VLE) Main web (français/english) ELP,COE III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005

Results –Our results are showing that eP with this model are educative digital tools that are starting to show that it could improve the quality of learning and promoting the learner autonomy, from a co- constructivism perspective –We have provide a brief view of “digital portfolios” (DP) in higher education in general and more detailed in our context. –The tendency of DP is to be more oriented to the learner and his or her new role as a more active and autonomous student. III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005

Conclusions –In general, DP are starting to be considered one of the assessment tools that are improving the quality in the innovative processes of teaching and learning in universities. –However, its application is not an easy task because it demands from the academicians design and implement the different components (human and material resources) for the new forms of teaching and learning with technologies or, in some cases, at distance in our campus-based universities. –The aim of this study case has been to provide an applied research based on basic educative research about effective e- portfolios developed in a virtual university learning environment. –Now the discussion starts…. III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005

Thank you very much / Merci beaucoup Muchas gracias / Moltes gràcies Olatz López Fernández Universitat de Barcelona (Spain) / III International Conference ePortfolio 2005 Thursday 27 October 2005