Policy Implications of Research on eFolio Minnesota Darren Cambridge Goodenough College, London May 10, 2005 Darren Cambridge Goodenough College, London May 10, 2005

eFolio Minnesota  Organizational Context  Research Results  Policy Implications  Organizational Context  Research Results  Policy Implications

eFolio Background  A project of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU)  Launched Fall 2003  Available to all residents of Minnesota  30,000 active users as of April 2005 with linear growth  Planned interoperability with Open Source Portfolio at University of Minnesota  A project of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU)  Launched Fall 2003  Available to all residents of Minnesota  30,000 active users as of April 2005 with linear growth  Planned interoperability with Open Source Portfolio at University of Minnesota

Funding and Leadership  MnSCU leading as an entrepreneurial agency  Initial funding part of a larger grant from the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)  MnSCU leading as an entrepreneurial agency  Initial funding part of a larger grant from the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)

Service Model  Centralized technology support  Avenet eFolio  Phone technical support (rarely needed)  Distributed programmatic support  Colleges, universities, workforce development centers, schools  Small grants from MnSCU  Centralized technology support  Avenet eFolio  Phone technical support (rarely needed)  Distributed programmatic support  Colleges, universities, workforce development centers, schools  Small grants from MnSCU

Individual Focus  Focus on individual use for lifelong and lifewide learning  Minimal centralized control  Software and documentation encourages broad range of uses  See what works for individuals, then do more of that  Focus on individual use for lifelong and lifewide learning  Minimal centralized control  Software and documentation encourages broad range of uses  See what works for individuals, then do more of that

Research Results  Age not a factor  High level of use across all six categories of use  Educational planning central  Frequent role shifts  Little perceived impact of institutional support  Age not a factor  High level of use across all six categories of use  Educational planning central  Frequent role shifts  Little perceived impact of institutional support

Factors Influencing Level of Impact  Audience  Real  Evidence of reading and response  Imagined:  Clear intended audience  Being “out there”  Ownership  Integrity  Integration of personal and professional  Currency  Audience  Real  Evidence of reading and response  Imagined:  Clear intended audience  Being “out there”  Ownership  Integrity  Integration of personal and professional  Currency

Ways Institutional Support Matters  Audience:  Technology’s impact of findability, connectivity  Collaborative contexts of portfolio authorship  Ownership  Introduction that embraces lifelong and lifewide learning  Technology that supports user adaptation  Audience:  Technology’s impact of findability, connectivity  Collaborative contexts of portfolio authorship  Ownership  Introduction that embraces lifelong and lifewide learning  Technology that supports user adaptation

Policy Implications  Minimize barriers to entry  Introduce in way that addresses a wide range of uses  Provide support for collaborative development  Cultivate real audiences with real stakes  Interoperability through partnerships  Bottom up from actual individual practice as well as top down through standards process  Allow sufficient space to see what people actually care about doing  Minimize barriers to entry  Introduce in way that addresses a wide range of uses  Provide support for collaborative development  Cultivate real audiences with real stakes  Interoperability through partnerships  Bottom up from actual individual practice as well as top down through standards process  Allow sufficient space to see what people actually care about doing