Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Background
Goldsby and Fazal (2001) cited that student created portfolios are commonly
“used in teacher preparation programs to demonstrate teaching skills and
expertise. This practice was introduced as test scores alone lack the compre-
hensive scope needed for effective assessment and evaluation, portfolios can
be implemented to interpret/make decisions regarding learning of teaching
competencies” (pp. 607-608). The case for the student portfolio in any
discipline can be made on the same basis; electronic portfolios provide a new
level of assessment that cannot be measured by traditional methods such as
standardized tests, applications, and resumes. Electronic portfolios and Web
portfolios provide assessment of competency within a discipline.
The old models of professional and personal identity, skills assessment, and
promotion are fading in what Dr. Stephen Covey (2004) describes as the age
of the knowledge worker. In the knowledge worker age, the focus is on
intellectual capital and exhibiting the skills of someone who is technologically
savvy, but sensitive to the vision and voice of traditional values that enable
people to thrive, such as mentoring. The Web portfolio feeds the emergence of
intellectual capital by providing a platform for the knowledge worker to exhibit
their personal and professional qualities. Mentoring will be increased as the
Web portfolio becomes a standard learning tool within mainstream education
at all levels. Teachers will need to teach students how to make Web portfolios.
In turn, these students will later become mentors to others in their lives who are
creating Web portfolios. Electronic portfolios and Web portfolios feed the
process of lifelong learning.
Educators on all levels need to embrace the Web portfolio as a tool, regardless
of their discipline. As a tool, it should be mastered by teachers and taught to
students within the appropriate contexts of their disciplines. If a student creates
an art portfolio, it has a structure and presentation style that will focus on the
artwork and the skills of the artist. If the portfolio is for a student in the discipline
of English, the portfolio should focus on the writings and literature aptitude of
the creator. In his personal case study on Web-based portfolios for technology
education, Professor Mark E. Sanders (2000) states that:
“The information age is not just a cliché-we're living it! Global networked
information systems such as the World Wide Web are changing nearly every
aspect of our lives. These technologies should be prominent within our
curriculum. Often, they are not. Web-based portfolios offer a meaningful way
