Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
one in three undergraduate students activate their Web portfolio and use it for
academic reflection and professional purposes. The Dutton Institute and Penn
State's e-portfolio initiative are highlighted further in this chapter.
During interviews with students and faculty members who have created Web
portfolios, I discovered some interesting themes that included fear of copyright
infringement, technical worries, and lack of process knowledge. These themes
encompass problems and positive events that shaped each Web portfolio
authors experiences and these are also discussed later in the chapter.
Also in this chapter, a Web-based e-portfolio program proposal sample is
included to give you a head start on creating a proposal for your institution or
program. The sample is based on criteria for new technology proposals
distributed by an academic vice president at a four-year university. It is not
meant to be a one-size-fits-all proposal. It is meant to give structure to
developing an initial program concept. Proposal adaptation based on disci-
pline, industry, and curriculum would certainly be needed.
Finally, electronic portfolios are widely seen in the discipline of education. This
chapter provides observations of teacher Web portfolios which include all
levels of educators from elementary through higher education. These cases
seem to have exemplary qualities that fit the teacher Web portfolio and can be
transcended into the creation of Web portfolios in any discipline. The goal of
examining these cases is to identify important components in the Web portfolios
of teachers that represent evidence of professional development, project and
skill sets, and persuasion. These teacher Web portfolio cases are effective
models for use in any discipline.
Web Portfolio Program Case
Penn State University provides an interesting case on Web portfolios. David
DiBiase leads the E-education Institute in the College of Earth and Mineral
Sciences. Professor DiBiase has initiated a policy for all of his students in the
Earth and Mineral Sciences Program (EMS) to create a Web portfolio of
assignments in his geographic information sciences undergraduate course.
Dibiase (2003, p. 1) requires students in the course to “publish” assignments
in e-portfolios because he believes that “the information technology skills and
reflective attitudes they develop in the process are both valuable learning
