Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Sample E-Portfolio Proposal
The development of an electronic portfolio initiative project requires you to
develop a proposal and submit it for approval. There are many facets to an
effective proposal. Concerns surrounding the development of electronic port-
folio and Web portfolio program may include server space questions, level of
student involvement, portfolio design concerns, access questions, actual level
faculty involvement, and other issues involving security and plagiarism. These
concerns are extremely important to address with context of each individual
institutions staff and resources. It may be difficult to address all issues within a
proposal due to the fact that problems are emergent and we can never really
anticipate what may or may not happen next. This is especially true in the case
of technology and learning. So I have attempted to create a foundation proposal
that may be altered and submitted to an academic affairs officer to begin to
explain the value of a Web portfolio program and importance of instituting
university wide electronic portfolio initiatives. In the proposal, I do not attempt
to outline extensive budgets and resources needed for hosting student and
faculty Web portfolios. I omit this information because in most situations the
university will turn to the IT department for guidance, clearance, and support
of such initiatives. Instead, the proposal outlines some general curriculum
scenarios that can be used as suggestions that are intended to focus on user
needs and not on technical infrastructure. Technical infrastructure issues will be
handled by IT and final usage by users will probably end up somewhere in
between what you wanted and what the IT department wanted in the way of
access and space. Most importantly, in the proposal sample I focused on
rationale, objectives, and initial staff concerns. These items can be understood
by an academic officer without being overly technical and should ultimately
provide a clear picture of how and why an electronic and Web portfolio
initiative project will benefit faculty, students, and the institution. Use this
proposal as a basis for your own proposal focusing on how the program can
be part of technological curriculum integration across disciplines.
The proposal is one part of creating the Web portfolio program and an
electronic portfolio initiative. Getting support is another part of the process
which requires you to seek out faculty who are interested in getting involved in
the initiative and those who want to take the time to learn how to develop Web
portfolios so that they can teach and mentor students in their disciplines. The
interweaving of faculty and student activities in building a successful Web
portfolio program is crucial to getting support from academic affairs for the
