What is an ePortfolio?

First, it is important to define what an ePortfolio is.  An e-portfolio is a “digitized collection or artifacts, including demonstrations, resources, and accomplishments that represent an individual, group, community, organization, or institution” (Lorenzo & Ittelson, 2005).  Baston (2010) added that “ePortfolios, as tools, allow students to have their own set of management tools that they control and own so their learning is longitudinal instead of episodic.”   

 

Assesments of Learning or Assessments for Learning?

To identify the differences between assessments of learning and assessments for learning, I reviewed the text Growing success: Assessment, evaluation, and reporting in Ontario schools.  Assessment for learning, which is commonly referred to as formative and diagnostic assessments, is the “use of a task or an activity for the purpose of determining student progress during a unit or block of instruction.”  Further, assessment for learning embeds assessment processes throughout the teaching and learning process to constantly adjust instructional strategy” (Siedlecki, 2012).   

 

On the other hand, assessment of learning is the use of a task or an activity to measure, record and report on a student's level of achievement in regards to specific learning expectations. These are often known as summative assessments.  Moreover, assessment of learning involves “looking at assessment information at the end of the teaching and learning process to rank students’ achievement levels against a standard…it is summative in nature and typically involves standardized tests” (Siedlecki, 2012). 

 

EPortfolios are beneficial as they can serve as both a formative and summative assessment.  Baston noted that with ePortfolios, teachers can “move from this very thin and veiled domain of grades based largely on tests to the colorful, detailed, and informative domain of evidence-based learning (EBL)” (Grush, 2012). 

 

Baston added: It is also possible--and maybe even likely--to fundamentally transform the academic structure, literally to create a new form. This new educational form is structured around a core evidence-based learning (EBL) paradigm. In this new form, grades are based on evaluating ePortfolios, not on tests. It is based, not on how much a student remembers of what the professor said, but on actual evidence of student learning gathered with the help of the professor. (Grush, 2012).

 

Lifelong and Lifewide Learning

One of the benefits of an ePortfolio is that it can continue with you throughout your progression in school.  This affords the learner the opportunity to document what they have learned throughout their schooling and provides an extra level of assessment so that educators can not only see the progression of the student for a particular grade but throughout their schooling.  One thing that comes to mind is high school social studies.  I never understood why U.S. History up to Reconstruction was taught in 8th grade, and then U.S. History post-Reconstruction had to wait until 11th grade.  Schools could coordinate between the two grades to establish an ePortfolio for students to where they can continue their progression through high school social studies and include information they have learned throughout the subjects, especially the two U.S. History courses.  With that said, I agree with Siedlecki’s (2012) comment that “only when we stop doing assessment to students or for students and do assessment with students will we truly be building their intellectual independence and ability to think critically” (Siedlecki, 2012).

 

References

 

Baston, T. (2010).  A profundly disruptive technology.  Retrieved from

http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2010/07/28/A-Profoundly-Disruptive-Technology.aspx?Page=1

 

Growing success: Assessment, evaluation, and reporting in Ontario schools (1st ed.).  Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growSuccess.pdf

 

Grush, M. (2012).  AAEEBL: It’s all about evidence-based learning – supported by ePortfolios.  Retrieved from http://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/02/15/evidence-based-learning-supported-by-eportfolios.aspx

 

Lorenzo, G. & Ittelson, J. (2005).  An Overview of E-Portfolios.  Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3001.pdf.

 

Siedlecki, J. (2012).  Education testing: Assessment of learning versus assessment for learning.  Retrieved from http://www.msdf.org/blog/2012/05/education-testing-assessment-of-learning-versus-assessment-for-learning/

 

From "Reading Discussion #3", ETEC 524, Spring 2015.