The Digital Me: Standards, Interoperability, and a Common Vocabulary Spell Progress for E-Portfolios

Abstract

E-portfolios are an NLII key theme because their use has the potential to transform teaching and learning so that it is more learner-centered and outcomes-oriented. As our technical capacity grows and we become more and more able to collect, store, manipulate, and share information digitally-and as students develop the skills necessary to produce their portfolios in electronic formats-e-portfolios become a potentially vital part of students' permanent records and of their own learning management. E-portfolios are also beginning to be used by faculty and at the institutional level as part of accreditation review.

Issues that arise include how to design to improve student institutional learning, privacy issues, ownership issues, technical standards and interoperability, management of distributed digital repositories, and impact on registrars and student services at institutions of higher education. This article highlights several electronic portfolio projects, including the ePortConsortium (initiated by IUPUI, the Collaboratory at Northwestern University, the Catalyst Project at University of Washington, and University of Wisconsin - Madison. NLII activity in electronic portfolio research is also covered.