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e-Portfolio Platforms

Kago Desmond Monare

+E-portfolio platforms

+E-portfolio platforms

+E-portfolio platforms

E-Portfolios can be of use when recording personal development, it’s important to asses on which platform the user can get make the best impact.

There are so many different e-portfolio software providers out there, some focus directly on education, others aimed more at a corporate market, sometimes it can be hard to choose that can be hard to establish which is the best one to go with.

+E-portfolio platforms

The positive impact an e-portfolio can have, is clear. It helps the user to develop their own time management skills, by recording and logging the work they’re doing and the time it’s taken.

+Types of ePortfolio Platforms

Things that should be considered when selecting a platform, will they be any cost involved or training required before students/employees can make use of the e-portfolio system: Some platforms are protected by a licence which need to be purchased before the e-portfolio system can be developed, while others are open source and available for anyone to develop. Similarly, some formats are very easy to understand, while others might required staff to attend a training session.

+Types of ePortfolio Platforms

There are three types of platforms:

Proprietary Platforms

Open Source Platforms

Combined Platforms

+Proprietary Platforms

Most come with course management system and generally comes with hosted server, off site and on-site support is provided. They have to be paid for when using them, usually pricing differs from who is paying them and price will vary depending on:

number of users

storage space

level of customization

training and additional features.

Customization is limited

+Proprietary Platforms

Examples of Proprietary Platforms

Blackboard (http://blackboard.com)

Taskstream (https://taskstream.com)

Digication (http://digication.com)

Chalk and Wire (http://chalkandwire.com)

+Open Source Platforms

Open Source also known as homegrown are the best as they don’t have to be paid for. They are developed by source community and their coding are availed for any developers to contribute on. Customization is not restricted and they are developed in a way that make migrating content to other platforms is relatively easy. For maintenance they are easy to do because they are usually updates available online.

+Open Source Platforms

Examples of Open Source Platforms

Joomla (http://www.joomla.org)

Drupal (http://drupal.org)

Wordpress (http://wordpress.org)

The following are more created for Educational Use

Moodle (http://moodle.org)

Mahara (http://mahara.org)

Sakai OSP (http://sakaiproject.org)

+Combined Platforms

Combined Model, is mix and match of open source platform and proprietary platforms. The services can range from creating customized add-on features to a complete e-Portfolio package. This model will allow the user to be able to customize the e-portfolio.

+The right platform

There is not really best way to select a portfolio, this is because when selecting of the e-portfolio platform will depend on the purpose and thought. When creating the e-portfolio visuals are essential because the could be powerful in conveying information and it will attract more view ship to the project.

+Choosing a Platform

When choosing a platform they are aspects that should be looked at.

The strengths and weaknesses based on needs assessment.

Look at your target market or users. Example of Users/target can be Administrators, Faculty, Students, Employers ,Alumni, Counselors etc. What are the needs of the user looking at the tools on the platform.

Does the platform meet the needs of the user.

+Choosing a Platform

Specification of the platform should be taken in account, this could be the following:

Security Maintenance

Data Hosting Ownership

Features Customization

Ease of Use Interoperability

Support Cost

Company/ developer Community liability

+Choosing a Platform

The other most important aspect should be design and the look and feel. E-Portfolio should be appealing in design sense to anyone working on it, it should be creative and have a professional design and be useful for those who do not work in the creative sector.

+Choosing a Platform

Sweat-Guy & Buzzetto-More (2006) recommend that when choosing an electronic portfolio system it is important to Sweat-identify the following: the future users and uses, the desired benefits, whether the system will also serve as an online course management and delivery tool, technology requirements, cost, and what features are necessary to serve institutional/departmental objectives.

+Advantages and Disadvantages

A homegrown portfolio is one that is created by an institution and is customized to meet unique institutional needs; however, the creation process can be expensive, time consuming, and burdensome.

Open source portfolios are risky as the institution incurs costs, upgrades may not be timely, and the initiative may end disbanding the community of users.

Proprietary portfolios available for purchase from vendors are well developed and include technical support; however, they can be costly to purchase and the support service may be of poor quality and/or expensive.

+Conclusion

As a useful tool, the e-portfolio encourages reflection and critical thinking about one’s academic and professional growth. It also helps enhance students’   motivation and involvement and promote community collaboration and support for the related courses.

All the e-portfolio platforms can be used it all depends on what the institution, intend to do with the portfolios. With Combined platforms it becomes easy for management of the students content, because it taps on the both elements of Proprietary and open source platforms.

+Conclusion

There are any number of considerations that may influence the electronic portfolio adoption decision-making process. Uses, needs, and stratagem may vary and some features may be more important than others. As a result, when choosing an electronic portfolio system it is important to identify the following: the future users and uses, the desired benefits, whether the system will also serve as an online course management and delivery tool, technology requirements, cost, and what features are necessary to serve institutional/departmental objectives.