Identity and e-portfolios

A short stimulus presentationJISC-CETIS conference2006-11-14Simon GrantJISC-CETIS Portfolio SIG joint coordinator

Identity...

Discussion between Scott and myself dwelt on: Some people like to have a unitary identity Other people like to keep different identities apart Tools should not make it easy for one of these groups while

neglecting the other

... and e-portfolios

E-portfolio services are all to do with personal information management & presentation

If people like to keep identities separate then they will want to manage their e-portfolio information in line with these separate identities

In this way, they will (easily) be able to present appropriate information to different groups of people

Presentation of self in everyday life

What we want to present to different audiences typically varies along with the identity we wish to project while with that audience

(Goffman: playing “parts” in various “performances”) Several things often go together

the typical kinds of setting one is in the people one is with, along with their values the role(s) one takes on the values one expresses by words or deeds one's clothing, grooming, posture, manner, etc.

Personal appearance

can be an indicator of a change of context, in a sense that relates to identity would we be “presentable” to that audience?

“I wouldn't want them to see me like this...” Formality – informality is just one dimension Conformance to values and expectations is closer to

the point

Personal identity context

This is a link concept to focus this area of work Meaning: all those things which often go together

setting, group, role, values... Together with a sense of “propriety”

proper in one context may not be proper in another What information, about oneself, in one context,

would one not want people in another context to know?

People may have some choice about the granularity of distinction between contexts

Personal ethical development (1)

Proto-identity rooted in family / carers & upbringing Perry: dualism

Exposure to other contexts with different values, e.g. School, official activities Peer group, playground, “locker room”, gangs, crowds Back channel interactions in formal settings Work (with wide internal variety of contexts) Perry: multiplicity and relativism

Actual and potential conflict of values but this may only be slowly recognised Perry: danger of “retreat” or “escape”

Personal ethical development (2)

Working towards things like... Core values extending gradually across contexts Integrity, purposefulness Making choices in line with core values A positive learner identity across contexts Choice of educational institution / employer by values Ethical alignment leading to better engagement Using ethical profile to find congenial others

Perry: commitment within relativism Jourard: courage to be oneself with others (Need to check all this against Erik Erikson)

Technical implications

Information relating to personal identity contexts (or whatever term is used) needs to be stored and communicated by e-portfolio-related services if using tags, the tags need to be powerful

Personal identity context is very strongly implicated in permissions and presentation

Infrastructure is necessary for common terms when referring to values (as it is with competency)

Identity services could take personal identity context into account

Suggested questions to discuss

Can e-portfolio services and techniques help clarify and manage values, in this way, relevant to identity?

What infrastructure could support implementation? and what is needed for the e-Framework?

Are these identity issues related to other identity concepts, such as the technical ones?

Should personalisation include taking into account people's personal identity contexts?

Which issues merit being discussed further at a meeting on identity in April?