“These Pages Are Now Open For Comment”: Targeting Templates, Quizzes and Feedback in e-Portfolios

In 2010, the University of Reading received JISC funding for a project called DEVELOP, aimed at building on existing VLE development work and good practice. The project has developed a series of "widgets", which in the first instance operate with and within Blackboard but which might also be adapted for other VLEs and systems. In January 2011, part of the DEVELOP Project Team presented on our plans and work-in-progress at the Durham Blackboard User‘s conference. Since then, we have been finalising developments, working with staff on additional user requirements, and piloting the current versions of the tools with students. One widget we have developed enabled students to create e-portfolios with all the pages they needed for their assessments ready-inserted. This widget not only automates the creation process but guides the user through the various steps needed to share and maintain their e-portfolio too. This guidance is bespoke and open to alterations depending on the requirements of the course. A feedback widget we are currently in the process of implementing allows tutors to comment on or annotate specific parts of their students‘ e-portfolios, allowing for targeted feedback. Rather than restricting comments to one area, we have effectively opened up the whole e-portfolio to commenting. This has raised some interesting questions as to where else this sort of tool might be useful and to what its limitations are and how they might be overcome. Finally, we have been making plans for an export widget would allow students to download their portfolio in an open and standards-compliant format. Though development for this is now planned for a later date, the questions it raises will likely be of interest to anyone who has worked with e-portfolios before. We are now ready to start disseminating our initial findings, demonstrating the tools, and describing how they are being used. While other widgets for video and tagging were developed, this talk will focus mainly on the experience of users of the eportfolio tools and their feedback on this innovative use of Blackboard. By providing students with ready-made structures and templates, easing the delivery of feedback, and enabling students to take their work away for future use, the project has endeavoured to make e-portfolio technology less of a hindrance and more of a help. However, this talk will also address where the project has fallen short and what the future might hold for e-portfolio use at ReadingRead less