Title: Terminology
Course: Technology Applications

An electronic portfolio, also known as an e-portfolio or digital portfolio, is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the Web (also called Webfolio ). Such electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic files, images, multimedia , blog entries, and hyperlinks . E-portfolios are both demonstrations of the user's abilities and platforms for self-expression, and, if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time. Some e-portfolio applications permit varying degrees of audience access, so the same portfolio might be used for multiple purposes.

An e-portfolio can be seen as a type of learning record that provides actual evidence of achievement. Learning records are closely related to the Learning Plan , an emerging tool that is being used to manage learning by individuals, teams, communities of interest , and organizations. To the extent that a Personal Learning Environment captures and displays a learning record, it also might be understood to be an electronic portfolio.

Students have been taught to create digital identities using presentation software or tools to create web pages. Such technologies, however, are not easily utilized by children or elderly people who lack web authoring skills or a hosted site. More recently the use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) in schools and universities has led to an increased activity in the creation of e-portfolios for a variety of reasons. Most of these e-portfolios, however, are retained within the VLE and are not easily accessed outside the VLE. This results in problems of exporting data and related interoperability issues. An alternative approach is to use a system externally hosted to any institution. This permits transition through the various stages of education and employments and even into retirement.

E-portfolios, like traditional portfolios , can facilitate students' reflection on their own learning, leading to more awareness of learning strategies and needs. ^[1] Results of a comparative research between paper based portfolios and electronic portfolios in the same setting, suggest use of an electronic portfolio leads to better learning outcomes. ^[2

There are three main types of e-portfolios, although they may be referred to using different terms: developmental (e.g., working), reflective (e.g., learning), and representational (e.g., showcase). A developmental e-portfolio is a record of things that the owner has done over a period of time, and may be directly tied to learner outcomes or rubrics . A reflective e-portfolio includes personal reflection on the content and what it means for the owner's development. A representational e-portfolio shows the owner's achievements in relation to particular work or developmental goals and is, therefore, selective. When it is used for job application it is sometimes called Career portfolio .

The three main types may be mixed to achieve different learning, personal, or work-related outcomes with the e-portfolio owner usually being the person who determines access levels.

A major use of e-portfolios is for the assessment of National Vocational Qualifications [NVQ]. A number of providers such as www.nvqonline.co.uk and www.nvqs-direct.co.uk enable candidates to build portfolios which can be accessed by nominated assessors and verifiers from any internet access point. The e-portfolio does not make the gaining of the internationally recognized qualification easier, but it does make the whole process much more cost-effective.

Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms . The term can be used as a noun (a medium with multiple content forms) or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which only use traditional forms of printed or hand-produced material. Multimedia includes a combination of text , audio , still images , animation , video , and interactivity content forms.

This is from Wikipedia.com on August 18, 2009.