Organizing e-Portfolio Contents

Yesterday, I introduced my 14-year-old son to the idea of electronic portfolios. I had already spent the previous day creating my own digital archive (with Google Docs) and website (with Google Sites). I familiarized myself with the way the tools worked as I went along. I also considered some philosophical arguments for the potential of e-portfolios, such as Dr. Barrett's "Balancing the Two Faces of E-Portfolios" and an Educause Quarterly article on a "lifetime personal Web space (LPWS)" (Cohn and Hibbitts, 2004). The latter article by Cohn and Hibbitts raised several questions that I would like to see answered before I become a staunch e-portfolio advocate, specifically:

• "Where is the body of rigorous, research-based evidence that supports the e-portfolio as a pedagogical and presentational tool?" (Or, perhaps more relevantly, what research has been done since their article was published in 2004?) 
• "From a cost-benefit perspective, is it prudent to commit . . . student resources to a time-consuming process . . . ?" (A question I fully expected my pragmatic son would ask me.)
• "Do we know for certain that graduating students who bring electronic portfolios to their job [or college admission] interviews will be more competitive than students who furnish paper-based portfolios?" 

For now, I'm willing to try e-portfolios because the arguments in favor of using them are sufficiently persuasive. My goal in proposing the idea to my son was twofold: to see how he would respond to the arguments in favor of e-portfolios and, assuming he was persuaded, to see what process he would use to create one.

Content Ownership and Privacy Concerns

I am in the process of creating a digital archive of the written work I created while in the Master of Arts in Professional Writing program. I have decided to use Google Docs to store my collection of work, which primarily includes files in Word (.doc or .docx) and PDF. Based on my experience with Google Docs thus far, the application seems easy to use and well-suited to a Web 2.0 portfolio environment. Best of all, the price is right: free for my current low-volume needs. I also feel encouraged by the Data Liberation Front, which appears to offer an escape hatch from Google if I decide to move my digital archive elsewhere.


However, in spite of all the advantages, I still have some reservations about using Google apps, because the Google Terms of Service include the following statements about "Content license from you" (Section 11):

Working Portfolio vs. Presentation Portfolios

During the past week, I have learned that there are different types of portfolios, created to serve difference purposes and audiences. Broadly, the two main types are presentation portfolios and working portfolios.

A presentation portfolio is a showcase of collected works. Most of the writing portfolios available to the public on the internet seem to be presentation portfolios. Many were created by freelance journalists who are marketing their skills with persuasive "hire me" messages. When I create a presentation portfolio, I plan to include samples of my best work, selected to impress a specific audience. While I may add brief descriptions of individual artifacts to explain why I included them in the portfolio, the main function of my presentation portfolio will be to attract prospective employers.

In contrast, the most important reason for maintaining a working portfolio is to enhance learning. Essentially, a working portfolio is a tangible manifestation of the abstract theories of constructivism. According to constructivism theory, "people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences" (from "Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning," one of many sources on the topic). Meaningful, long-term knowledge isn't acquired by passively listening to a lecture and parroting back what was said. As learners, we need to be actively involved, integrating new information in our own way. That's where the working portfolio comes in. Students can use portfolios as a tool for learning, reflecting on their own understanding of who they are, what they know, and where they see themselves heading. Teachers, mentors, and homeschooling parents—all of us who aspire to become "guides alongside"—can use working portfolios to examine personal and professional goals, reflect on the learning process, and evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches.

Dr. Cheryl E. Ball's Digital Media Scholarship

Dr. Cheryl E. Ball, Associate Professor of New Media Studies

I am grateful to one my classmates (you know who you are) for bringing this portfolio to my attention because it serves as a wonderful example of both layout and process when it comes to electronic portfolios and digital media scholarship.

Getting the Most Out of an Education, and Documenting the Results

As someone who returned to graduate school relatively late in life, I knew exactly what I wanted from a master's degree program: a flexible schedule and course of study, faculty with relevant expertise, and challenging assignments. I was willing to pay for instruction and guidance, but only if I could get it on my own terms. The traditional model of faculty lectures and textbook exams wouldn't be enough for me. If I wanted lectures, I could find those online for free. I could also select and read textbooks without assistance. What I needed was "a guide on the side," someone who would respond to questions and push me harder than I would push myself.


In 2009, I enrolled in the online Master of Arts in Professional Writing program at New England College, and it has suited me well. Each course in the program has allowed me to tailor the assignments to suit my own interests and aptitudes while also encouraging me to try different writing styles and genres. The assignments have stretched me beyond the limits of what I would have done on my own, and I have received meaningful feedback from wise mentors. Now, as I work on my capstone project (an electronic portfolio), I have an opportunity to reflect on the program and present some of my work.


At the same time, I am also considering how homeschooled high school students might use electronic portfolios for personal assessments or formal evaluations. As someone who has been homeschooling my own children since 1997 and providing support for other homeschoolers for many years (see my website), I can imagine how electronic portfolios could be a valuable tool for homeschoolers. 

Introduction, or How This Blog Got Its Name

The name of my blog, Guide Alongside, is derived from advice I encountered repeatedly when I began reading about how to improve online course instruction for higher education:

Be a "guide on the side," not a "sage on the stage." 

The phrase first appeared in an article written by Alison King for the journal College Teaching (Vol. 41, 1993). The full title of the article is "From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side."In the article, King uses "sage on the stage"to describe the old-school style of instruction, also known as the "transmittal" model, wherein a professor lectures to students who are expected to memorize and repeat back what they hear. This model assumes students are passive recipients, dependent on teachers for their learning. In contrast, a "guide on the side" encourages students to become actively involved in their own learning process. Such a teacher provides resources, asks thoughtful questions, and facilitates further investigation. King argues that this latter form of instruction encourages critical thinking and creative problem solving, essential skills for students in the twenty-first century.

This idea of mentoring, of collaborating with students rather than lecturing at them, reflects my point of view when it comes to home education, lifelong learning, and professional writing. 

In the posts that follow, I plan to elaborate on this idea as part of my reflective journal for a Master of Arts in Professional Writing capstone project. I will be documenting my experiences as I prepare an electronic portfolio with Dr. Helen Barrett as my "guide on the side."