Pereira de Eça, M.T.T. (2005) ‘Using Portfolios for External Assessment: An Experiment in Portugal’ International Journal of Art and Design Education

Pereira de Eça, M.T.T. (2005) ‘Using Portfolios for External Assessment: An Experiment in Portugal’ International Journal of Art and Design Education, [online] 24 (2), pp209-218 Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=12&hid=17&sid=777a562f-9e26-4aa2-b4bd-69173d0ad022%40SRCSM2 (accessed 22 October 2007)

The article describes the findings of an initiative to assess single portfolios for secondary level art and design students. Portfolios are described as being any of a folder, exhibition, work-journal, CD, webpage. The assessment criteria used are significant, as they are indicative of the needs of the course, align with the needs of the subject culture, but are also acknowledged as being “subject to common interpretation by users.” (p.211) These were:

• Record personal ideas, intentions, experiences, information and opinions in visual and other forms.
• Critically analyse sources from visual culture showing understanding of purposes, meanings and contexts.
• Develop ideas through purposeful experimentation, exploration and evaluation.
• Present a coherent and organised sample of works and a final product revealing a personal and informed response that realises their intentions.
• Evaluate and justify the qualities of the work.

The findings describe the positive aspects of this experiment; “The assessment instrument integrated a wide range of methods of inquiry, media and domains of art and design,, allowing students o develop personal projects in which they could personalise social issues and reveal important cognitive and metacognitive skills.” (p.213) It is interesting that these themes have emerged in light of activity that did not specify portfolio mode.

What this did surface however was a highly significant observation pertaining to the representation of student work in digital modes: “Digital reproductions of students’ studio art works are not appropriate for fully appreciating and discussing the visual characteristics of portfolios, expect perhaps when the student’s chosen media is itself digital.” (p.214)

Richardson, H.C., & Ward, R. (2005) Developing and Implementing a Methodology for Reviewing E-Portfolio Products, The Centre for Recording Acheivement

Richardson, H.C., & Ward, R. (2005) Developing and Implementing a Methodology for Reviewing E-Portfolio Products, The Centre for Recording Acheivement

The report focuses on the available e-portfolio products and begins to classify their designed uses. Within this are included tools for PDP (the majority are designed for this use), assessment management, and presentational tools. “We found that most systems have been developed for a particular age or stage of learning.” This also implies that the tools lack flexibility and are designed with specific uses in mind.

The findings reported also indicate that the majority of tools had low levels of personalisation in their functionality stating that, “very few systems currently support learner selected screen display preference settings.” (p.14) This was identified as a key issue and is significant in terms of student ownership of their content.

Spendlove, D. & Hopper, M. (2006) ‘Using ‘Electronic Portfolios’ to Challenge Current Orthodoxies in the Presentation of an Initial Teacher Training Design and Technology Activity’ International Journal of Technology & Design Education

Spendlove, D. & Hopper, M. (2006) ‘Using ‘Electronic Portfolios’ to Challenge Current Orthodoxies in the Presentation of an Initial Teacher Training Design and Technology Activity’ International Journal of Technology & Design Education, [online] 16 (2), pp177-191 Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=101&sid=2bdd4244-5c85-48ae-9785-f6e19a7cfad4%40SRCSM2 (accessed 24 July 2007)

Spendlover and Hopper’s article describes the way that they see the use of e-portfolios for presenting an initial teacher training design and technology activity. As such, the content has a significant emphasis on presentation of a design process. In this context, the authors state that the primary use for an e-portfolio is for “reflective, design practice within a structured educational design challenge.”

Additionally, there is recognition of this output being of use in terms of employability, so it’s significance related to our wider context is of presentation of capabilities for employability. Interestingly, the findings report that “The majority of undergraduates within the group had completed courses at Advanced level in their chosen discipline and arrived at university with a firmly established perception of the ‘legitimised’ purpose, content and mode of presentation of the ‘design portfolio’.” (p.181) This adds substance to the understanding that practitioners are heavily influenced by their subject culture, and here, as to what they see as culturally (subject) valid for their peer and employer networks.

Lane, C. (2007) The Power of ‘E’: Using E-Portfolios to Build Online Presentation Skills Innovate: Journal of Online Education

Lane, C. (2007) The Power of ‘E’: Using E-Portfolios to Build Online Presentation Skills Innovate: Journal of Online Education [Online] Avaiable at: http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=369 (accessed December 3 2007)

Lane introduces this paper by describing the tension of comparing paper-based portfolios to e-portfolios suggesting that this comparison alone is an inadequate way of demonstrating the potential of an e-portfolio. She also mentions that, at the other end of the scale, “in contrast to online environments [web 2.0 – social networks], e-portfolios provide academic and professional web spaces.”, and takes time in the article to differentiate the two.

The article also voices some interesting observations that seem to stem largely from attention being paid to the student perspective. It suggests the skills which students think an e-portfolio will help them develop are actually multimedia and web design skills. These presentational facets are acknowledged by the author, “The software employed must offer some level of student control over design.” Lane goes on to say, “If students are able to choices in the development of their e-portfolio – either scaffolded by a tool that provides options or in a freeform authoring environment – they have a valuable opportunity to learn how to best present themselves and their work.”

Adams, J. (2007) ‘Artists Becoming Teachers: Expressions of Identity Transformation in a Virtual Forum’ International Journal of Art and Design Education, 26 (3), pp264-273.

Adams, J. (2007) ‘Artists Becoming Teachers: Expressions of Identity Transformation in a Virtual Forum’ International Journal of Art and Design Education, 26 (3), pp264-273.

Although the article focuses on art and design graduate’s identities as they train to become teachers, it does highlight a parallel challenge associated with the ways of working with e-learning technologies – VLE or e-portfolio; “There are problems of expression that are brought about by the juxtaposition of visually and spatially adept artist-learners constrained within a largely textual environment.” (p.264)

In discussing identities of the artists and designers, the author refers to the idea that personalisation may only exist through social interaction. So this expression has manifested itself in the social aspects of forum conversation in the virtual learning environment, despite the constraints of a text-oriented interface.

Gillham, B. & McGilp, H. (2007) ‘Recording the Creative Process: An Empirical Basis for Practice-Integrated Research in the Arts’ International Journal of Art and Design Education, 26 (2), pp177-184

Gillham, B. & McGilp, H. (2007) ‘Recording the Creative Process: An Empirical Basis for Practice-Integrated Research in the Arts’ International Journal of Art and Design Education, 26 (2), pp177-184

The article explores the use of ‘creative process journals’ (CPJs) to record the practice-integrated research activity in the creative arts as a formal research tool. Although the emphasis is on how this concept can be used for research purposes, there are clear fundamental parallels between this and creative portfolios in terms of practitioners, and presentation of process. As a caveat to that statement however, the authors state that their discussion is discrete to that of journals “primarily concerned with ‘reflection’ and self-analysis.” (p.178) Instead they talk about the “detailed description to provide the raw data for critical interpretation.”

The authors comment on the differences between research through synthesis and through analysis, suggesting that art and design researchers are inclined to the former. The function of the CPJ therefore would be to provide an account for which analytical interpretation can occur. Within this, there are experiences identified that relate to the need for accurate representation of journal content in order for the analysis to take place in context.

Gardner, H. (2006) Five Minds for the Future, Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press

Gardner, H. (2006) Five Minds for the Future, Boston MA: Harvard Business School Press

The author reflects on five discrete ‘minds’ that equate to skills for life. Each of the skills is discussed as a grounded concept and distilled into an anticipated requirement for survival in the future of learning and employment.

“- The disciplined mind has mastered at least one way of thinking – a distinctive modes of cognition that characterizes a specific scholarly discipline, craft, or profession.

- The synthesizing mind takes information from disparate sources, understands and evaluates that information objectively, and puts it together in ways that make sense to the synthesizer and to other persons.

- The creating mind breaks new ground. It puts forth new ideas, poses unfamiliar questions, conjures up Fresh ways of thinking, arrives at unexpected answers.

- The respectful mind notes and welcomes differences between human individuals and between human groups, tries to understand these ‘others’, and seeks to work effectively with them.

- The ethical mind ponders the nature of one’s work and the needs and desires of the society in which one lives. The mind conceptualizes how workers can serve purposes beyond self-interest and how citizens can work unselfishly to improve the lot of all.” (p.3)

Gardner, H. (1993) Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons, Revised Ed. New York: Basic

Gardner, H. (1993) Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons, Revised Ed. New York: Basic

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory challenges the traditional idea of what intelligence is and how it can be measured. The author argues that by using a method such as an IQ test, the multi-faceted cognitive capabilities of individuals is being overlooked, and as such he proposes a series of intelligences that each of us possess, but with variable strengths and weaknesses. The theory proposes that “intellectual profiles” are unique because of the infinite range of experiences that individuals are exposed to.

The intelligences described are:
• Musical Intelligence
• Bodily-Kinaesthetic Intelligence
• Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
• Linguistic Intelligence
• Spatial Intelligence
• Interpersonal Intelligence
• Intrapersonal Intelligence

Dillon, S. & Brown, A. (2006) ‘The Art of E-Portfolios: Insights from the Creative Arts Experience’ In Jafari, A. & Kaufman, C. (Eds.) Handbook of Research on E-Portfolios pp420-433 Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference

Dillon, S. & Brown, A. (2006) ‘The Art of E-Portfolios: Insights from the Creative Arts Experience’ In Jafari, A. & Kaufman, C. (Eds.) Handbook of Research on E-Portfolios pp420-433 Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference

The authors aim to examine the creative production context in order to reveal challenges potentially encountered using portfolios in the creative arts through case studies in diverse creative fields. Initially there is an acknowledgement of the “intensive media-rich nature of creative production contexts” being a significant challenge for electronic portfolio use. The article goes on to describe the generic elements of traditional creative arts portfolios to represent the intrinsic creative processes associated:

“When creative product and experience are textualised, the explanation is privileged over a representation of the knowledge itself in its original symbolic form. Artefacts of artistic practice can be organized into a system that documents creative practice in a way that combines both the experience of the work and the explanation of the work to provide a rigorous, accountable, and compelling presentation of the work.” (p.421)

The trend for multimedia richness made possible and driven by technology, is suggested to “level the playing field” for contexts beyond the creative arts (there is a historical and cultural tendency for prioritising text and numerical modes of description). The authors highlight ways in which multimedia can be utilised to extrude metaphors for creative arts, citing music and the performing arts’ temporal nature as being well suited to such outputs.

A key question raised is; “Is the artefact of the production sufficiently representative of the quality of the work?” A focus on understanding subjects and the tools and processes intrinsic to them is provided as a basis for a solution; “Understanding the ways of knowing within a discipline is critical to the effective use of ePortfolios, and understanding within creative arts is tightly bound with the mediums of those practices.” (p.431)

Higher Education Academy (2006b) Student Employabiliy Profile Template – Art and Design Generic Employability Competencies, The Higher Education Academy.

Higher Education Academy (2006b) Student Employabiliy Profile Template – Art and Design Generic Employability Competencies, The Higher Education Academy. [Online] Available at http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Main_menu___Research/Student_employability/p!efbLLca (accessed 24 July 07)

The employability profile for art and design has been extracted from the HEA’s Student Employability Profiles: A guide for Higher Education Practitioners. The profile template maps subject benchmark indicators developed by the Quality Assurance Agency to six skill sets:

• Cognitive Skills; The ability to identify, and solve problems, work with information and handle a mass of diverse data, assess risk and draw conclusions.
• Generic Competencies; High level and transferable key skills such as the ability to work with others in a team, communicate, persuade and interpersonal sensitivity.
• Personal Capabilities; The ability and desire to learn for oneself and improve ones self-awareness, emotional intelligence and performance. To be a self-starter (creativity, decisiveness, initiative) and to finish the job (flexibility, adaptability, tolerance to stress).
• Technical Ability; For example, having the knowledge and experience of working with relevant modern technology.
• Business and/or Organisation Awareness; An appreciation of how businesses operate through having had (preferably relevant) work experience. Appreciation of organisational culture, policies and processes.
• Practical and Professional Elements; Critical evaluation of the outcomes of professional practice, reflect and review own practice, participate in and review quality control processes and risk management.