Informing principles

In August 2007 the USQ ePortfolio Working Group recommended that USQ should provide an ePortfolio solution for both its students and staff. This recommendation has since been adopted as a key strategy by the Program Revitalisation Project (a subproject of the Realising our Potential Project) and Academic Board.

The ePortfolio is a digital repository which can document the personal, academic and professional learning journey of an individual. The ePortfolio assists individuals to reflect on and present their experiences and planning, and demonstrate how these elements may interconnect. The owner of the ePortfolio can publish multiple "views" of their ePortfolio to demonstrate their achievements and experiences to different people.

The following guiding principles will be used in the project:

• an ePortfolio is a "process" (a way of planning, doing, communicating with a purpose and reflecting) and not a static product or a technology.

• the ePortfolio must be better than paper based alternatives

• the ePortfolio must be fit for the context in which they are used (staff or student, entering the university or leaving the university, discipline specific requirements).

• the ePortfolio must be centred around the employee, their goals and achievements

• ideally able to be used for recording and reflecting on life-long and life-wide learning as appropriate

• There must be flexibility and ease of use both in the creation and maintenance of the ePortfolio

• provide easy way for ePortfolio owner to publish multiple different views of their ePortfolio

• the use of the ePortfolio needs to be continually evaluated against staff expectations and needs

• people should be guided in the use of the ePortfolio with specific templates

• the ePortfolio should allow the use of external web 2.0 type applications where the student has the need and the ability to do so.

• copyright, ethical and human recourse issues must be considered

• the server space for each ePortfolio may need to be limited

Goals

The following goals will be addressed:

• Alignment with Human Resources policies

• Alignment with the A1- Course and Program Management System for recording teaching

Strategic alignment

Fits with the

• Faculty Teaching and learning plans

• Program Revitalisation Project

• Reports to the USQStudyDesk User Reference Group

• Input to the ICT Strategy Committee

Details of university support for an 18 month period

The following groups have been formed:

ePortfolio reference group

(active in 2007 and produced a report at end of 2007)

Michael Sankey (LTSU) Chair ePRG; Shirley Reushle (FOE, & DICTS), Birgit Loch (FOS), Jacquie McDonald (LTSU), Peter McIlveen (Student Services), Maggie Fryer (DICTS), Wei Xiang (FOES & DICTS), Marilyn Dorman (LTSU), , Madeline Fisher (Fraser Coast), Joseph Mula (FOB), Cec Pedersen (FOB), Jill Scanlan (FOS), Selvan Pather (FOES), Robyn Tweedale (Library), Cassandra Star (FOB), Jill Lawrence (FOA), Maree Toombs (Kumbari), Lorelle Burton (FOS), Petrea Redmond (FOE), Kevin Stapleton (Student Guild), Katrina Bidgood (LTSU) , Rod St Hill (DofS), Russel Vidler (DICTS)

ePortfolio working party

Peter Evans (chair), Sara Hammer, Rod St Hill, Jill Lawrence, Janelle Martin, Russell Vidler, Michael Sankey, Joseph Mula, Nick Todd; Penny Richards

Tasks, timelines & budgets

Total Resources/ Budget Required

Level B Academic (.2)

Required documentation and policy rewriting

Responsibilities of staff and students in creating and using ePortfolios

Infrastructure

• ICT infrastructure

• Human Resources infrastructure

• What information will flow from the USQ HR database to the ePortfolio and at what stage is it required

• How will this information be edited by the ePortfolio owner

Training

How to use the ePortfolio

Legal and ethical issues

Professional development requirements

• Embed in the USQ/HR induction process

• Development of online modules to support staff using ePortfolios

• How to use ePortfolio in teaching

Scholarship opportunities

Papers in the following areas:

• Integration with the Australian ePortfolio project

• ePortfolios and life long and life-wide learning

• ePortfolios and institutional capacity and community engagement

• ePortfolios and HR processes

Communication plan

Evaluation strategies

• Usage statistics

• Creators

• Readers

• Use of ePortfolios to support grant applications, promotions, and other aspects of the universities work

• Feedback from the ePortfolio user group

• Feedback from creators of the ePortfolio

• Feedback from the users of the ePortfolio

• Surveys

• Academic staff

• General staff