Педагогические науки/4. Стратегические направления реформирования системы образования

Natalia Shumskaya

Belarusian National Technical University, Minsk, Republic of Belarus

EPortfolio for education and self-education

The process of informatization of teaching and learning is an integral part of the changes in the whole society. Providing of open and free access to the education for life-long learning and regarding to a person’s interests, abilities and demands have become one of the bases for the construction of “the knowledge-based society” [4]. Implementation of information technologies in the educational and self-educational process provides more successful performance of the whole system of under-graduate and post-graduate training and further education of a specialist.

EPortfolio is a quick, convenient and reliable way to outline the rout for further education, to tell as many people as possible about professional progress, to show skills. EPortfolio is used as a broadened resume that is to attract a future employer as it describes the current duties and the gained achievements. Individual educational routes, used in some universities, can also become a part of an ePortfolio. A lot of universities do not break off relations with the graduating students but cooperate with them, help to solve current problems, offer courses for further education; and ePortfolio acts as a mediator.

Good ePortfolio should contain some kind of reflection, as Helen Barrett, Doctor of Philosophy and an expert in blogs and ePortfolios, suppose “more of a retrospective as well as an argument, providing a rationale that a collection of work meets specific outcomes or goals (related to the goal of the portfolio)” [1]. Giving the possibility to place the information about achievements and also to plan the future development ePortfolio motivates and assists in reflection and self-assessment. To keep up motivation becomes possible when the creator of ePortfolio interprets the fulfilled work and plans the further professional growth. Visualization of the progress and plans in ePortfolio helps to notice the spheres which demand mastering or where some activities can be improved, and also it maintains self-control. Thus, ePortfolio creates conditions for self-actualization and self-expression, reflection on labor and educational activities, targeting success and professional development.

From the point of view of education the most valuable facility of an ePortfolio is assessment and self-assessment. Systemizing and analyzing of fulfilled work, qualifying evaluation have become a very simple job with ePortfolios. From the other hand the owner of the ePortfolio is able to show easily the evidences of his or her level of professionalism. Correct assessment involves analysis of the performance so it obviously helps to create the most appropriate individual educational route as it shows all shortcomings and lack of knowledge in certain fields. So it is essential that “goals for future learning, which are more prospective, provide a direction to pursue, and should also be part of a presentation portfolio” [1]. Possibility to plan the process of education is especially important in today’s world where almost all specialists have to continue to learn something new during all their lives. A lot of universities use ePortfolios for creation and outlining individual educational routes of their students. “Many of them will create their own content which can be massaged and developed through group participation. Ordinary people will become creators and producers. Learners will truly begin to take control.” [3, p.13] Personal enquiries can include not only the demands for the curriculum of a course but also for the time and method of providing. To ensure the diversity of forms and methods of study it is necessary to develop distant courses, besides full-day study. A student, in this case, has an opportunity to choose forms of study and to combine them. Possibility to influence on educational process improves motivation and develops self-assessment.

The effectiveness of education can be evaluated by a lot of criteria, but the most appropriate in our changing world would be the definition by Doctor of Philosophy Zenon Arthur Siloran Udani, “Aside from instruction, true education involves drawing out the best in people – “educing” what is latent in them, and helping them actualize their potentials” [2, p. 171]. EPortfolio with outlined individual educational route is, thereby, a distinctive mark of our society.

References:

1. Barrett, H., Balancing the Two Faces of ePortfolios. [Electronic resource] / Helen C. Barrett, Ph.D. – Mode of access: http://electronicportfolios.org/balance/ – Date of access: 10.12.2015

2. Education and Globalization. Edited by Tereso S. Tullao Jr. Philippine APEC Study Center Network and Philippine Institute for Development Studies. 2003. 336p.

3. Education for a Digital World: Advice, Guidelines, and Effective Practice from Around the Globe, 2nd Edition. [Electronic resource] – Province of British Columbia, 2011. / – Mode of access: https://www.google.by/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiilcH3nITMAhUKEpoKHa1gDzwQFggmMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Foasis.col.org%2Fbitstream%2Fhandle%2F11599%2F52%2FEducation_for_a_Digital_World.pdf%3Fsequence%3D1%26isAllowed%3Dy&usg=AFQjCNE5e76yNusThIhR8zbuLRHh7dFuXw&sig2=IBHaRgjrJiLGqdxfGQmIAQ – Date of access: 09.04.2016

4. Pathways into the Third Millenium: Society, Knowledge and Know-How. [Electronic resource] UNESCO / ICPHS International Symposium. 6-7 December, 2001. Instituto Italiano per gli Studi Filosofici. Naples, Italy. 20 с. / – Mode of access: https://www.google.by/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjVnL-k-4PMAhUEKpoKHZiKCEQQFggXMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Funesdoc.unesco.org%2Fimages%2F0012%2F001256%2F125670e.pdf&usg=AFQjCNHe166rltaWz_-e5IAzO7w75_-Z2g&sig2=WlB-Mztin-lKn-JIVfYZCA – Date of access: 09.04.2016