In the December article of the month, Dr. Helen C. Barrett outlines a vision of e-Portfolios as "stories of development". Her notion is based on the concept of a "Lifetime Personal Web Space', as proposed by Cohn and Hibbits in Beyond the Elecgtronic Portfolio: A Lifetime Personal web Space (Educational Review, October 2004). The article considers extrinsic and intrinsic motivation for the creation of a portfolio (or an expansion of the e-Portfolio concept) and the need for learners to be in control of their own digital archive. It explores some existing and projected technologies to provide access control by family, friends, educational institutions, instructors, employers, etc. and recognizes the potential contributions afforded by the social aspect of an online portfolio, such as feedback and collaboration. Dr. Barrett asks, "How will we move from institutional portfolios to lifetime personal websites?", and concludes that the bigger challenge will be socio-cultural, not technological.
We hope this article will generate some thoughts about the use of e-Portfolios and the relevance of a personal learning space.
