Portfolio related functionality

In Portfolio models of the Portfolio SIG

This page is for the recording of an inclusive list of functionality of systems (whether paper-based, software package, web-based service or otherwise) which are related to the e-portfolio concept in some way.

The aim is to have a list where the entries are as far as possible distinct and not overlapping, which can serve as the basis for evaluating systems in terms of the extent to which they provide that functionality.

If you wish to record a discussion point permanently, please do so under the discussion tab. Anything entered on this page is subject to editing or deletion, in order to integrate it with the rest of the text.

Logically categorised functions model
Here is a model, for critique and extension, where functions related to e-portfolios are thought of in four parts. The functions under consideration are functions of human as well as of computer systems. However, these four divisions are not very important, as different people classify things in different ways. The more important matter is the basic categories of function.

The idea of classifying the functions in this way is to be able to specify portfolio system requirements in general terms, and to profile portfolio systems. Thus, to be effective, it must be easy to rate systems against these functions. Does a system provide, or support, any one of these functions? If so, how?


 * 1) Firstly, there are the educational and motivational functions, which aren't specifically related to technology, but many people in the PDP area will be familiar with the general ideas involved. Technically-based people with no idea of PDP may not understand the passion with which PDP practitioners point out that the whole idea of e-portfolio technology is to support functions like these.
 * 2) Secondly, there are functions relating to the capturing and storage of relevant information, seen from a technical perspective. The details are given with the functions.
 * 3) Thirdly, there are functions relating to the elaboration and management of that information by the learner, thought of as an individual on their own in this context. Functions which involve the learners reflecting and substantially (mentally) processing the information come in this category.
 * 4) Lastly, there are several functions which centrally involve communication, which is a more diverse category.

Functions to do with education and motivation

 * Helping people to understand themselves.
 * This is a hugely significant area which is perhaps under-represented in current education. It could be seen as a core part of personal development, and is clearly linked to life coaching.


 * Educating about what others may want.
 * Employers; clients; customers; organizers of higher-level courses, etc.


 * Educating for providing evidence.
 * What counts as evidence or what, to whom, and how can it be provided?


 * Providing IAG about knowledge and skills.
 * What knowledge and skills are needed in any context in life in which the learner has an interest?


 * Providing relevant learning experiences.
 * This is, clearly, a vast area, which overlaps with education more generally, and cannot be clearly separated. In this context, it includes learning any relevant skills, learning how to reflect, learning how to do action planning, and many other things.


 * Motivating reflection.
 * What is the point of reflection?


 * Motivating goal setting and action planning.
 * What are the advantages of planning, with goals, over a more spontaneous approach to life?


 * Educating about potential dangers.

Functions to do with capture and storage

 * Capturing relevant information from system usage.
 * This kind of automatic capture is like logging software, that can record for example how much time has been spent editing a particular file.


 * Allowing contemporaneous recording by the learner (as events happen).
 * This is meant to mean the kind of recording that can be done with little thought, as a human equivalent to the machine's automatic capture. Learners making audio or video recordings is one of the possibilities here. Normally, this kind of contemporaneous records would need to be processed later, to provide useful long-term records.


 * Storing information in general, whether centrally or distributed.
 * Storage can be localised, centralised or distributed. It is increasingly becoming less important where exactly information is stored, as more storage is constantly networked.


 * Providing stored information properly and securely on request.
 * This, along with the previous function, could be seen as the territory of repositories.

Functions of elaborating and managing the information
These could be typical of software supporting individual PDP.
 * Allowing deletion and editing of the information stored.
 * This should be where permissible and appropriate: some items clearly should not be editable by the individual, if created by an institution or organisation about that individual. This includes exam results and transcripts; attendance and review records.


 * Facilitating asynchronous recording and reflection.
 * Even daily logs should be counted here, rather than in contemporaneous recording, because they involve reflection on the day's events, and thus mental processing. It's more than just jotting notes down as events pass.


 * Recording information relationships, and managing links.
 * Following on from the educative function of learning about evidence, one of the functions that needs to be provided here is to allow learners actually to link together claims and evidence for those claims. Many other kinds of link are possible and relevant, e.g. linking goals with the activities that contributed to those goals, though this could be seen as part of the next function.


 * Managing goals and planned actions.
 * This could involve e.g. agenda/calendar functionality. An ideal might be to integrate this with recording and reflection.


 * Information grouping for communication.
 * Learners need to be able to identify groups of information, such as CVs, that will be required for communication as a unit.


 * Constructing linked narratives.
 * Supporting this function means allowing learners to create narratives which include proper links to detail and evidence.

Functions related to communication
These functions are at a rather more general level, being linked together for present purposes only through the key involvement of other people. These could easily be regrouped.


 * Managing permissions.
 * In the very simplest web-based systems, everything is public, and this is not adequate for many personal development purposes, nor for maintaining distinct identities. Ideally, a permission system should be more detailed than the simple distinction between "public" and "private", and should allow the portfolio holders to grant and retract permission to individuals and to groups for individual portfolio items and for groups of items.


 * Assessment, feedback, review.
 * One could split out here many separate functions which could support the different kinds and types of assessment, feedback and review. However, it is not immediately clear whether there are fixed boundaries between different types. All of these related functions involve selection, presentation, reporting.


 * Communication and collaboration.
 * There are many less specific communicative functions that can still play a vital part in the overall processes involved with e-portfolios, but are not specifically assessment, feedback or review. For instance, general social intercourse such as is facilitated by social software can provide a highly significant input to personal decision processes, and to the development of identity and social skills. Thus it is relevant to ask whether a system provides that kind of functionality.