An electronic portfolio, also known as an e-portfolio or digital portfolio, is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the Web. Such electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and hyperlinks. E-portfolios are both demonstrations of the user's abilities and platforms for self-expression, and, if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time. Some e-portfolio applications permit varying degrees of audience access, so the same portfolio might be used for multiple purposes.
An e-portfolio can be seen as a type of learning record that provides actual evidence of achievement. Learning records are closely related to the Learning Plan, an emerging tool that is being used to manage learning by individuals, teams, communities of interest, and organizations. To the extent that a Personal Learning Environment captures and displays a learning record, it also might be understood to be an electronic portfolio.
E-portfolios, like traditional portfolios, can facilitate students' reflection on their own learning, leading to more awareness of learning strategies and needs. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_portfolio)
There are several reasons that higher education institutions are starting to use electronic portfolios including:
Storage/Access: Electronic portfolio information is stored digitally on a computer hard drive, server, or on removable media such as a floppy disk, zip disk, or CD-ROM. This electronic information takes up very little physical space and is easily accessible. Electronic portfolios not only take up little physical space, but can hold a great deal of information. Various parts of electronic portfolios can be interconnected through hyperlinks-- users do not have to worry about losing or misplacing documents. New student work can replace older work with minimal effort.
Multimedia: Once the student work is organized, users can add easily add sound, pictures, graphics and video to the electronic portfolio.
Computer Skills: Students gain valuable computer skills while creating and editing their portfolio.
Assessment: Electronic portfolios directly relate student work to the defined standards or criteria. Portfolios demonstrate wider dimensions of learning than just paper-and-pencil reports or exercises. For example, within an electronic portfolio, a student can add digital audio or video and graphics to document evidence of learning.
(http://academic.regis.edu/LAAP/eportfolio/basics_why.htm)
There are three types of portfolios: developmental, assessment and showcase:
Developmental Portfolios: demonstrate the advancement and development of student skills over a period of time. Developmental portfolios are considered works-in-progress and include both self-assessment and reflection/feedback elements. The primary purpose is to provide communication between students and faculty.
Assessment Portfolios: demonstrate student competence and skill for well-defined areas. These may be end-of-course or program assessments primarily for evaluating student performance. The primary purpose is to evaluate student competency as defined by program standards and outcomes.
Showcase Portfolios: demonstrate exemplary work and student skills. This type of portfolio is created at the end of a program to highlight the quality of student work. Students typically show this portfolio to potential employers to gain employment at the end of a degree program.
Hybrids: Most portfolios are hybrids of the three types of portfolios listed above. Rarely will you find a portfolio that is strictly used for assessment, development or showcase purposes. Occasionally, you may come across showcase portfolios that do not show evidence of self-reflection, rubrics for assessment or feedback, however, as Helen Barrett, an expert in the field of e-portfolios, would say "a portfolio without standards, goals and/or reflection is just a fancy resume, not an electronic portfolio."
Self-reflection is an important component of electronic portfolio development. If you do not require participants to self-reflect on the artifacts they add to the portfolio, they will not gain from the rich learning experience that e-portfolio development can provide!
(http://academic.regis.edu/LAAP/eportfolio/basics_types.htm)
Education is an essential tool for achieving sustainability. People around the world recognize that current economic development trends are not sustainable and that public awareness, education, and training are key to moving society toward sustainability. Beyond that, there is little agreement. People argue about the meaning of sustainable development and whether or not it is attainable. They have different visions of what sustainable societies will look like and how they will function.
Statistics for Educational Sustainable Development (ESD) is one of the key tool which will help save our mother earth. With the help of statistics we will be able to know the happenings in our ecosystem in order for us make new way and new innovation to sustain quality lifestyle. Thus, it will lead us to a massive participation in protecting and improving the mother earth as a preparation for the next generation's future.