ePortfolio Performance Support Systems: Constructing, Presenting, and Assessing Portfolios

Reviewed by Adrienne Bratcher, Associate Professor/Clinical Supervisor, Eastern New Mexico University on 1/6/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book offers twelve chapters relevant for everything from developing an ePortfolio to successfully using an ePortfolio.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content is accurate in all aspects from start to finish and utilizes quality references to support data and research.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content is up-to-date with content and information, however; digital technology is rapidly changing and so too might ePortfolios. While details and information are currently accurate and applicable, and update might be needed as new technology unfolds. That being said, even if the technology piece needs an update, there are many pieces within the text that will remain accurate and applicable regardless.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is clear and concise in information.

Consistency rating: 5

Terminology is consistent and flows with a clear perspective thorughout.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is divided into twelve chapters that could be used individually to hone in on specific points and uses as needed for a variety of courses.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is presented in a logical manner with a clear distinction among the chapter topics.

Interface rating: 5

There were no interface issues present in the text. All charts and images displayed without any errors or choppiness.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Grammatically speaking, this text is well written and edited well for the purpose.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text does not have any cultural bias or concerns regarding race, ethnic, or background variation.

Comments

There are no concerns regarding the text that have not been mentioned above.

Reviewed by Plamen Miltenoff, Professor, St. Cloud State University on 1/8/19

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

It is a solid compilation of works by authors with undeniable reputation. My only disappointment was the "English Major" limitation of the book. While, unquestionably, blog is a great tool for English composition and "blogfolio" is a great tool is a great method to asses, ePortofolio is a necessary concept for other disciplines and I expected the book to offer experience and skills for those disciplines

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The book chapters offer great information, which is right on the spot

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The book was published in 2013. In the realm of educational technologies, this is substantial time lap. However, the book collected great conceptional information and that still makes it relevant in 2019.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is a compilation of chapters by different authors, with different styles. Naturally, some readings are easier to absorb then others. Overall, however, all book chapters offer concepts and experience in lucid manner.

Consistency rating: 4

The ePortfolio concept can be broad and sometimes difficult to define. In that sense, the book editors did great work bringing together pundits of ePortfolio for English Writing and Composition. Again (see my notes to Comprehensiveness), the strengths of the book is also its weakness, since the Title suggests a broader knowledge on ePortfolios.

Modularity rating: 5

Indeed, each chapter of the book is its own reading/module. The editors also managed successfully to shape greater modules by clustering related book chapters in sections.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

As mentioned in my comment on "Modularity," the editors made a sound call to organize the book in sections, thus bringing order in information delivered by different scholars of ePortfolio

Interface rating: 3

The book is a standard PDF format delivery.
The following notes as well as the rating are in no way a criticism to the authors or the editors; they are rather meant to comment on the limitations of PDF and the choice of such platform.
The hyperlinks in PDF are not visually recognized; admittedly, a PDF user knows to hover with the mouse and establish if the hyperlink is active. However, it is a wishful thinking to have the links visually recognizable.
Some of the hyperlinks are obsolete, which is very normal. Since this is an electronic book, it could be great to have an option for the reader to contribute with current links.
The book is geared to students from upper courses; it is a solid research, including visuals, such as images, screen snapshots and graphs. However, it is still wishful to have text mixed more visuals, videos and interactivity, such as polls, quizzes etc.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

acceptable.

Cultural Relevance rating: 2

The book contains chapters from authors in the Anglo-Saxon realm. Admittedly, some of the authors are ESL writers, yet they represent institutions from the U.S. and U.K. It will be great to read the experience of scholars from other countries.

Comments

Great book, good work!

Reviewed by Naomi Beckett, Learning Technologist, The University of the West of England on 8/15/17

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The great thing about this book is how varied each of the essays within it are. Although some do give examples of using ePortfolios within Higher Education, there are some really interesting sections in the book that cover career development, working holistically, as well as the importance of accessibility within teaching and learning and using ePortfolios.
As well as this there were discussions on product v's process, which is always important when talking about teaching with technology, as well as the importance of teaching how to use these systems, which both added to the variety and value of the book.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I would say that the content in the book is mostly unbiased, with a good amount of research going into each of the sections in the essays.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

It is good how the book isn't too focused on technology. It leaves room for discussion and subjects can be more relevant on many different levels.
However because ePortfolio's do revolve around the use of technology, written content, as well as images, screenshots and data could become easily outdated.

Clarity rating: 4

If I were a reader who knew very little about ePortfolios, I still think I could happily understand and get to grip with the subject, as well as the terminology around it. Although some parts are less engaging then others, the book doesn't overdo any technical jargon and only uses it when appropriate. A few chapters were written quite differently to the others, which was more difficult to understand, but this was down to the subjects of these chapters.

Consistency rating: 5

The text was consistent throughout the book with the use of terminology consistent also. The chapters were all quite different, but because these were split up, it didn't feel like you were jumping around different subjects.

Modularity rating: 5

Each chapter is clearly divided out which allows the readers to follow the text in a more consistent manner.
Some more images or breakpoints in a few of the chapters where it was quite text heavy could of eased the reading. On the most part, there was a good amount of examples, graphs and screenshots to break up the larger pieces of reading.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

There is logic behind the split up sections of the book, which enables it to be well structured and easily readable.

Interface rating: 5

The book is in PDF format, which allows a screen-reader to be used which is great for any accessibility issues.
I thought there was a need for more images and screenshots of actual ePortfolios to break up the text. Most images were easily visible with the exception of pg.211 where the text is slightly distorted and pg.179 where a better image could have been used to show the screen of a mobile device.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

There are no obvious grammatical mistakes but are a few small formatting errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I thought the examples used within the book were culturally diverse, and were inclusive of different abilities and backgrounds.

Comments

I thought the title of 'Constructing, Presenting and Assessing Portfolios' was really well thought out and gave the book wide scope for discussion.
I very much enjoyed the chapter on accessibility and I thought it was very relevant.
I also enjoyed reading about the users of ePortfolios - looking at how they are becoming engaged with them and how they are reaping the benefits. I would of however liked to of seen more discussion on times when they didn't work and why this was.

Reviewed by Amod Lele, Senior Educational Technologist, Boston University on 6/20/17

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book's greatest strength is in the variety of its chapters, which articulate the many widely varying uses of ePortfolios between career presentation, formative reflection, statements of teaching philosophy, program assessment and more, including unusual innovations like the single portfolio designed for the community of Augusta, Arkansas.

The chapter on accessibility is a specially welcome discussion of a too-often-neglected topic, with its case study of a blind user bringing the topic to life.

Content Accuracy rating: 2

Many of the book's essays would benefit from critical reflection on supporting sources and evidence. For example, the opening chapter makes reference to Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences without noting criticisms of that theory's lack of evidence. On p26 the book refers to the print portfolio as "Aristotelian" by comparison to "post-Aristotelian" electronic portfolios, without any discussion of what aspect of Aristotle's thought is being addressed.

Relatedly, while it is helpful that the book provides comments illustrating what New York City College faculty and students liked about the college's ePortfolio project (110-13), there is no discussion at all of what they disliked or found unhelpful. Understanding and seriously considering such negative comments is essential if the ePortfolio community is to mature and be taken seriously by the wider academy. (If it were really the case that there were somehow no negative comments at all, that would be such an extraordinary reaction that it would itself deserve to be foregrounded.)

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

It is very difficult for a text on any technology genre (such as ePortfolios) to remain relevant for long; this is doubly the case when it involves rapidly evolving technologies like social media, as this book does. The book's organization helps reduce this risk: since it is divided up into chapters on different topics which stand relatively independently of each other, it is easier to update the more rapidly outdated chapters (such as that on social media) without having to update other chapters that remain current.

Clarity rating: 2

The language of the book can sound dense and bureaucratic, especially in the first few chapters. A reader outside the ePortfolio community will probably be able to understand most of it (with some background in pedagogy and educational theory), but may need to read it slowly, and may not find it engaging.

Consistency rating: 4

Authors in the book approach the topic from different theoretical standpoints. It is not clear to me that this is a weakness, however. The book might well have been weakened if the chapter authors had tried to shoehorn themselves into the broadly post-structuralist framework of the opening chapter.

Modularity rating: 5

Good. The individual chapters, each written by a different author or authors, all stand well on their own.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The chapters are logically organized into sections and the table of contents makes clear what readers can expect.

Interface rating: 2

The interface would be fine for a print book; that is probably what was intended, since the opening requests that readers buy a print copy. However, this review is of the open, e-book format, for which the text has not been optimized. Given the number of URLs cited in text, it would have been helpful for the e-text to feature clickable hyperlinks to each. Similarly, being able to click on endnote numbers is important, since scrolling back and forth between text and endnotes is more cumbersome than flipping back and forth between text and endnotes in a print book (which is itself a much less user-friendly process than looking down at endnotes.)

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

There appear to be a few formatting errors, but any grammatical errors were so small as to be undistracting.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The book's relatively few concrete examples are diverse. Particularly noteworthy is Darren Cambridge's thoughtful discussion of Native American issues as related to the Augusta community portfolio.

Reviewed by Laura Trujillo-Mejía, Distinguished Lecturer, University of Tennessee on 6/20/17

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book provides a comprehensive view of the implementation of ePortfolios. The collection of articles ranges from theoretical chapters, (e.g. Kathleen Yancey's chapter "Postmodernism, Palimpsest, and Portfolios") to practical examples that show the actual implementation of ePortfolios (e.g. "Balancing Learning  and Assessment: A Study of  Virginia Tech’s Use of ePortafolios," and "From Metaphor to Analogy: How the National Museum for the American Indian can inform the Augusta Community Portfolio")

Content Accuracy rating: 5

All the articles are well researched , and include various references and citations. I didn't perceived any bias. Although the articles focus on the use of ePortfolios, some of them include  problems that could rise when implemented.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The text is completely relevant today.  Although the chapters don't  focus on specific technology, some sections read a little out-of-date.

Clarity rating: 5

Even though the articles are from different authors, the book would be accessible to readers of  various levels of background knowledge. All the chapters were clear, and the distribution of sections and chapters help to the flow and clarity of the book.

Consistency rating: 5

The different chapter authors use consistent terminology. The book as a whole presents a coherent view of ePortfolios.

Modularity rating: 5

Being a collection of articles each chapter could stand alone.  The division into sections creates manageable blocks of information, and these blocks present  different perspectives to the topic of ePorfolios.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The Introduction is divided in the same sections the book has, and gives an overview of the chapters.  The collection has four sections, and each one has three chapters.  
The first article, "Postmodernism, Palimpsest, and Portfolios" by Kathleen Yancey, presents the theoretical frame for the whole collection.

Interface rating: 4

The text has no navigation problems, but some of the images are not completely clear.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors, one or two typos.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is not culturally offensive, and includes examples from different backgrounds.

Comments

Really helpful for those who want to implement ePortafolios.

Reviewed by Elisabeth Read, Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education, Community College of Rhode Island on 4/11/17

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The text provides the reader with a comprehensive look at how ePortfolios are emerging as a means for students to express their knowledge, talents, and capabilities through a technological, sharable format.

An intriguing look at the historically prevalent paper portfolio, followed by discussion on the purpose of portfolios through the eyes of the students, faculty, viewers, and ultimately as a tool for entering the workforce.

Much of the text examines the value of portfolio artifacts as a continuous opportunity for students to engage in self-reflection; as they evaluate each artifact and determine its value they are becoming more skilled at authentic assessment. Ultimately, this process leads to development of the portfolio itself: artifact selection, organization, means of presentation, and assessment.

The text did not include an index and/or glossary. I found that some of the terms utilized by the authors were unfamiliar to me; I had to stop and use some of my own resources to determine what was being said. A glossary would be helpful, particularly for individuals who are being introduced to the ideas featured in the text.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Citation of several studies throughout the text which examined the implementation and use of ePortfolio systems in various colleges and universities lent support to the authors' views on the value of ePortfolios vs. print portfolios. After reading the book, I came away with a new viewpoint on how ePortfolios can be:
-More interactive for the viewer
-An opportunity for students to tap into their creativity and inventiveness
-A platform for sharing new resources
-Visually appealing
-A stronger exercise for students to engage in the art of self-reflection

There was no error in the content.

The studies cited did make the authors appear to be more objective.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

As with any text that integrates technology, there may come a point in time where the content will be outdated. Some of the "capabilities" that come with an ePortfolio (i.e. social media, streaming video, etc.) may need to be updated to reflect recent technologies in the future.

One of the best features of the text were the screenshots of students portfolio pages (artifacts). These may also need to be changed to reflect updated technology and resources.

Clarity rating: 4

Most chapters in the text were clear and presented the information on organizing, preparing, and assessing portfolios in a clear and lucid manner. A few chapters were selected essays from other authors and the prose was different from other chapters. I understand the relevance of including these chapters as they provided historical perspectives necessary for understanding the evolution of the portfolio and its process, as well as research in support of the newer methods of designing portfolios.

As the text advanced into later chapters, the writing was more consistent and uniform.

Consistency rating: 5

The text provided consistent language and reference to terminology and ideas presented from start to finish. The framework of the chapters followed smoothly from purpose-->development-->organization-->implementation-->usage and assessment.

Modularity rating: 5

The text's modularity was well designed and led the reader through various "stages" of the portfolio process and design. Earlier chapters focused on the significance and intention of portfolios. Interesting questions and comparisons were made between print and portfolios, which I found refreshing as someone who is new to the concept of ePortfolios. Subsequent chapters focused on the selection, organization, and production of artifacts. Interspersed were case and research studies which examined real students in real higher education settings using ePortoflios with positive outcomes. Later chapters addressed some of the challenges touched upon earlier, and provided solutions to address these challenges. The text had a good flow.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Please see my comments in Modularity.

Interface rating: 4

The text did not have any significant interface issues. I would have liked to see more images/charts throughout the chapters. These did not appear until about midway through the book.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text contained no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

One of the interesting ideas that the authors posed about using ePortoflios is the inclusion of diverse means of presenting knowledge, ideas and skills. In this sense, I found the text to be culturally and socially diverse. The authors provided examples that were inclusive of abilities, students with special needs, and higher education institutions representing students from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds.

Comments

I am strongly considering utilizing some of the tables included in the text in my own classes where students are required to develop their Professional Teaching Portfolios during their two-year program of study!

Reviewed by Marc Zaldivar, Director, ePortfolios and Authentic Assessment, Virginia Tech on 2/8/17

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

As an edited volume with twelve chapters covering four main areas of ePortfolio systematic adoption in higher education and beyond, this book is very comprehensive. It covers the theories that inform ePortfolio adoption, as in Kathleen Yancey's chapter "Postmodernism, Palimpsest, and Portfolios," and practical examples from higher education (e.g., "What are you going to do with that major?" by Johnson and Kahn) and beyond (e.g., "From Metaphor to Analogy: How the National Museum for the American Indian can inform the Augusta Community Portfolio"). This text does not cover specific technologies, but its comprehensiveness covers a wide range of educational and pedagogical contexts into which ePortfolios can be worked significantly.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The edited volume is full of individual perspectives and experiences from a wide variety of educational contexts. In that, this reviewer assumes the accuracy of the described experiences. I would not call this an unbiased volume, but the editors declare their bias in their opening description: "this collection of essays from knowledgeable scholars and practitioners of ePortfolios helps foster increased understanding of intersections between ePortfolio composing, presentation, and assessment in the academy and workplace, including ideas for embracing electronic performance support systems." In other words, the viable success of a portfolio process is not questioned or argued within this volume; instead, the volume focuses on practical applications where ePortfolios can help to sustain and promote learning.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The editors seem to have intentionally chosen chapters that did not focus on specific technologies, which would require frequent updates and revisions. Instead, in focusing on four pedagogical strategies -- systematic performance support systems, constructing a bridge (between academia, personal experience, community and career), presenting interactive designs, and authentic assessment tools and knowledge transfer -- their text should remain relevant to any group studying systematic eportfolio adoption. As more and more institutions consider large-scale approaches to eportfolio, this text should become only more relevant.

Clarity rating: 4

Different chapters are different in this respect. Some of the chapters are heavy on the literary, social, and educational theory; others are more experientially based. None of the chapters are indecipherable, however, as they all rely on specific examples and documented research to frame their discussions.

Consistency rating: 4

There is a remarkable amount of consistency within the different sections of the book. As stated before, however, there are different authors for each of the chapters, and some do refer to assessment strategies differently and do have different interpretations of an ePortfolio within their own contexts. Each chapter certainly seems consistent within itself, and examining the text as a whole does give a fairly broad, consistent look at the portfolio discipline.

Modularity rating: 5

This text is easily subdivided as each chapter is a stand-alone essay examining ePortfolios in a particular context. Each of the four sections contain three essays helping to frame a larger discussion about their specific topic and could easily serve as a point for breaking up the text into key eportfolio discussion topics from varying perspectives.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

As mentioned, the four divided sections in the text do provide a good organization for the text that focuses on pedagogical strategy and context rather than a specific technological function. Within each section, there are three essays that seem to build in complexity of context often, though each entry in a section provides a stand-alone essay on ePortfolios in a specific context. There is no commentary connecting the different essays, the volume's Introduction, written by the editors does give a brief overview and connective lens by which to view the separate chapters.

Interface rating: 5

There were no detectable issues I could find with the interface. The PDF was easy to read and images/charts were of high enough quality to see.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I saw no obvious editing or grammatical errors in the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This book does not deal specifically with cultural context, though one article in particular (Darren Cambridge's chapter on the Augusta Community Portfolio) does delve into this topic directly. The authors of the various chapters handle their topics without any offensive assumptions that I could see. The examples from student work were drawn from a variety of cultural and gender backgrounds.

Comments

This text would be useful to you if you are teaching a course on authentic assessment or innovative instructional technologies. In addition, if you are planning a portfolio approach in any course you are teaching, there are many good examples and resources in the text to draw from.

Full disclosure: the author of this review was a co-author of one of the chapters. However, even if you ignore the tweltfh chapter, the other eleven are well worth the reading!