Minnesota’s Electronic
Portfolio - “efolio”
TM
A Statewide Infrastructure
NLII Focus Session
October 25, 2002
Gary Langer
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Some definitions first….
Portfolio: systematic and organized collection of a
user's work and assessments that documents their
efforts, progress and achievements of intended
outcomes - for education, career and personal goals
Electronic portfolio (e-portfolio): A portfolio
that is stored in an electronic format (floppy, CDROM, LAN)
Web-based e-portfolio: An e-portfolio that uses
the web to store and display information.
More ….
E-portfolio facilitates life-long learning
From K-12 through higher education and beyond
Learner in control of education
Worker responsible for career development
Contains
Demographic information
Academic & Career History
Assessments
Resumes
Educational publications
Work Samples
Audio, Video, Photo files
Hyperlinks
Portfolios - a valued tool
Portfolios have been used for years as part of the
teaching and learning experience
Their value to an individual and an organization has
been well documented
There are numerous examples of paper-based and
electronic portfolios (Winona SU, UM, CMA)
Conclusion: Portfolios “work”
WWW.EFOLIOMN.COM - Short History
Project was funded by the Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities system, in part with a grant received through
the federal Dept. of Education
Work efforts initiated in the Summer of 2001
Three work groups plus a design team were established
to develop the specifications - student, worker, and
educator
An RFP was issued to procure software development
products/services. Contract with Avenet executed in Fall
2001 to license their content management engine
Beta testing took place Spring 2002 at MnSCU
campuses, workforce centers and other organizations
Check out www.portfoliopilot.govoffice.com for more info.
www.portfoliopilot.govoffice.com
Key project assumptions
Technology literacy

Need to accommodate users of various
skill sets - if you can run a word processor,
you can administer the site
Customizable

One size can not fit all, users want
uniqueness
Types of information

Text and multi-media documents
Assumptions continue…
Security

Three levels of security - public, restricted
and private. Need to address under 18
issue.
Web-based

“Nothing but net”. Access through Internet
Explorer or Netscape.
Administrative tools

Limiting site size, turning off sites, etc.
What makes
“Minnesota’s Electronic
Portfolio ” unique?
TM
Setting the bar...
Control

Puts the learner in charge of their learning process
Scope

Minnesota residents and students (enrolled at
Minnesota institutions) are eligible
Tools



Built in tutorials
Choice of templates
Online Survey and Forms
Setting the bar - continue
Deployment

Access is completely web-based
Flexibility

Customizable to meet the needs of workers,
students and educators
Availability/cost

Free for a lifetime (target)
“Pedagogical” independence

Can fit the needs of multiple institutions and
organizations
The project...
www.efoliomn.com
Team Information
Work groups

Included content experts from various areas
Beta testers

Are using the tool - today
MnSCU IT staff

Hosting infrastructure (St. Cloud ITS
Regional Center)
Minnesota Dept. of Economic Security
Service Center
MnSCU Center for Teaching & Learning
How does it work - simple as 1, 2, 3
Step 1 - Get to www.efoliomn.com
Step 2 - Go through the sign-up process



Overview of the tool
Provide your name, age (under 18 issue)
Agree to code of conduct/terms of use
(accountability placed on owner of site)
Step 3 - Sign-in to your site

Receive an email notification with your site URL
(www.lindabaer.efoliomn.com) along with your
password and userid
Student Sample
Worker Sample
Educator Sample
Sample Templates
Forms and Surveys
Search Site
Next …
Minnesota project - www.efoliomn.com
National pilot project
Funding/grant opportunities
Minnesota project
Soft launch August 1, 2002
Presentations - local and national
Formal announcement by Chancellor in November
Adopted by: institutions - Rainy River CC and
Bemidji SU (DLiTE teacher education portfolios)
& faculty - Inver Hills CC, Northwest TC, etc.
Portfolio class (Century College)
“Tuning” the infrastructure
National pilot project
Using federal Dept. of Labor funding, MnSCU
amended its contract with Avenet to provide
efolio sites for up to 5,000 users within 25
different organizations
Project runs through June 30, 2003
Alliance with Avenet, LLC
Finding funding/grant opportunities
College/University Alumni Office connections
Developed a communication strategy/plan
Looking for grant and other funding opportunities
Goal is to find resources to support and expand the
infrastructure along with enhancing the tools
functionality
Chance to partner with other states/ organizations
Opportunities and Challenges
Resources to help maintain and enhance the effort
Communicate project and provide training to help
MnSCU campuses institutionalize the project
Addressing marketing and other promotional
opportunities
Thank you!
Gary Langer
651-649-5772
[email protected]