Challenges…so far

My first challenge arose when I realised I have some multi-media elements hosted on my website. I had intended to rely exclusively on Web 2.0 tools for this e-portfolio but I decided the true ethos was based on ease-of-use and incorporating existing resources without the need to re-edit, re-create or re-host so in the end I decided to leave them rather than upload them elsewhere.

Feedback so far has been positive and encouraging although it was pointed out to me last night that there were no elements or evidence relating to planning and career development. I’ve decided, therefore,  to include another section to encompass a ‘personal statement’ and ‘career plan’ which should help me to focus on the relevant skills and experience I have and what I need to develop. That’s next on my ‘to do’ list.

Other points raised related to purpose and longevity. I’m beginning to see how my original confusion over e-portfolio definitions relates to this bigger picture. It’s clearly important to consider the end-user and perhaps there will need to be other incarnations of this e-portfolio but I have tried to create a framework that will support future changes. The third column is a dud right now. My idea is that I can feed a learning blog into the e-portfolio as and when it’s relevant. So, if I had to create a structured e-portfolio for assessment I would simply feed it into this column. When it’s no longer current (or as relevant) I would convert the feed to a link and replace the third column with more relevant feed.

The other point relating to longevity was in the context of not simply the e-portfolio but also the software used (which would last longest?). Current e-portfolio standards are based on blogging standards and given the widespread adoption of WordPress I expect it to be around longer than PebblePad or other specific e-portfolio software but that is speculation. It has brought it home that having spent a lot of time on this I need to make sure I make a back up.