Global Electronic Portfolio - Article Example

The article gives an overview of the EP models currently used in the United States and Europe. These include the European Language Portfolio or ELP, American Lingua Folio, and Global Language Portfolio (GLP). The researchers on the portfolio assessment have been building on the work of Dewey (1933), which is titled, “We Thing: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the education process.” He built basic premises, which are still evident in both ELP and GLP, and involves reflecting on and summarizing what has already been done.

The article provides an overview of how the EPs can be used to learn, teach and assess in the United States and Europe based on ELP, CEFR, GLP, and American I.F. The EPs function is based on the national standards and ACTFL proficiency scale. There are several advantages that EPs has over the paper-based portfolio. The functionality of EPs allows the learner, teacher, and program coordinator to track the progress of the program throughout the course duration.

It allows the learner to share data with both the teacher and the institution. It improves motivation and evaluation of learners’ outcomes. Through the cooperation of scholars from Europe, North America, and other parts of the world, the effectiveness of EPs for language acquisition will be realized. As the transatlantic partnership grows and higher learning institutions do joint programs, the three-part EPs will be a common technology in Europe and North America. Advancements in technology will facilitate information sharing among international institutions and their joint programs.

Discussion and Reflection on the Article

The Electronic Portfolio (EP) is a digitized collection of artifacts, which include demonstrations, resources, and accomplishments representing an individual, group, organization, institution, or community. According to Lorenzo & Ittelson (2005, p. 2), these collections can comprise text-based documents, graphics, and multimedia features archived on websites or other electronic media such as CD-ROM or DVD. The above features make Electronic Portfolio to be the best in teaching English. One of the main reasons is that it has the potential of improving learning, teaching, and assessment practices in a learning institution.

The major benefits of the EP are typically derived from its capability to exchange ideas and feedback between authors and uses of the e-portfolio. This ability improves the relationship interaction between the teacher and student. It allows the student to give a personal reflection on the author’s point of view through web-based forums. This will allow the studenty to interact with other students and professionals in the same field. Since Electronic Portfolio is a customized and web-based collection of academic material, it provides English students an opportunity to give their responses and reflection on these materials.

This will help the students to demonstrate major English skills for various texts and materials. Another reason why Electronic Portfolio is the most suitable for English learning is that it allows international higher learning institutions to interact and share learning materials and degree programs. This will allow English students to learn from other peers in other universities. Through Electronic Portfolio, it is easy to plan education programs, record the skills, knowledge, and capabilities, follow up on the progress of a program, and monitor and appraise a course and performance. This will provide the student with the ability to interact with all stakeholders within the course program. Read More