Using the e-Framework to describe e-Portfolio systems
When putting together the recently released VET e-Portfolio roadmap [PDF], we used the e-Framework as a methodology to describe what types of services/functionality an e-Portfolio system may contain. During the (very long) drafting stage, we presented this view of an e-Portfolio system to a range of different audiences and interested parties in Australia, New Zealand, USA and Europe.
Needless to say it changed a lot during that time, and we went through countless refinements. The standard terminology used in the e-Framework diagram also got pared back a bit. The audience for the e-Portfolio roadmap is not necessarily technical, and we found some people had a bit of difficulty understanding terms like “service genre”. As such we ended up with the following diagram in the roadmap document:
e-portfolio system diagram
The shaded services (authenticate, authorise, annotate and validate) are services that we identified as requiring national collaborative action.
The original draft VET e-Portfolio Service Usage Model (SUM) is still on the e-Framework community wiki. I found it interesting to look back and see how our thinking has evolved. Originally we divided the business processes into three groups; collect, manage, present. After a lot of discussion and feedback, this grew to 4; source/identify, manage, communicate and present. This is not necessarily so different from other models, however we wanted to show that a learner could identify and use content it without needing to store it in their e-Portfolio. The addition of communicate was an attempt to reflect the often collaborative nature of e-Portfolio creation and use.
Our task now is to finalise the VET e-Portfolio Service Usage Model based on our growing experience.
Nick Nicholas
uldm
nigelward
stevage
sophiaca
osoneill
pagarwal2
lylewinton
kristenagladman
jerry
