eportfolios for international cooperation
DESCRIPTION
ePortfolios and digital identity in the context of international development and cooperation: a study on the subject presented at the international conference on ePortfolio and Digital Identity, Maastricht, Netherlands.TRANSCRIPT
ePortfolio for International Cooperation
ePortfolio and Digital IdentityOct 23rd, 2008, Maastricht, Netherlands
Théo Bondolfi and Samantha Slade
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
ePortfolios helping cooperation and capacity building
How can ePortfolio processes contribute to international development
and cooperation?
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
IT and development
1. United Nations Millennium Development Goals for 20152. Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D)
3. Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005)
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC, vvww.deza.net)
Commissioned a study to gather information on1) ePortfolio processes that could be of interest for them and to external organisations and2) for developing synergies of ePortfolio training
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
Web presence/Digital identity
“Organisations that have worked in isolation, can be projected into a global space encouraging trans-national sharing, networking, collaborating, innovating. The World wide web has tremendous potential to give civil society in developing countries a global audience, to help NGO's and local non-for profits connect to each other”. http://
wiki.kabissa.org/ttgo/start
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
ePortfolio definition
An ePortfolio is an online environment supporting processes that allow an individual, group or organisation to
reflect and document and present who they are - their strengths, activities,
experiences, challenges, goals, competences, values etc. and in so doing to become lifelong learners, learning organisations or learning
regions.
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
Digital Identity and ePortfolio
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
Areas of impact of ePortfolio processes
1. Empowerment2. Learning deep and complex issues 3. Accomodating non-formal and traditional learning4. Professionalisation of a field of work5. Transregional or trans- organisational information sharing and collaboration
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
1. Empowerment
Flickr.com
- A shift from trainer/teacher centric learning/CPD to learner centric approaches.- Bringing the under-represented developing country voice into the mainstream.- Developing creative, innovative, networked individuals, organisations and regions taking responsibility for their personal and professional well-being and development.
By Hamed saber, Flickr.com
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
2. Supporting deep and complex learning
- Create leaders who confront the root issues of crisis management, health issues etc. able to uplift their communities and impart vision and purpose- CPD for capacity building is more than a cursus, it's effectively being able to contribute to sustainable change.
Flickr.com
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
3. Expanding types of learning
- Capture and support formal, informal and non-formal learning in a structured and integrated way.
- Facilitate the reflective practitioner, giving value to traditional knowledge...
Flickr.com
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
4. Professionalisation of a field
- Unite a professional field and develop a sense of professional identity, pride and value that is crucial to maintaining committed professionals in their line of work- Critically reflect on one's profession and develop a long-term vision of your career or organisation.
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
5. Trans-organisational/regional collaboration
- Collect and collate activities demonstrating one's competence, to bring together the mass of knowledge usually either tacit or dispersed.- Develop an evolving knowledge base supporting induction, continual improvement, sharing, partnerships ....
By Steve Jurvetson, Flickr.com
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
The study
1. Activities2. Agencies3. Example4. Interview themes5. Timeline and results
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
1. Activities
Ynternet.org foundation for eCulture is researching and interviewing developing agencies and civil society organisations
to identify and better understand different best practices that map onto these 5 areas of impact.
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
2. Some agencies/initiatives we are exploring
- Kabissa, A network of African civil society organisations- Dgroups, Development Through Dialogue- Action Aid International,The knowledge initiative- Mount Royal College, International Community Development Certificate- Commonwealth of Learning- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Agence Universitaire de la francophonie- Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER)- Ginks Ghana Information and Knowledge Sharing Network PRO-FEMMES- Europass
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
3. For example...
Cooperation.net hosts 6 000 ePortfolios
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
3. And another example...
ICT for development - Personal research portal
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
4. Themes of the interview questions
Context and objectives of the initiative/program Description and target audience Sustainability: pilot or embedded practice Partnerships Facts and figures: Duration, how many users, costs Challenges and future plans References ICT: applications Resources/Materials: content, activities, OER Privacy: internal use or public network Licences: ownership, standards
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
5. Timeline and Results
The study will be completed early 2009 and results will be available on the web
in English and French with a Spanish summary into an OBSERVATORY OF ePORTFOLIOS INITIATIVES
FOR COOPERATION THROUGH THE WEB
VISIT WWW.YNTERNET.ORG/EPORTFOLIO
If you know of any initiatives/agencies that should be included in the study,
please let us know
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
Preliminary findings
1. Partnerships2. Digital ease3. Culture of transparency
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
A. Partnerships for instrumentation
Producing quality and robust tools and activities to support ePortfolio and digital identity processes that can be used freely in local languages and local ways can be complex. Developments need to build on what already exists and involve partnering.
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
B. From ICT literacy to digital fluency
We progressively move from ICT literacy, in which skills are evaluated through processes such as the ECDL, to digital fluency in which skills are evaluated through ePortfolio developing processes.
ePortfolio is therefore becoming a meaningful and major way to develop and certify good practices in knowledge management
By Babak Fakhamzadeh, Flikr, Creative Commons
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
C. Culture of trust and transparency
Coming from a heritage of information control and privacy, we need to move towards a culture in which the more we share, the more we receive support and collaborate.
By Lynn Rainboth, with permission
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
ePortfolios, digital identity and cooperation?
ePortfolios can contribute to working towards sustainable social and economic development.
ICT needs to be optimized to connect, share, network, collaborate and innovate, supporting transnational
integrated long term and scalable partnership approaches.
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
Not so much about technology, but rather...
Organisations leveraging ePortfolios and digital identity to support attaining Millenium Development Goals and actions of the Paris Declaration. Reflecting and learning and developing for individuals, organisations and regions in a capacity building manner Entering and mobilising the public space of the web to enhance communication and collaboration.
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
Conclusion
There is an urgency to have judicious, skilled, aware, at ease internet users and internet using organisations who find their voice and take it publicly, address the complex and significant issues they are working with, tap into their local learning traditions, develop a sense of meaning and professional identity, and further their networking and knowledge sharing. ePortfolios and digital identity are new models with incredible potential to support just that.
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
Conclusion
There is an urgency to have judicious, skilled, aware, at ease internet users and internet using organisations who find their voice and take it publicly, address the complex and significant issues they are working with, tap into their local learning traditions, develop a sense of meaning and professional identity, and further their networking and knowledge sharing. ePortfolios and digital identity are new models with incredible potential to support just that.
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
Théo Bondolfi and Samantha SladeYnternet.org
This presentation is available online at: slideshare.com/sam5
ePortfolio study for international cooperation
References
Millennium Development Goalshttp://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
Global Alliance for ICT and Developmenthttp://www.un-gaid.org/
The Paris Declarationhttp://www.oecd.org/document/18/0,2340,en_2649_3236398_35401554_1_1_1_1,00.html