This idea of who owns the Eportfolio is quite interesting. In my opinion, the learner owns it depending on the platform. This is discussed thoroughly in the article, The Web we Need to Give Students. Watters argues when students use Eportfolios owned by the school, student work is not genuinely theirs. In many cases the work is archived or deleted in the summer or when the student graduates, they are not able to take the work with them. This is disturbing because all of the reflections and learning that occurred never really belonged to them and is lost to a digital trashcan. Dr. Harapnuik revealed this same tragedy in one of his discussions, he lost years of work when transitioning from one entity to another. In this same article, Watters discusses how UMW launched Domain of One’s Choice and how it allows students to own their Eportfolio. This is amazing and doesn’t keep students work, it belongs the student. The COVA model is alive and well in this project. Students can decide the presentation of the learning, choosing from a plethora of ways to address their audience.
In the article, Do I Own My Own Domain If You Grade It, Rikard shares,
“I want to shift the emphasis from data possession to knowledge production. Gaining ownership over the data is vital—but until students see this domain as a space that rewards rigor and experimentation, it will not promote student agency. Traditional assignments don’t necessarily empower students when they have to post them in a public space.”
This is a profound statement. I have struggled with this same notion. I know these blogs are a part of an assignment that I must complete and will be judged and graded on. I want to be successful with the creation of my Eportfolio as well as adhere to the expectations. I am proud of what I have created thus far, however don’t feel that I have met all the necessary requirements. There are several interesting topics out there and glad that I have the choice to discuss them and share my learning and thoughts. At this point I am battling with the feeling of just publicly posting my assignments. I know that I will continue to build my Eportfolio for me and my audience. The learning curve for me is surreal because I know how to use different medias, such as videos and pictures, I believe the real struggle is finding the time to create something that has a good design, flows, meets the requirements, and most importantly showcases who I am and making sure I have something I feel good about and will continue to use.
References
Rikard, A. (2018, March 13). Do I Own My Domain If You Grade It? – EdSurge News. Retrieved September 14, 2018, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-08-10-do-i-own-my-domain-if-you-grade-it
Waters, A. (2015, July 15). The Web We Need to Give Students – BRIGHT Magazine. Retrieved September 14, 2018, from https://brightthemag.com/the-web-we-need-to-give-students-311d97713713
The McDaniel View 