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Digital Portfolios in the Elementary Classroom: 

Learning through self-reflection 

Cristina Leo 

ETEC 511: Foundations in Educational Technology  

University of British Columbia 

December 15th, 2018 

 
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Introduction

In 2015, the government of British Columbia announced changes to the curriculum

design for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12. These changes which would be

mandated into practice in 2016 changed the way curriculum delivery would be

approached, including the ways in which student learning would be assessed and

reported. These curriculum changes also coincided with advances in web 2.0

capabilities, including access to devices and high-speed internet. (BC Ministry of

Education, 2017) Therefore, Digital portfolios as a classroom support tool, allow student

thinking, knowing, and doing to be visible, transcending the typical four walls of the

classroom. When teachers and students work in partnership to co-construct learning,

students are able to receive immediate and timely feedback that can be revised and

reworked enhancing the final product. Digital portfolios provide an access point for

parents to not only observe but comment on student progress, enhancing and extending

the conversation outside of the classroom. This paper outlines how digital portfolios aid

in the alignment of new curriculum standards, core competencies, and tenets of 21st

century learning when implemented effectively in a K-5 school. As well how digital

portfolios extend communication between all stakeholders: students, teachers, and

parents.

Context for Learning

Gone are the days when the teacher stands at the front of the classroom instructing

students to absorb the mass amount of information required to be digested and

regurgitated through a test. Today, students are able to access mass amounts of
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information online through the click of a button. Rather than focusing on the content of

information required to be known through assessment, curriculum reform has shifted the

focus to skill development. In 2015, BC’s Education Minister Mike Bernier stated that,

“personalized learning is the heart of the changes-and teachers will have the time and

ability to help kids dig into what interests them. We all know how passionate kids can be

when they get into something like music, soccer, or dinosaurs. The new curriculum will

give teachers the ability to tap into these passions.” (Vancouver Sun, 2015)

These changes to the design of the curriculum introduce a new model of learning where

students will be assessed on knowledge, understanding, and application. Similar to the

design cycle, this learning model involves iteration, the ability to move forwards,

backwards, and within the process of learning. This new concept-based

competency-driven approach to learning explores the topics or content that the student

will ​know.​ Through this phase of learning students are able to choose what area they

will explore based on interest and depth of understanding. This concept-based model

also explores the big ideas and what students will ​understand.​ Finally, students will ​do​,

meaning rather than being consumers of knowledge, students will demonstrate the

process of knowledge construction through the application of knowledge and skills in

the creation of a new product. These changes to the new curriculum put students in the

driver’s seat, with a focus on conceptual learning rather than content driven, students

can dive deeper into their inquiry. This new curriculum is more flexible, broader, and

transdisciplinary allowing for a blend of subjects rather than learning in isolation. The
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framework for student learning opens up the possibility of using digital portfolios in the

classroom to document student learning as a means of communicating student

knowing, understanding, and doing.

Digital Portfolios

Digital portfolios have long been a tool used by artists and professionals as a means of

documenting artifacts and best work. Educational portfolios however, are not limited to

final products and showpieces, but rather a reflection of student learning that is chosen

by the student. Most often these pieces are “collected, reflected upon, selected, and

presented to show growth and change over time, work that represents an individual’s or

an organization’s human capital.” (Barrett, 2007) Vital to the efficacy of digital portfolios

is the role self-reflection plays when considering each piece included. Student reflection

validates the process of learning that has occured. “Stiggins (2004) defined a portfolio

as a collection of student work that demonstrates achievement or improvement”

(Barrett, 2007) Digital portfolios begin where portfolios left off, as Barrett stated, “an

electronic portfolio uses technologies as the container, allowing students or teachers to

collect and organize portfolio artifacts in many media types (audio, video, graphics,

text). Hypertext links organize the material, connecting evidence to appropriate

outcomes, goals or standards.” (Barrett, 2007)

The purpose of a digital portfolio in the 21st century provides students with the agency

to showcase their learning through the selection and reflection of artifacts and evidence
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that represents their personalized journey. The way in which teachers choose to use

digital portfolios in their classrooms however can be done through one of three different

ways. “​Literacy professors Richard Allington and Patricia Cunningham (2006) offer clear

definitions for this assessment tool and process (p. 179):

● Performance portfolio​s are collections of a student's best work, with the student

taking the lead in the selection of the work and providing an explanation as to

why they should be included.

● Process portfolios​ contain several versions of a selected work. Such a portfolio

might hold early drafts of a paper or poem to show how the piece developed over

time.

● Progress portfolios​ are often managed by teachers. They hold collections of work

intended to illustrate children's development over time.” (Barrett, 2007)

Today, new digital portfolio apps such as Freshgrade and Seesaw, make it possible for

seamless integration and delivery of lessons for students, teachers, and parents to see.

Freshgrade for example, allows teachers the ability to streamline the paper used in

class and document student learning by providing a place for students to showcase

their learning, changing the way their content is used. Freshgrade CEO, Lane Marrifiedl

said, “we understand that teachers are already using a variety of methods to track and

report on students’ progress and communicate with parents. Freshgrade simplifies and

enhances this process, and offers a more efficient and impactful way to approach these

tasks. We’re excited that through our new mobile app, we’ll be able to alleviate even

more of the workload that teachers endure on a daily basis.” (Newswire, 2015).
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Digital portfolios not only open the door for students to share what they have been

learning about, creating, and making in class with their parents, but ultimately continue

the conversation of and about learning, stretching beyond the four walls of the

classroom. Engagement in content through concepts is the heart of digital portfolios in

the 21st century. Advances in web capabilities through app design allow for students to

easily upload multimedia that serve as evidence of student learning. Images, pictures,

video and audio recordings of student’s thinking, doing, and reflecting are now possible

with these digital portfolio apps.

Another benefit to digital portfolios is that communication between teacher and parents

becomes more accessible. Marrifiedi states, “I usually see parents after school or at

parent-teacher meetings. FreshGrade allows me to create a bond with parents that

hasn’t been there before. I can share instantly what’s going on in my classroom with

parents-samples of reading, video, performances. Everything that sparkles in the

classroom.” (2015) When learning is shared with parents in a timely manner, the

conversation continues to live outside the classroom walls. Rather than waiting until the

end of a unit or through a summative assessment, student progress can be reported

and shared through a live format. This live reporting or showcasing of student learning

and thinking allows for students to continue the conversation at home with their parents

in real time. This however, has not always been the case with digital portfolios in the

past. This is where much of the research fails to provide current, up-to date data
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regarding the true benefits of digital portfolios since much of the research predates web

2.0 capabilities.

Kotsopoulous, Lee, Cordy & Bruyns’ case study entitled, “Electronic portfolios in grades

one, two, and three: a cautionary tale” discussed the failure to research the efficacy and

implementation of digital portfolios within primary classrooms. Research around the use

of digital portfolios often speak to the metacognitive skills students develop through

reflection and content knowledge (Barrett, 2007). According to Kotsopoulous et al,

“Other research about portfolios, however, has raised concerns particularly in the

validity of portfolio assessment, suggesting that consistent and/or stable interpretations

of learning over time are questionable” (2014). While attempting to research the

evidence-based benefits of implementing digital portfolios in 10 primary classes, three

objectives were set. First, they aimed to “evaluate the user interface issues associated

with EPs by working with teams of teachers and their students to implement EPs in

grades one, two, and three. Second, to examine the extent to which EPs potentially

support teaching and student learning. Third, reflect collectively upon the intersection of

pedagogy and EP use.”(Kotsopoulos, 2014) Honest in their case study they admit that

they failed to prove their first two objectives due to the fact that they had incorrectly

selected a digital portfolio app that was inappropriate for their intended age group. This

is a significant issue when districts and independent schools are choosing to implement

the best fit into their schools. Students should be able to navigate the tool with ease,

limiting their reliance on teachers to do things for them. As Kotsopoulous et al. (2014)

note, “electronic portfolios must be developed with innovative touch-screen technologies

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in mind. Children are more digitally advanced and sophisticated than ever and so user

interfaces must leverage this advantage.” Another critical factor to the success of

implementation of a digital portfolio tool is the introduction of the tool early on in a

students educational journey. When students are given the choice and agency to be

active members of their own learning this enhances the use of the tool both within and

outside of the classroom. From their research conclusions, Kotsopoulous et al. (2014)

offer key recommendations regarding the implementation of digital portfolios in primary

education, such as user interface limiting the amount of text-based reading expectations

and including more touch-screen features for younger students. Even though the

researchers see their study as a failure, they provide discussion regarding this age

group who are often overlooked in academic literature. Overall, the researchers point to

an important fact that research and understanding of digital portfolios in the primary

years is limited. Much of what is published discusses higher-education, such as the use

of digital portfolios for teacher evaluation. Continued research regarding digital portfolios

use for primary students is necessary.

Skills Based Learning

Pasted structures of curriculum design stressed the importance of preparing students

for testing, such as standardized assessment in Grade 10 through 12. However, due to

the changes the BC Ministry of Education has made regarding the curriculum, teachers

no longer are teaching to the test so to speak. Students likewise don’t feel pressure to

learn how to be masterful test takers. Rather, this shift in design allows students to
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engage in creative and innovative lessons, relying on skills such as creativity and critical

thinking. Skill development is a critical feature of this new educational curriculum

redesign, focusing on the core competencies which the government calls “sets of

intellectual, personal, and social emotional proficiencies that all students need to

develop in order to engage in deep learning and lifelong learning.” (BC Curriculum,

2015) The core competencies include: ​communication​, ​thinking,​ and​ personal social

emotional.

The purpose of these core competencies is for students to actively model and engage in

the use of these skills through collaborative opportunities amongst peers in the process

of learning to co-create, problem solve, and think critically. As technological

advancements rapidly change the way economies function, students need to be

equipped with both the soft skills and hard skills to adapt in new environments and

situations. These core competencies become an integral part of the students day to day

life.

Communication is considered a core competency or skill that needs to be explicitly

taught and modeled for students. One way of doing this is through the use of digital

portfolios in the classroom as a means of encouraging discussion, reflection, and

dialogue between students, teachers and parents. McLeod and Vasinda’s case study,

“Electronic portfolios: Perspectives of students, teachers and parents” evaluates how

digital portfolios “capture and enhance the learning of elementary students in a public
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school setting and as an opportunity to communicate this learning to parents.” (2008)

Portfolios require reflection, an important metacognitive skill that benefits student

learning and future success (McLeod, 2008) When students select evidence of learning

that goes beyond worksheets or textbooks, authentic evidence is selected. These

opportunities to showcase performances and creative pieces makes learning enjoyable,

or what Papert (2002) called, “Hard fun.”

McLeod and Vasinda’s research aimed to determine “whether the students perceived

any subjective satisfaction, whether they enjoyed the process and importantly, whether

they learned to reflect constructively on their work.” Additionally they were curious about

the subjective satisfaction parents and teachers had regarding the use of digital

portfolios to communicate student learning, knowing, and doing.

Students described how the most enjoyable part of their learning was the choice they

were given in selecting what pieces were included as artifacts. As well “students found

satisfaction in the digital aspects of the portfolio, including the public nature of their work

posted on the Internet...several students noted the authenticity of this project as well as

the creative and choice aspect.” (2008) Students in the study mentioned that it provided

those with learning differences an avenue to showcase their learning beyond the typical

writing formats of assessment such as essays.

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Teachers reported that by using digital portfolios in the classroom it impacted their

teaching in positive ways. By listening to the student reflections, teachers were able to

tailor their lessons to better fit the needs and questions of students, determining what

aspects of the lesson students identified as important or required further clarification.

Key takeaways from this case study provided the perspective for teachers about the

capabilities of their students, developing skills such student ownership, and discussions

with students about their identities as learners.

Finally, parent perspectives on the use of digital portfolios was an important component

of this case study. Parents reported that through the documentation of student learning

through artifacts and self-reflections, parents has a better indication of who their child

was, as a learner. Parents enjoyed “the digital aspect of hearing and/or seeing as part

of their perception of being included in the life of the classroom. An additional dimension

of the digital nature of these portfolios is to actually hear their child’s voice while

reflection on their work.” (2008)

Overall, the benefits of implementing digital portfolios into the classroom for this case

study strengthened the claim that there is value from all stakeholders, students,

teachers, and parents. McLeod and Vasinda state that “students began thinking more

deeply about the content and about themselves as a learner while teachers obtained

valuable insights into those thoughts.” (2008) Consistent across much of the research

exploring the benefits of digital portfolios in the elementary context, these findings are
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“particularly useful because as previously mentioned, empirical findings are limited

particularly for elementary aged students.” (2008)

What is exciting from this case study is the potential for enhanced student reflection

through better designed apps and feature capabilities of digital portfolio tools being used

today. Making digital portfolios meaningful is now possible with cloud based access and

storage capabilities. With enhanced high-speed internet access, many schools are able

to use these tools to their full capabilities. In 2017, the BC Government proudly reported

they has successfully installed Next Generation Network (NGN) in more than 1, 600

public schools across the 60 school districts in the province.

Understanding the ways in which all stakeholders find purpose in digital portfolios

requires continued research into the design and implementation in elementary school

education. Helen Barrett discusses how the REFLECT initiative provides a framework

for schools looking to implement digital portfolios into their classrooms. Barrett noted

that the lack of literature and research into the implementation of digital portfolios in the

K-12 context sparked the need for a two-year action research study. REFLECT, which

stands for “Researching Electronic portfolios: Learning, Engaging, and Collaboration

through Technology.” The study revealed that the success of implementation depended

on teacher buy-in, where schools that had “a strong teacher leader, or an active

technology coordinator, there was stronger support for the teachers implementing

electronic portfolios. Here we have an opportunity to build a real community of practice.”

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(Barrett, 2007) When there are educators in supporting technology roles,

implementation is more realistic. A transdisciplinary approach allows for teachers to

create opportunities for students to create artifacts that are multidimensional in nature,

such as connecting literature with science. When schools conduct a self-study to find

out what works and why, more teachers will buy into the practice.

Conclusion

Partnership for 21st Century Learning focuses on creativity, critical thinking,

communication, and collaboration as essential skills students must master in order to be

prepared for the future. Along with the core competencies of the BC new curriculum,

students are given opportunities to learn, practice, and utilize these skills through

classroom activities. Along with the design of lessons and activities that motivate and

engage students authentically, digital portfolios provide an opportunity for these

moments to become captured through video and visual images, and most importantly

for self-reflection. Assessment and reporting through digital portfolios becomes a real

way of understanding students knowledge of both content and concepts. Overall, the

benefits of utilizing digital portfolios in the classroom allow for all stakeholders- students,

teachers, and parents-the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion and transform

the learning to stretch beyond the four walls of the classroom. In conclusion, further

research is needed in regards to the use of digital portfolios in the elementary

classroom but the current research supports that self-reflection continues to be the

everlasting hope educators have to connect the new curriculum with skill development.
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