Online Personal Learning Environments: Structuring Electronic Portfolios to Support Lifelong and Life Wide Learning

Abstract

This paper outlines a new vision for “online personal learning environments” which may eventually replace what we currently call “electronic portfolios” in education. Based on the concept of “lifetime personal web space,” this online archive of a life’s collection of artifacts and memorabilia, both personal and professional, has the potential to change the current paradigm of electronic portfolios, mostly institution-bound, and focus instead on the individual or the family as the center for creating the digital archive, which can be used in a variety of contexts across the lifespan, from schools to universities to the workplace. A possible scenario is followed by the challenges faced when developing this service for widespread dissemination. This paper invites discussion of the theoretical foundation for a long-term research proposal, a proposed implementation plan and evaluation study.