Teaching e-Portfolios

The use of technologies in education has been made a grant shift and change from traditional education to more developed, improved, and innovative education.  Both soft-wares and hard-wares are used in education, which facilitate and improve goals achievement of students, faculty members, and educational institutions.  Using different and mixed types of technologies could make the educational material and process more fruitful and attracted for students.  Examples of hard-wares technologies are, however not limited to, simulations, computers, and cellphones.  Examples of soft-wares are social media and electronic educational applications.  The most important point that should be considered to achieve the successful use of technologies in education is that both educators and students should know how to use the available technologies in education.  Moreover, all facilities and resources should be available to facilitate the use of technologies in education, effectively.  Otherwise, educators cannot ask students to achieve a specific goal when they cannot use technologies effectively.  This reflects that the use of technologies in education should fit with the educational program, the process of teaching, the availability of resources, and other factors.  The Education Week Organization (2011) stated that technologies provide rich contents that students can use effectively. 

The use of technologies in education is not limited to the educational process, but involves achievements of educational institutions’ works, such as annual evaluation process of faculty members and educational institutions’ performances.  Also, students’ performance can be assessed through the use of technologies.  Mastrian, McGonigle, Mahan, and Baxter (2011) stated that technologies can be used to assess and evaluate teacher’s performance, such as the use of teaching e-portfolios (TsPs).  Mastrian et al. (2011) said that “TePs are a potent way to assess the teacher’s progress, achievement, and development; they can reflect the teaching persona from the classroom through the attainment of career goals” (p. 255).  Sarkar (2012) said that “but with the world moving rapidly into digital media and information, the role of ICT in education is becoming more and more important and this importance will continue to grow and develop in the 21st century” (p. 30).  This reflects that technologies become part of our lives and influence our performance positively or negatively if we do not know how to use them. 

References:

Mastrian, K., McGonigle, D., Mahan, W., & Baxter. B. (2011). Integrating technology in nursing education: Tools for the knowledge era. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

Sarkar, S. (2012). The role of information and communication technology (ICT) in higher education for the 21st century. Science, 1(1), 30-41.

The Education Week Organization. (2011). Technology in education. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/technology-in-education/