The Australian ePortfolio project and the opportunities to develop a community of practice

Abstract

In 2007-2008, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council funded a national research project to examine the current picture of ePortfolio practice in Australian universities. The paper presents a review of the Australian ePortfolio Project, with a specific focus on the strong interest across the Australian higher education sector to establish communities of practice to support the sharing of knowledge and experience at the institutional, discipline and sector levels nationally. A number of international models of communities of practice that encourage the sharing of expertise through research and practice are outlined. The paper seeks to stimulate discussion about the possible opportunities for all ePortfolio stakeholders (learners, teachers, academic managers, ICT directors, educational technologists and learning and teaching support teams) to build and sustain a strong future.