Who owns an ePortfolio?

While digital portfolios are used by many different types of creators, education is still young in its implementation of this platform. Many people in the workforce, especially those who own their own business or wish to compile a collection of their creations, have been utilizing ePortfolios for years. There is a unique application of such a tool when it is used to provide evidence of learner by a student and will be graded by an evaluator. The question of ownership becomes increasingly interesting when applied to education as it serves this unique purpose.

The question “who owns the ePortfolio?” is, without a doubt, the question. There can be lengthy discussions about legal rights, domain names, and digital property. All of these aspects are appropriate, extensive, and outright fascinating. However, when pondering ownership, I keep returning to a more introspective viewpoint on the topic. Before we can discuss a finalized ePortfolio, I believe that this question needs to be applied to the creation of the ePortfolio in its infant stages and what drives the content that is placed on it.

Each and every ePortfolio creator must answer the question on a personal level every time he or she logs in and begins to add content. It is a mental choice in how we approach the tasks we are required to perform.

“Will I be the owner of this content by fully engaging with and truly applying the concepts to my work, career and personal life?” or “will I allow the assignment, the checklist and the grade determine how I write and what I say?”

It is at this crossroads that we as bloggers and digital content creators determine who owns the ePortfolio. In reality, if we are all honest, it is a mixture. Sometimes, we utilize the various aspects of COVA to create something that is our own. Other times, for whatever reasons, we give that control away. Rikard (2015) argued that promoting digital ownership is different from assigning work in publicly accessible spaces. However, it is not only the teacher that has the responsibility to promote true ownership, but students must also choose to view such projects as content to own rather than assignments to complete.

References

Rikard, A. (2015, August 10). Do I own my domain if you grade it? - EdSurge News. Retrieved February 5, 2020, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-08-10-do-i-own-my-domain-if-you-grade-it