ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIO
DISTANCE EDUCATION CLASS
 ©2003, HELEN C. BARRETT, PH.D.
MODULE 2 - TOOLS

MODULE 2.1
Tools - PowerPoint

MODULE 2.2
Tools - Acrobat & Netscape Composer

MODULE 2.3
Tools - Digital Storytelling

MODULE 2.4
Tools - Multimedia Authoring

MODULE 2.5
Rubric & Evaluation

MODULE 2.1

Tools - PowerPoint and Stage 4

Welcome to the second module of a course on creating electronic portfolios using common software tools. Dr. Helen Barrett has designed this course around her five stages of electronic portfolio development, allowing you to sample a variety of tools and strategies for publishing a portfolio in electronic format. This second module will allow you to try out a variety of tools for building an electronic portfolio using common software tools. We will also learn about digital video and give you an opportunity to create a digital storytelling artifact to enrich your electronic portfolio.

In addition to the following software that was required for the first Module (Adobe Acrobat Reader, QuickTime Player, and Microsoft Office), you will need to find additional software packages to try out, most of which is either free or trial versions can be downloaded from the Internet.

In this section, we will continue our discussions of the various software choices and issues, and each of you will eventually set up a web page on a web server. We will also develop a rubric for evaluating our own electronic portfolio.

The only textbook for this class is Dr. Barrett's CD-ROM, Standards-Based Electronic Portfolios plus access to the World Wide Web. However, because of the hands-on nature of this module, I recommend students sign up for a semester account with Atomic Learning, a website that provides online videos demonstrating how to do various tasks with a variety of software. They offer free tutorials for Macintosh OS X, iMovie, and iPhoto. Access to other tutorials requires a password.

1. In this module we will learn about: (Objectives)

2. We will: (Activities)

3. Reading Assignment:

Resources for hands-on activities

4. Written Assignment: Bb

5. Progress check-list:

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MODULE 2.2

Tools - Web-Compatible Hypermedia (Acrobat and HTML-Composer)

In this section, we will explore the use of WWW-compatible hypermedia, using Adobe Acrobat and some type of Web page editor. Netscape Composer is free and can be downloaded from the Netscape website. You might want to try out another Web page editor. The web pages for this class website were created with the trial versions of Adobe's GoLive and Macromedia's Dreamweaver. There are at least 14 video clips on the course CD about how to use the full version of Adobe Acrobat, so you can see me demonstrate different tasks. There are many web-based tutorials on using Netscape Composer. Perhaps the ideal use of these tools is to convert artifacts into PDF and use your HTML editor to link them to your portfolio document, especially if you don't have the full version of Acrobat.

We also need to begin building a rubric to evaluate our electronic portfolios. There are a series of rubrics that you can review. In each of the next three weeks, we will discuss a different element of the rubric that you will need to develop, and you will post your rubric during the last week of this module.

1. In this module we will learn about: (Objectives)

2. We will: (Activities)

3. Reading Assignment:

Readings on Assessment (to be completed over the next three weeks).

Resources for hands-on activities

4. Written Assignment: Bb

5. Progress check-list:

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MODULE 2.3

Tools - Digital Storytelling

Digital video is one of the most exciting components of electronic portfolio development. This section of the module will get you started in developing a digital video clip, preferably using still images in a process called "digital storytelling." You will read the background on digital storytelling on the Web, both at the Center for Digital Storytelling and on the Apple website. You will select a software package to use, based on your computer platform: Macintosh users will use iMovie; Windows users will use either Pinnacle Studio or Microsoft MovieMaker2 or the new Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition PhotoStory (a $20 download).

What is a digital story? We have learned from Ken Burns (and his PBS series on Civil War, Jazz, Baseball) that you can tell powerful stories with still images, a sound track of your voice with appropriate music and pacing to create the right emotional tone. You don't have to have access to an expensive digital video camera; any way you can get still images will work just fine: digital still camera, 35MM photos you scan, or have your film developed and digitized by a service like SnapFish.

You will begin by writing a script that describes some aspect of your portfolio. We will discuss story ideas in our discussion area. You will gather images to illustrate your story. You will record your audio, and assemble the entire document over the next three weeks. We will explore where these digital stories could be posted for online streaming.

1. In this module we will learn about: (Objectives)

2. We will: (Activities)

3. Reading Assignment:

Resources for hands-on activities

4. Written Assignment: Bb

5. Progress check-list:

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MODULE 2.4

Tools - Multimedia Authoring

While you are still be working on your digital story, this week, you should take a look at other multimedia authoring tools for building the multimedia elements of your electronic portfolio. If you are using a Macintosh, the obvious choice is iPhoto (Mac OS X - a free download from the Apple website) or iView Multimedia (Mac OS 9- which is in a folder on the CD). Windows users will try ____ (tell us about your favorite). You could also look at other multimedia authoring programs that could be used to build e-portfolios, including eZedia, Lectora or HyperStudio. We will discuss the use of these tools, and their most appropriate application in the portfolio development process.

1. In this module we will learn about: (Objectives)

2. We will: (Activities)

3. Reading Assignment:

Resources for hands-on activities (based on the software you choose to try)

4. Written Assignment: Bb

5. Progress check-list:

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MODULE 2.5

Rubric and Evaluation

In this final section of this second module, you will post your movie for others in your group to see, and will work on finishing the evaluation rubric to evaluate these e-portfolios.

1. In this module we will learn about: (Objectives)

2. We will: (Activities)

3. Reading Assignment:

4. Written Assignment: Bb

5. Progress check-list:

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©2003, Helen C. Barrett, Ph.D.