Do I own my ePortfolio? Technically speaking, yes, I do. I sought out my own domain by forwarding a URL purchased through Google Domains (classycargal.com), attached it to a Wix website that I created, therefore showing ownership. In some programs, such as the one adopted by the University of Mary Washington, the domain is purchased by the school and then given to the student after graduation (Watters, 2015). Owning the entire process of this ePortfolio, however, is questionable. Even though my thoughts are my own, and I have free reign to organize and structure as I please, I am, at this moment, being assigned to blog about ePortfolio ownership. My thoughts are my own, but I am bound by the restrictions of an assignment. It could be argued that true ownership is never attained until the author chooses the data to input and reflect upon (Rikard, 2015).
I do not believe that having guidance or proposed topics to research and reflect upon is necessarily adverse. How am I supposed to explore new topics, trends, or theories if I have never had exposure to them? Honestly, if I were not required to read and write about ePortfolio ownership, I would not have sought it out independently. Individuals tend to stay in their wheelhouse and search within their own interests. We are creatures of habit, so naturally, people need rubrics, exemplars, guidance, and support when creating anything new. This need for "end product duplication" is engrained in our brains as a fixed mindset trait. In order for true choice, ownership, voice, and authentic learning (COVA) to be implemented, traditional ways of assigning, assessing, and grading must go under a complete overhaul. The highest contributing factor to the success of ePortfolio ownership is the instructor! If the instructor encourages COVA and truly provides support for meaningful and relevant learning experiences, then students will feel empowered and their ePortfolio will reflect this. Vice versa, if the instructor is still clinging to traditional pedagogy, the ePortfolio becomes an artifact dump that holds no value to the author, thus defeating the purpose (Rikard, 2015).
If an ePortfolio is such an amazing product that brings forth powerful epiphanies, good fortune, and endless possibilities for growth and introspection, then the professor/mentor/innovator that is encouraging the production of said ePortfolio better have a darn good version of their own. According to Harapnuik (2019), if one is to promote any venture, it is strongly advised that they "walk the talk" if they are hoping to gain desired results for the masses. Being inspired to produce creative outlets (buy-in) is an important component of the ePortfolio process. Relevance is key, and everyone has a currency. When a person discovers personal meaning (currency) in their ePortfolio (job promotion, public audience, purpose), and they have a mentor that can promote an ePortfolio because they have experienced success by using it, the COVA model will naturally fall into place. So, do I own my ePortfolio, or does someone else? I suppose I must answer this... in song form.
References:
Harapnuik, D.(2019). Retrieved December 2, 2020, from Harapnuik.org website: http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6050
Rikard, A. (2015, August 10). Do I Own My Domain If You Grade It? Retrieved December 2, 2020, from EdSurge website:
Watters, A. (2015, July 15). The Web We Need To Give Students - BRIGHT Magazine. Retrieved December 2, 2020, from Medium website: