Completed
Thesis' Author:
Sandra Maria do Couto Pais SoaresCourse description: MSc in Computer Science
Supervisor(s):
Abstract:
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Abstract:</strong></span><br /> Information and Communication Technologies have revolutionized teaching, learning, personal and interpersonal relations. It is now widely accepted that e-learning (and also b-learning) has boosted the use of a new set of tools which have potential to promote an improvement and modernization of education. The e-portfolios, or digital portfolios, have been assuming an increasingly important role in this new reality.<br /> In this dissertation we contextualize the panorama of the existing systems used in e-learning; we assess the state of the art and the usefulness of digital portfolios in these settings. Particularly, some well-known platforms for learning management and for divulgation (or use) of e-portfolios are also analyzed.<br /> Accordingly, we list and describe the potential of digital portfolios as a starting point for the development of an Interoperable System of Digital Portfolios (the “Interfolio”) which overcomes a detected fault on the existing systems: their adaptability to different educational levels. This adaptation is at the system administrator’s level by configuration of many available settings. Our system organizes each portfolio in a temporal and structured way, by academic levels. The proposed organization aims to give a chronological perspective and the evolution of the portfolio, ultimately enhancing exportation capabilities to other systems, which might exist in other educational institutions<br /> Our system allows the creation of projects through a set of different states until their public release. The notion of pre-publication intermediate states allows for the creation of moments of discussion, and for intermediate evaluation, as well as to define specific roles for each type and user.<br /> We conclude the thesis presenting a system, interoperable between different learning management systems, and; a set of extensions for interoperability standards and, with the research objectives fulfilled.</p>
