The Diffusion of Electronic Portfolios In Teacher Education

This is the second part of a two-part article on the diffusion of electronic portfolios in preservice teacher education. The first part addressed issues of adoption and implementation; this part documents “next steps” and key recommendations by informants from the six programs studied. Next steps included streamlining requirements, addressing reliability of technology and access, and planning for data aggregation and program evaluation. Key recommendations were to involve a broad base of participants in the planning process, clarify the purposes for electronic portfolios, move forward incrementally, and provide sufficient technology access, training, and support. The study concludes that a range of research is needed to inform future decisions pertaining to the large-scale implementation of electronic portfolios in teacher education.