FULL PROGRAMME ON-LINE NOW

The Full event programme is now available on line and details of registration.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Last call until 7th March

“My digital Knowledge Backpack”

ePortfolios for Individual and Organisational Learning

in the German Speaking Area

Wednesday 27th April 2005 
Location: Tagungshaus St.Virgil, Salzburg, Austria

GUIDELINES

1. Invitation for contributions to the Austrian ePortfolio Forum

The ePortfolio Austria organising committee invites all policy makers, teachers, eLearning-trainers, education managers, human resource managers, school heads, school administrators, ICT providers, LMS/CMS developers and members of organisations promoting the use of electronic portfolios or similar tools to submit their contribution to the event.

The conference  targets predominantely a German-speaking audience. However  since experts in this fields are invited from abroad, translation facilities will be provided. Thus contributions can be made  either in German or English.

1.1. Background and objectives

While paper-based portfolios have already been used by millions of people across the world, the ePortfolio provides an opportunity to explore new territories that go far beyond 'paperless' portfolio. The ePortfolio has been described variously as the toolbox for the knowledge worker; the foundation of organisational learning and the interface to communities of practice. New concepts are emerging such as the ePortfolio of a course, of  an organisaton and even of a city or region.

While paper-based portfolios were mainly concerned with the collection and presentation of evidence for assessment, the ePortfolio is more than the mere digitisation of evidence , or the delivery of electronic curriculum vitae. ePortfolios are fundamentally connectivity tools: connection of ePortfolios within an organisation (school, university, organisation), a community (professional association, community of practice), connecting the actors involved in such processes as personal and professional development, assessment and the accreditation of prior learning.

What is an ePortfolio?

An ePortfolio is a structured personal digital collection of information describing and illustrating a person`s learning, career, experience and achievements. ePortfolios are privately owened and the owner has complete control over who has access to what and when. (SOURCE: EIfEL)

What is the aim of the conference with the title:

My ePortfolio – Challenges, Trends and Experiences of introducing a Digital Knowledge Backpack for individual and organisational learning in German speaking countries

The Austrian ePortfolio Forum will present the concepts and methods of  various types of ePortfolios for the public and private education and training sector for the first time in the German speaking area This one day expert-forum will

• Present the “ePortfolio - thinking” behind the different types of ePortfolios and foster the exchange about their usage and integration into innovative learning and knowledge exchange processes 
• Highlight the trends and challenges in “ePortfolio tools and technologies” 
• Provide practical insights on how to set up an ePortfolio project through the presentation and demonstration of “ePortfolio case – studies”  drawn from  international and national best-practice examples 
•  Identify the actions needed to be taken at policy level to enable the successful implementation of ePortfolios in the German speaking countries

1.2. Content of the Event

Papers and presentations on the following themes are highly welcome;  however, other topics if directly related to the ePortfolio will be considered:

1.       ePortfolio and assessment

·       recruitment

·       formal accreditation

·       accreditation of prior learning

·       authentic assessment, self-assessment

·       quality control of assessment

·       monitoring recruitment

2.       ePortfolio for professionals

·       continuing professional development

·       ePortfolios and professional bodies

·       ePortfolios and lifelong and life wide learning

3.       ePortfolio for initial education

·       schools

·       universities

·       vocational training

·       other

4.       ePortfolio for learning individuals and organisations

·       knowledge management

·       capturing informal learning

·       learning communities

5.       ePortfolio technical issues

·       interoperability & standards

·       privacy, protecting personal data

·       security

·       mobility

1.3. Presentation Modes  – Book of papers  (German/English)/ Workshop

The contributions accepted will be included in the participants’ packs as a “Book of Papers” (German/English)  and some of the authors will also be invited to contribute to the parallel workshops in the afternoon. This will be an opportunity for a higher number of practitioners and researchers to present their current and future work.

We propose the following presentation modes:

·       A full Research paper (5-6 pages) either:

·       including a  20 minute oral presentation during the event or

·       without a presentation

·       A Work-in-progress position paper (3 – 4 pages) either:

·       including a  20 minute oral presentation during the event or

·       without a  presentation

We require all interested contributors to first submit an abstract summarising the content of their proposed paper. On submission of the abstract, the preferred mode must be specified.

 2. Submission of Abstracts

All abstracts are to be submitted to the event committee of ePortfolio Austria, by 7th March 2005.

2.1. Abstract Format

Abstracts must follow these formats to be eligible for review.

Abstracts should be less than 400 words (not including the title and authors) and may be submitted in either German or English. Each abstract should be written following the format indicated below:

1.       Theme

2.       Title of the paper (If in German please include an English translation of your title)

3.                 Presentation format:

a.      Full research paper with or without presentation

b.      Work – in-progress with or without presentation

N.B. If you select with presentation please indicate the name of the persons who will present and contact details

4.       Authors' names and institutions (last name preceding first name or initials): omit degrees, titles, and institutional appointments of co-authors. Underline the name of the person(s) presenting the paper.

5.       Suggested structure

·       Background or context

·       Objectives

·       Summary of results

·       Conclusions and recommendations

6.       Address, e-mail and telephone number of the contributor

All abstracts must be e-mailed to Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft,
ePortfolio-Forum Austria: Organising Committee: Conference Committee:
Mail to: veronika.hornung@salzburgresearch.at

2.2. Abstract lay out

1.       The abstract  should not contain charts, graphics, references, or credits

2.      Before submitting your abstract, check carefully to make sure it contains no spelling or typographical errors. The abstract must be written in third person (ie, her, she, they).

3.       An untidy abstract will not be included in the programme.  

4.      Authors must state which format they wish their presentation to be considered as.
           a) Full research paper with or without presentation
           b) Work – in-progress with or without presentation

        (It  may be possible that the Event Committee alters the author’s choice due to
        organisational reasons.

5.      Abstracts must be in a RTF format and use Arial font 10, single line spacing.  

2.3. General Rules

1.       Research previously published at international meetings is not acceptable when submitting a Full Research paper.

2.       All presenters must register and pay registration fees.

3.       To accommodate as many presenters as possible, the Event Committee reserves
          the right to limit each presenter to only one presentation and to decide the most
          appropriate presentation format. (A)Full research paper with or without presentation
          or B) Work – in-progress with or without presentation

4.       Abstracts can be in German or English. If in German please provide an English translation of the title.

2.3. Deadline, notification and registration

·        7th March 2005: deadline for receipt of abstracts. Receipt will be confirmed by
e-mail.

·        14 th March 2005: Authors will be notified whether or not their abstracts have been accepted (by e-mail).

·        4th April 2005: deadline for receipt of final papers and presentations.

Presenting authors must register with full payment once abstract acceptance received.

IMPORTANT: Should presenters require an invitation letter in order to arrange funding please notify the Event Secretariat.

2.4. Publication of research papers

The conference organisers will consider publishing in 2005 a selection of research papers presented at the conference. Thus, for some authors the possibility exists that their work could be published both in the Participants Packs Book and in a special Edition of Conference Contributions.

2.5. Copyright

In all cases copyright for abstracts and papers written for the conference will be retained by the individual author/s.However, the conference organisers in conjunction with the Conference Programme Committee, have the right to publish such work submitted to the conference, in the Participants Packs Book and in a special Edition of Conference Contributions, and on the ePortfolio Austria Forum 2005 website and the websites of the organising committee. 

2.6. The Organising Committee

The Event Committee consits of the Event organisers:

EIFEL and Europortfolio, France  http://www.eife-l.org/portfolio

Salzburg  Research Forschungsgesellschaft, Austria http://www.salzburgresearch.at

St.Virgil Bildungshaus Salzburg, Austria  http://www.virgil.at

If you need more information please than e-mail to Ms. Mag.Veronika Hornung-Prähauser, MAS; Research Group Coordinator – It-based Learning & Knowledge at Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft
Mail to: veronika.hornung@salzburgresearch.at