The conference organisers invite all policy makers, teachers, trainers, education managers, human resource managers, school heads, school administrators, ICT providers, and members of organisations promoting the use of ePortfolio to submit their contribution to the conference.

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 as the toolbox for the knowledge worker, the foundations of organisational learning, the interface to communities of practice. New concepts emerge such as the ePortfolio of a course (e.g. linking alumni and teachers ePortfolio) the organisational ePortfolio as well as regions and cities ePortfolios.

While paper-based portfolios where mainly concerned with the collection and presentation of evidence, the ePortfolio is more than the mere digitisation of evidence and the use of desktop publishing or authoring tools, or the delivery of electronic curriculum vitae. ePortfolios are fundamentally connectivity tools: connection of ePortfolios within an organisation (school, university, firm), a community (professional association, community of practice), connecting the different actors of various process such as assessment, accreditation of prior learning.

The objective of this conference, building on the outcomes of the Poitiers 2003 conference, is to explore those new territories.

Content of the conference

Papers / posters / abstracts on the following themes are invited ; however, other topics related to the ePortfolio will be considered:

1.       ePortfolio domains, limits and companions

• what is and what isn't an ePortfolio? what minimum features are required?
• comparative analysis of ePortfolios and ePortfolio-related technologies/ solutions and initiatives
• ePortfolios and information systems (HR, intranets)

2.       ePortfolio and assessment

• accreditation of prior learning
• authentic assessment, self-assessment
• assessment quality control and monitoring

3.       ePortfolio and professionals

• continuing professional development
• ePortfolios and professional bodies
• ePortfolios and lifelong and life wide learning

4.       ePortfolio and initial education

• schools
• universities
• second chance schools
• key / basic skills / information literacy

5.       ePortfolio and learning organisations

• knowledge management
• ePortfolio and organisational knowledge
• Portfolio and learning communities

6.       ePortfolio and learning cities and regions

• Building an ePortfolio policy on a territory
• ePortfolio and territorial development
• valuing social capital
• ePortfolio and social cohesion

7.       ePortfolio technologies and architectures

• interoperability inside and across organisations and applications
• centralised and decentralised peer-to-peer ePortfolios
• technology standards

8.       ePortfolio implementation

• managing organisational change
• educating the trainer and the staff
• selecting the right technology
• linking pedagogical and administrative intranets

9.       ePortfolio issues

• privacy, protecting personal data
• online vs off-line ePortfolio
• accessibility, inclusion
• ePortfolio: process or product?

Presentation format

The contributions accepted will be included in the delegate packs, and some of the authors will be invited to contribute to the workshops. This will be the opportunity for a higher number of practitioners and researchers to present their current and future work.

We are planning for a variety of presentation modes:

• Keynotes (30 minutes) for plenaries
• Full paper (20 minutes, including question time) for workshops
• Work-in-progress, position paper (10 minutes, including question time)
• Panel discussion
• Poster presentation
• Website presentation
• Text presentation only (no oral presentation)

On submission of abstract, the preferred mode may be specified, but depending on the topic and input from other contributors, delegates may be invited to submit in another mode. Whatever the mode, all presenters will be invited to contribute a fuller text version on their chosen topic to be edited for publication in print and in shortened form for the ePortfolio 2004 conference website.

Submission of Abstracts (no longer than 1500 words)

All abstracts are to be submitted to the conference secretariat, ePortfolio 2004, by 30 July 2004.

Authors may choose between three different submission formats:

• full research/experience report paper: 10-14 pages
• Work-in-progress: 4-6 pages
• short position paper: 2-4 pages

Before preparing your abstract carefully study the instructions given below.

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

2.      Abstracts will not be edited. 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. The Conference Committee reserves the right to alter the author's choice.

5.      Poster size should not exceed 900mm vertical and 700mm horizontal and 18pitch letter size should be used with double spacing. 

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

7.      Abstracts must be conform to the instructions below and sent electronically and to the Conference Secretariat at angela.baker@eife-l.org

Abstract layout

Abstracts must follow these formats to be eligible for review.

Abstracts should be less than 1500 words (This does not include title and authors) and should contain the following information:

1.       Theme

2.       Title of the paper

3.       Authors' names and institution (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.

4.       Abstract possible structure (1500 words max)

• Background or context
• Objectives
• Summary of results
• Conclusions and recommendations

5.       Address, e-mail and telephone number

All abstracts must be e-mailed to: angela.baker@eife-l.org

Full paper layout

Guidelines for the submission of full Conference papers are available here.

General Rules

1.       Research previously published at international meetings is not acceptable.

2.       All paper and poster presenters must be registered and pay registration fees.

3.       To accommodate as many presenters as possible, the Conference Committee reserves the right to limit each presenter to only one presentation and to decide the most appropriate presentation format for the abstract.

4.       Abstracts must be in English.

Deadline, notification and registration

• 27th July 2004: deadline for Receipt of abstracts. All abstracts received will be acknowledged by e-mail. Authors will be notified whether or not their abstracts have been accepted by e-mail, by the 30 July 2004 for those received before 15 July, 15 August for the following ones.
• 15 October 2004: deadline for receipt of final papers, camera ready.

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 Conference Secretariat and this will be forwarded immediately either by e-mail or fax. 

Conference Committee

The Conference Committee is composed by the Steering Committee of the Europortfolio project.