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A Co-design Approach for Collaborative e-Portfolio Use in Higher Education:
Introducing the Co-PIRS Model
Peng Zhang
University of the Balearic Islands, Spain
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5164-1869
p.zhang@uib.es
Gemma Tur
University of the Balearic Islands, Spain
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4508-6808
gemma.tur@uib.es
Abstract: As the world transitions into a post-pandemic stage, it is important to examine the use of e-
portfolios during the COVID-19 pandemic and consider their implications for future implementation. The
pandemic has highlighted the need for virtual modes of teaching and learning, making e-portfolios a
valuable tool in higher education institutions. Besides, collaborative e-portfolio use has been described as
successful, and it may promote a sense of community and encourages a culture of continuous
improvement. This study adopted a systematic review approach to synthesize empirical e-portfolio
practices during the pandemic and propose a collaborative co-design model, the Co-PIRS model, for
effective e-portfolio implementation. The study identified several collaborative patterns in e-portfolio
practice and presented recommendations for collaborative e-portfolio use. The proposed model can be
used by educators in higher education to enhance collaboration in e-portfolio-facilitated teaching and
learning. Additionally, higher education institutions may consider adopting the co-design model and e-
portfolio inclusion in their provision of education. Researchers may also investigate the proposed e-
portfolio co-design framework further to examine its effectiveness and participants' perceptions. Overall,
this study provides valuable insights for utilizing e-portfolios collaboratively in higher education settings
through a co-design strategy.
Keywords: e-portfolio, collaboration, co-design, systematic review, COVID-19, higher education
Introduction
Collaboration has long been recognized as a valuable tool in education, offering numerous benefits to both students and educators.
Research has shown that collaboration can enhance student engagement, foster active learning, and promote the development of social
skills (Kirschner et al., 2018). In recent years, collaborative learning has become increasingly popular, with many educational
institutions adopting it as a key component of their teaching strategies (Johnson et al., 2014). This trend has been further accelerated
by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has necessitated a shift towards virtual learning, making collaboration even more crucial.
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a shift towards virtual education (Mudau & Modise, 2022), presenting challenges to traditional
face-to-face settings. Educational institutions have been seeking digital platforms to maintain quality academic activities (Devarajoo,
2020), which has led to changes in material organization, instructional approaches, and online assessments. This shift has also had
psychological effects on students, impacting their cognitive and emotional processes (Schiff et al., 2020; Rodriguez et al., 2022). To
overcome these challenges, the use of digital tools such as e-portfolios for virtual collaborative learning has become increasingly
popular (Ismailov & Laurier, 2021). Besides, e-portfolios have attracted the attention of academics and educators as a widely utilised
digital tool in online learning settings (Devarajoo, 2020; Domene-Martos et al., 2021; Rodriguez et al., 2022). While e-portfolios have
been found to offer numerous benefits to students, including increased engagement and reflection (Jafari & Kaufman, 2006), the
collaborative use of e-portfolios might further enhance these benefits. Collaboration allows students to receive feedback on their work,
engage in peer assessment, and learn from each other. Additionally, collaborative e-portfolio use promotes a sense of community and
encourages a culture of continuous improvement, where students can learn from each other and work towards common goals
(Kirschner et al., 2018). With the COVID-19 pandemic necessitating a shift towards virtual and remote learning, collaborative e-
portfolio use has become even more important.
The world has now entered the post-COVID-19 era, and educational institutions worldwide are exploring alternative models for
educational offerings (Zhang & Tur, 2022). Recent research suggests that the experience of remote learning and social distancing
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could have long-term implications for future higher education programme designs (Ismailov & Laurier, 2021). This study aimed to
conduct a systematic review of empirical evidence on collaborative e-portfolio implementations during the pandemic, with a focus on
co-design processes, to propose a co-design model for effectively implementing collaborative e-portfolios in higher education settings.
Based on the aim, the following research questions were raised:
●What are the underpinning themes of the selected papers?
●How was collaboration addressed in e-portfolio practice during the pandemic, and how can it be designed for a co-design
model?
Methodology
This study aimed to provide an overview of empirical studies without restricting them to English-only publications, perhaps reducing
cultural bias. Accordingly, review articles written in English, Chinese, and Spanish were investigated, and publications from various
backgrounds were considered.
Data Collection
The systematic review approach was utilised to explore the aforementioned research question. Several software, including Ryaan and
NVivo, were utilised for data gathering and analysis in this research. The study followed Tawfik et al. (2019) 's model for a systematic
review. Data collection consisted of the following phases: preliminary search and planning, search strategy, criteria, parameter
establishment (see Table 1), paper identification, and screening and inclusion of papers (Page et al., 2021). The whole systematic
review method adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) reporting guidelines
(see Figure 1).
Inclusion Criteria
Published in during the pandemic 2020-2023
Addressing the Covid-19 pandemic
Refer to the use of e-portfolios in higher education
Empirical studies
Related to e-portfolio implementation design, such as collaboration, co-design, social media, etc.
Table 1. Inclusion criteria
Figure 1. PRISMA Flow Diagram
Data Analysis
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The method of content analysis was used for all 12 papers. In lieu of manual analysis, computer-assisted qualitative data analysis
software (CAQDAS) was utilised to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the analytical process (Leech & Onwuegbuzie, 2011).
In this study, NVivo was utilised to analyse the obtained data.
Results
Contexts and Themes
The selected papers come from various African, European, North American, and Asian nations, including Chile, Japan, Malaysia,
South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United States. All papers published during the previous three years are relevant to
higher education contexts.
Most reviewed empirical studies were contextualised in the context of virtual emergency learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic or
Open Distance eLearning (ODeL); some research specifically focused on e-portfolio use in practicum (teaching and other clinical
practise); and two studies investigated e-portfolio use concerning Learning Management System (LMS). Different features of e-
portfolio practice were also discovered; over half of the articles utilised e-portfolio in various ways as an assessment tool. Both
formative and summative evaluations were associated with formal/informal learning and the visualisation of learning objectives. One
study used self-directed mini projects to engage students as a formative evaluation strategy. In general, the chosen papers covered a
wide range of topics related to learner engagement. Some studies focused on student engagement directly, while others talked about
self-regulated learning (SRL) and self-directed learning (SDL). Significantly collaborative learning was extensively covered in the
reviewed literature, with particular emphasis on virtual teams and learning communities.
Collaboration in Practice
Collaboration in e-portfolio implementation is at the focus of this study. The examined literature indicated four forms of cooperation:
student-student collaboration (Abuzaid et al., 2021; Ismailov & Laurier, 2021; Modise, 2021; Mudau & Modise, 2022; Rodriguez et
al., 2022; Viscarret et al., 2022), student-teacher collaboration (Abuzaid et al., 2021; Miyoshi et al., 2021; Modise, 2021; Mudau &
Modise, 2022; Rodriguez et al., 2022; Viscarret et al., 2022), the whole learning community collaboration (Abuzaid et al., 2021;
Ismailov & Laurier, 2021; Modise, 2021; Mudau & Modise, 2022), and collaboration with other professionals (Miyoshi et al., 2021).
Notably, community collaboration emphasizes cooperation within the community of learners, including various forms of
collaboration, such as student-student and student-teacher collaboration.
Collaboration among students includes peer review and feedback, collaborative e-portfolio creation, exchanging materials and
reflections, and peer support through social engagement (Abuzaid et al., 2021; Rodriguez et al., 2022; Viscarret et al., 2022). Modise
(2021) also noted the learners' favourable perceptions of peer-to-peer collaboration: over 70% of the students reported receiving the
most beneficial guidance and support from their peers. According to Ismailov and Laurier (2021), cooperative learning among
students may take place in a variety of online environments that include learning communities, wikis, blogs, discussion prompts, and
other virtual taskwork, where students are assigned to groups to share their experiences or engage in the course content together.
Teacher-student collaboration involves continuing evaluation and feedback, constant guidance and assistance, and facilitation of the e-
portfolio usage process, including co-design (Miyoshi et al., 2021; Rodriguez et al., 2022). Studies have indicated that teachers' input
should be constructive, and the student highly valued the instructors' continual evaluation, feedback, and support (Abuzaid et al.,
2021; Rodriguez et al., 2022). The reviewed papers also provided examples of co-design, such as providing students with templates,
examples, and rubrics (Miyoshi et al., 2021; Viscarret et al., 2022), actively participating in their e-portfolio creation process through
feedback, facilitating their engagement (Viscarret et al., 2022), and mediating learners' reflection (Rodriguez et al., 2022).
The assessed publications also cover collaboration within the broader learning community and with other specialists. Virtual teams
were identified as the most prevalent form of community-wide virtual collaboration (Ismailov & Laurier, 2021). Virtual team
collaboration is multiphase and sequential communication amongst team members cooperating to achieve a particular goal and
generate an expected result; virtual teams serve as multitasking units that coordinate goal-directed taskwork by completing several
tasks concurrently and sequentially (Ismailov & Laurier, 2021).
Discussions
Collaboration is one of the most essential e-portfolio implementation processes (Zubizarreta, 2009). Effective collaboration using an
e-portfolio may maximise its benefits, enhance educational experiences, and maximise students' knowledge development (Zhang &
Tur, 2022). However, the deployment of e-portfolios might be hampered by insufficient collaboration. Several non-negligible
obstacles to educational e-portfolio adoption have been highlighted in prior research: technological issues, learners' unfamiliarity, a
lack of common knowledge on how to utilise e-portfolios successfully, etc. (Abuzaid et al., 2021; Mudau & Modise, 2022; Zhang &
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Tur, 2022). Insufficient guidance and support from peers and teachers lead to these issues. The key to overcoming these challenges is
greater collaboration during the e-portfolio usage process. Nevertheless, there is a gap in a specific paradigm for implementing
collaborative e-portfolios. The findings of this study enable us to present a co-design framework for a comprehensive review of
collaboration in e-portfolio use. Prior research has touched on co-design: they examined how students may act as participant designers
in the creation and implementation of an e-portfolio and discovered that they could contribute in three ways: as designers, models for
ideas and examples, and peer reviewers (Gordon, 2017). Based on co-design proposals in the existing literature (Villatoro & De-
Benito, 2022), the recommendations for collaborative e-portfolio use, and the stages of e-portfolio implementation outlined in the
reviewed literature (Ismailov & Laurier, 2021; Miyoshi et al., 2021; Rodriguez et al., 2022; Viscarret et al., 2022), a e-portfolio
implementation co-design framework, Co-PIRS (see Figure 2) was proposed.
The Co-PIRS paradigm includes four main stages: planning, implementation, reflection and revision, and showcase, in which teachers
and learners collaborate to co-design learning. It is noted that collaboration and engagement must be managed throughout the whole e-
portfolio facilitated learning journey; the e-portfolio co-design process is not a single loop but a continuous practice.
oPlanning: Teachers select suitable e-portfolio platforms and give technical support throughout the planning phase to ensure
all students fully comprehend the process. Students should set clear objectives and action plans with the support of peers and
teachers.
oImplementation: teachers offer clear guidance, rubrics, materials, resources, and examples or templates, and students collect
evidence of cooperative learning in accordance with teachers' instructions.
oReflection and revision: through formative assessment, summative assessment, and peer review, teachers and students will
engage in the ongoing evaluation process. To enable more reflection and revision, there should be an option for
collaborative and constructive feedback from teachers, learning peers, or even other faculty members and specialists
following evaluation.
oShowcase: After optimising and integrating e-portfolio components, there will be a demonstration, which may involve co-
presenting.
Figure 2. The Co-PIRS Model
The study offers insights into adopting e-portfolios during the COVID-19 pandemic and presents a collaborative co-design procedure,
the Co-PIRS model, for effective e-portfolio implementation. The study's use of a systematic review approach, including software
such as Ryaan and NVivo, improves the analytical process's efficiency, effectiveness, and efficacy. Furthermore, the study's adoption
of the PRISMA reporting criteria contributes to the study's transparency and reliability. Additionally, by including English, Chinese,
and Spanish papers, the review reduces cultural bias and accounts for a greater range of experiences and views.
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However, the study contains notable limitations that may limit the generalizability of the findings. The limited number of evaluated
publications, attributable to the inclusion criteria of studies addressing the pandemic and collaboration, may restrict the study's breadth
and application. A larger sample of research papers would give a more thorough picture of collaborative e-portfolio utilisation.
Furthermore, the study has a limited focus on e-portfolio practices during the COVID-19 epidemic, which may not adequately
represent e-portfolio use in diverse educational contexts or under typical conditions.
The relevance and effectiveness of the suggested Co-PIRS model may vary depending on the educational situation, which might have
different degrees of support and resources offered. The model's implementation requires learners' and educators' participation and buy-
in. Encouraging active engagement and collaboration among all stakeholders is critical to the model's success. Different educational
contexts may have different requirements and limits. The Co-PIRS model should be adaptable to accommodate these variations and be
tailored to specific contexts. Regular assessment of the model's implementation and outcomes is necessary to identify areas for
improvement and ensure its effectiveness. Thus, we advocate more studies to implement the model, assess its effectiveness, and
further develop and optimise it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the study systematically reviewed the empirical paper on collaborative e-portfolio use during the COVID-19 pandemic
to promote collaborative learning and engagement in the context of e-portfolio implementation. A Co-PIRS model for e-portfolio co-
design practice was presented based on the review. The Co-PIRS paradigm emphasises planning, implementation, reflection and
revision, and showcase, which include collaborative learning evidence collection, peer evaluation, peer and teacher assistance,
feedback from peers and teachers, and self-reflection. Given that only literature addressing the pandemic and collaboration has been
included, the main limitation of this study is the relatively small number of reviewed papers. Building on the study's Co-PIRS model
proposal, further empirical research may be conducted to evaluate it. The study draws on previous research on e-portfolio practice
during the COVID-19 pandemic and encourages collaborative e-portfolio practice by introducing the Co-PIRS model for e-portfolio-
enabled teaching and learning in higher education institutions.
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