Web 2.0, e-portfolios, and continuing professional education in university masters courses and beyond

Although typical Web 2.0 technologies and functions offer significant potential for widespread and productive use in higher education “there are many unresolved problems and issues in its use in universities… because Web 2.0 is a relatively ‘young’ technology” (Franklin & van Harmelan, 2007). One of the relatively undeveloped but potentially productive avenues for exploring the educational implications of a Web 2.0 paradigm lies in their potential uses for various forms of e-portfolio in education or for learning and assessment purposes. This is especially so in the area of continuing professional education (CPE/CPD) in University courses and beyond. Thus in relation to the useful possibilities of linking CPE/CPD courses or contexts and social networking media, this panel will explore the potential to extend the e-portfolio concept in education to include what some commentators have referred to as the educational implications of a Web 2.0 (or e-learning 2.0) paradigm.