Analysis of teacher candidates' and faculty evaluations of the utility of a single digital portfolio system

The Virtual Anthology Shell (VAS), a digital portfolio shell, was piloted tested in four teacher education programs in the University of Tennessee's College of Education, Health and Human Sciences during the 2003--2004 academic year with each receiving different types and levels of support. Survey methodology was used to answer four research questions: (1) What do the users of the VAS perceive as the strengths and weakness of this particular digital portfolio shell? (2) To what extent did portfolio completion contribute to interns' confidence in their technology skills? (3) What are potential uses of the VAS other than that electronic data management system? (4) What types and levels of support are needed by students to complete their electronic portfolio? Did they perceive that they received this support and what effect did the support they received have on the quality of their portfolios? Results revealed a number of important findings and implications: the VAS had both several perceived strengths and weaknesses; the level of support provided affected users' perceptions regarding its strengths and weaknesses; the VAS was seen as a useful employment tool; extended support is need for users to produce a quality portfolio; and, if a portfolio is to be standards-based, students need to understand the standards and how portfolio entries demonstrate their performance in relationship to those standards.