Forms of communication in informal settings and cultures of working in the wider society have undergone rapid change in recent years and continue to change quite rapidly at the present time. These societal changes can be seen to be the result, in part at least, of the impact of contemporary and emerging technologies, such as wireless technology, mobile devices and social software. This symposium focuses on the central theme “from teaching to learning” of ECER 2008 and takes, as one of its main starting points, consideration of the ways in which such changes are having an impact of the expectations of students and on cultures of teaching, learning and assessment in formal educational settings. Furthermore we are especially interested in exploring the associated consequences for working practices in such formal educational settings. Accordingly the contributions and discussions in this symposium will be based on recognition of the fact that contemporary technologies and digital media are increasingly embedded in all parts of society, with the intention of seeking to improve our collective understanding of how such changes are having an impact on teaching and learning in general. Contributions will consider the affordances and constraints of technology in ways that offer the potential of improved levels of engagement and achievement on the part of students. Furthermore they will explore the affordances and constraints that are created for learning and assessment in particular and how these can change learning outcomes for students and assessment practices for teachers. For example what affordances are created for communication, collaboration and interaction through the use of Web 2.0 applications such as blogs, wikis, podcasts and online collaboration tools? What new opportunities are created for students to bring their own informal personalised tools and applications into more formal educational contexts e.g. pictures, movies and sound files etc.? How can the use of digital portfolios support opportunities for creativity on the part of students in documenting their own journeys of learning (Barrett and Carney, 2005). and at the same time provide support for a greater emphasis on formative assessment for learning? The contributors will illuminate some of these questions with reference to the outcomes and findings from recent research and development studies on the use of digital portfolio assessment practices in teacher education and schools. In turn the discussant will aim to locate these discussions within a wider didactical framework in ways which enable us to discuss such issues as the concept and place of Bildung and to consider questions in relation to the implications for teachers’ work and for teacher education more widely.

The presentations will discuss contemporary theories in relation to digital portfolio development with an emphasis on the pedagogical aspects and implications. They will each illustrate their arguments with reference to empirical research based on recent developments involving the use of digital portfolio approaches in teaching and learning settings.

This symposium aims to contribute to collective work in EERA digital portfolio as an approach to supporting formative assessment for learning from within a “didactical/didakitik” frame of reference in ways that can open up new questions for research and give fresh direction for development.