The Personal and Professional Learning Portfolio: An Online Environment for Mentoring, Collaboration, and Publication

Abstract

This chapter describes the Personal and Professional Learning Portfolio (PLP), a software application designed to provide a flexible learning environment connecting learners and advisors in discussions of posted works-in-progress and the relation of those works to mutually valued goals, standards, and rubrics. We describe the PLP’s origins, structure, and pilot implementations across a range of educational settings including K-12 education, higher education, and professional agencies. We describe in greater detail two higher education sites to illustrate the key issues surrounding PLP adoption. Through our discussion, we hope to bring awareness of the PLP to new audiences and expand consideration of its potential applications, while also shedding insight on the factors that influence adoption of collaborative technologies in institutional settings.