ISO/IEC 20013:2020

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 20013
First edition
2020-10
Information technology for learning,
education and training — Reference
framework of e-Portfolio information
Technologies de l'information pour l'apprentissage, l'éducation et la
formation — Cadre de référence pour l'information des e-Portfolios
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2020
© ISO/IEC 2020
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ii © ISO/IEC 2020 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Abbreviated terms . 4
5 e-Portfolios and e-learning . 4
5.1 Role of e-Portfolios . 4
5.2 Classifying e-Portfolios . 5
5.3 Benefits of e-Portfolios . 6
6 Reference framework of e-Portfolio information . 7
6.1 Overview . 7
6.2 Content and functional components of an e-Portfolio . 7
6.3 Common categories found in e-Portfolios . 8
6.4 Content component structure .10
6.4.1 General.10
6.4.2 Identification category . .11
6.4.3 Overview category . . .12
6.4.4 Education category .12
6.4.5 Career category .12
6.4.6 Outcome category .12
6.4.7 Capability category .13
6.4.8 Experience category .13
6.4.9 Relationships between categories, elements and items .13
6.5 Functional component of e-Portfolio systems .14
Annex A (informative) Use cases of e-Portfolio .16
Annex B (informative) Use cases of e-Portfolio .34
Bibliography .37
© ISO/IEC 2020 – All rights reserved iii

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that
are members of ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through
technical committees established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of
technical activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other
international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also
take part in the work.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for
the different types of document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the
Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents) or the IEC
list of patent declarations received (see https:// patents .iec .ch).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 36, Information technology for learning, education and training.
This first edition cancels and replaces ISO/IEC TS 20013:2015, which has been technically revised.
The main changes compared to ISO/IEC TS 20013:2015 are as follows:
— notes to entry have been added to terms 3.3 and 3.8 providing examples of the use of artefacts;
— acknowledgement is given that the term artefact may be used more broadly in some areas of the
world when referring to e-Portfolio components;
— minor editorial changes have been made throughout the document.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
iv © ISO/IEC 2020 – All rights reserved

Introduction
e-Portfolios have been deployed in many contexts that span educational, employment, artistic and social
contexts. Individuals have new opportunities to accumulate, manage and share their credentials digitally
(using badges, micro-credentials, etc.). These digital items can be included in and shared by individuals
using e-Portfolios. A key characteristic of these digital artefacts can be verification of the credential
by a third party. In learning, education and training (LET), e-Portfolios have demonstrated their
potential to enhance the development of learners and to support the work of educators, administrators,
and others, through streamlining information management processes, developing learner autonomy
and metacognition, and fostering the personal and professional development of individuals. However,
this broad implementation has also brought with it issues related to interoperability, accessibility and
usability of both systems and content.
This document was developed to support the creation and use of e-Portfolios in LET. It can be used
to develop more responsive, flexible and modular systems and services and is intended to support
learners, instructors, trainers, e-learning service providers and other stakeholders. In addition, it is
intended to support a wide range of activities related to e-Portfolio creation and use across various
information technology for learning, education and training (ITLET) contexts (such as K-12 education,
higher education, training, career planning and professional development). With ongoing developments
in information and communications technology (ICT), learners have access to an increasing diversity of
LET opportunities. As a consequence, production of educational content and services extends the scope
of opportunities for learning; providing potential for learners to experience personalized and adaptive
opportunities that can also enhance their learning and improve their abilities. Content and services
are delivered to or accessed by learners – as well as produced and managed by them. ITLET systems
therefore need to be designed to accommodate this. For example, a common feature of most e-Portfolio
systems is that their owners not only author the content but also control the selection and presentation
of it. In some jurisdictions this key function is seen as integral to personal development planning (PDP).
A key characteristic of e-Portfolio systems for ITLET stakeholders is the data or information that is
used for e-Portfolios can provide instructors, trainers, administrators and employers with an efficient
means of appraisal, management and decision-making. e-Portfolios thus provide an opportunity to
monitor the development of an individual’s achievements, skills and competencies within and beyond
formal education and training contexts. This key characteristic also benefits learners through providing
opportunities to reflect on their own learning and career development.
One means of delivering such functionality is via a management system, such as an integrated learning
management system (LMS) or human resource management system (HRMS) that can be used to
monitor and organize learners’ learning; however, such functionality can also be provided by unbundled
applications and services and e-Portfolio system components in a highly distributed manner.
For these reasons, implementing e-Portfolios has the potential to be an efficient method for tracking
learning history, documenting activities within LET, supporting peer and self-assessment as well as
professional development in the workplace. Consideration of how e-Portfolios can be used within
teaching and learning environments has therefore been central to shaping this document.
In order to encourage streamlined management and exchange of participant information and associated
data, such as the evidentiary information contained in an e-Portfolio, a standardized approach is
necessary. Through the standardization of e-Portfolio system components (that is, IT systems and
services that enable e-Portfolios), common underlying structures will provide the potential to share
data across and among different applications, thus improving interoperability.
This document provides a reference framework for the use of e-Portfolios within ITLET contexts where
there are requirements for importing, exporting and aggregating data. The reference framework has
been developed with the aim of supporting interoperability and transfer of information among ICT
systems and services where data interchange is required for e-Portfolio systems. It is intended to be
used by learners, instructors, software developers, implementers, instructional designers, and others
within learning, education, and training environments that are supported by information technology.
© ISO/IEC 2020 – All rights reserved v

This document includes six clauses and two annexes. The first clause provides the scope, exclusions, and
aspects not currently addressed. The second clause includes the normative reference. The third clause
provides terms and definitions, while the fourth clause provides background information regarding
e-Portfolios. The fifth clause describes various types of e-Portfolios used in LET contexts and provide
...