The particular software and services used to create these portfolios is a subject of some interest, to be sure, but it is secondary to the "big idea" itself: compiling a dynamic collection of information from many sources, in many forms and with many purposes, all aimed at presenting the most complete story possible of a student's learning experience.
"All learning is social. We develop new understandings from each other. Print, whether digital or on paper, happens to be one of the ways people communicate. Bridging these two worlds through social media such as Google+, Twitter, and Edmodo gives us that authentic experience of what read readers do."
assigning a pool of points for a team, say 40 points for four students, and having the students divide the points up depending on who did which percentage of the work, was effective in raising students’ participation in a group project.
the students realize that there is a tangible effect if they do not do their work.
Another, very quantifiable, way of discerning and holding students accountable for what they accomplish during group writing/projects is using Google Drive to track participation.