Language learning and user-centered design: The development of the electronic european language portfolio

This chapter will discuss the rationale behind the development of the electronic version of the European Language Portfolio (ELP), its technological and pedagogical aspects, and its advantages over print-based counterparts. The electronic European Language Portfolio (e-ELP) has been developed following a user-centered design (UCD) framework. This framework will be discussed in detail. The e-ELP is part of a Minerva project funded by the European Union (EU) with the main goal to adapt the paperbased ELP in an electronic format. Some ELPs have already been validated and edited in a hardcopy format. These hardcopy editions present several limitations, such as maintenance and long-term updating. In this chapter, emphasis will be placed on discussing the affordances of the electronic environment in supporting language teaching and learning and the user-centered approach in developing the prototype. � 2006, Idea Group Inc.