Embedded Files
At the AAEEBL Symposium we will have a keynote speaker on each day. We look forward to hearing from Salsabil F. Qaddoura, a student at Indiana University Indianapolis, and Assoc Prof Mpho-Entle Modise from the University of South Africa. They tackle different aspects of portfolios practice and share why they are champions for portfolios at their own institutions and beyond.
Structured Ownership: How ePortfolios Turn Student Agency into Rigorous Learning
Structured Ownership: How ePortfolios Turn Student Agency into Rigorous Learning
Abstract
Abstract
This keynote session uses my W131 ePortfolio, Legal, Not Always Just, as a student case study to challenge the assumption that student ownership and curricular structure are opposing forces. My ePortfolio examines wrongful conviction and justice reform through a film review of The Central Park Five, an immersion experience connected to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit and exoneree Kristine Bunch, a formal argument about compensation laws for wrongfully convicted individuals and a final reflection on my growth as a writer, researcher, and public scholar.
Through this project, I learned that ownership does not emerge from a lack of structure. It emerges when a course is intentionally designed, pedagogically rigorous and transparent enough for students to take meaningful intellectual risks. In W131, scaffolded assignments, early ePortfolio models, metacognitive reflection, peer review, revision, source synthesis and multimodal composition helped turn personal choice into academic inquiry. The ePortfolio became more than a place to submit assignments; it became the central infrastructure through which I could see my thinking develop over time.
In this session, I will argue that student agency is most powerful when supported by a thoughtful curriculum. ePortfolios do not represent “less teaching.” Rather, when integrated intentionally, they can become high-impact pedagogy that helps students connect communication, critical thinking, creativity, reflection and public engagement.
About Salsabil F. Qaddoura
About Salsabil F. Qaddoura
Salsabil F. Qaddoura is a rising undergraduate senior at Indiana University (IU) Indianapolis majoring in Law in Liberal Arts with a minor in Business and a Nonprofit Management Certificate. She is a Student Ambassador for the ePortfolio Studio at IU Indianapolis and has received the Undergraduate Outstanding Achievement in Creative Activity Award for her comprehensive, project-based ePortfolio on wrongful convictions.
She also serves as the Editor-in-Chief for The Campus Citizen, the only independent, student-led news source representing IU and Purdue University in Indianapolis. She is passionate about harnessing the power of communication, law, journalism and business practices to uplift the most vulnerable in our communities.
Beyond the Portfolio: Reimagining ePortfolios as Ecosystems of Resilience for 21st-Century Learners
Beyond the Portfolio: Reimagining ePortfolios as Ecosystems of Resilience for 21st-Century Learners
Abstract
Abstract
In an era defined by artificial intelligence, digital disruption, and the rapid transformation of higher education, the ePortfolio can no longer be understood merely as a collection tool or an assessment artefact. This keynote argues for a paradigm shift, positioning the ePortfolio as a dynamic ecosystem of resilience: a living, learner-centred environment that nurtures adaptability, identity formation, reflective practice, and lifelong learning.
Drawing on original research and the insights developed in her co-edited book on resilience and ePortfolios, Prof. Mpho-Entle Modise interrogates what truly works in ePortfolio practice and why, moving beyond surface-level implementation to examine the deeper conditions under which ePortfolios cultivate resilient learners.
Attendees are invited to reconceive ePortfolios as evolving spaces where learners author their futures and institutions affirm their commitment to equity, access and meaningful learning. Across global higher education landscapes, the real question is no longer how we implement ePortfolios but whether our institutions are brave enough to let learners truly own their futures.
About Mpho-Entle Modise
About Mpho-Entle Modise
Mpho-Entle Modise (PhD) is a multi-award-winning Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University of South Africa. Her teaching experience spans undergraduate and postgraduate courses in large-class contexts within an open distance and e-learning (ODeL) institution.
Her research interests include digital transformation in higher education, curriculum studies, faculty and student support, professional development, technology adoption, and ePortfolios. She is also a co-editor of Digital Resilience of ePortfolios During and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons for the Future, a publication that reflects her ongoing commitment to advancing the field of digital learning and ePortfolio practice.
View the entire program and register for the Symposium.
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