Eportfolios are digital collections created by students, showcasing their academic journey, achievements, and reflections. Within higher education, they have become valuable tools for enhancing learning and development. Here's a breakdown of their key features and benefits:
Think of them as online portfolios containing curated work like reports, projects, presentations, and even multimedia content.
They can encompass not just academic achievements but also extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and personal skills development.
Many universities provide dedicated eportfolio platforms, while others allow students to use external tools.
Student-centered learning: Eportfolios put ownership of learning in students' hands, encouraging them to actively curate and reflect on their progress.
Critical thinking and reflection: The process of selecting and reflecting on work fosters critical analysis, self-evaluation, and identification of strengths and weaknesses.
Connecting learning outcomes: Eportfolios help students see connections between different courses and experiences, fostering a holistic understanding of their learning journey.
Developing transferable skills: Curating and presenting their eportfolios helps students build communication, digital literacy, and presentation skills valuable beyond academics.
Assessment and feedback: Eportfolios offer a dynamic platform for showcasing achievement and receiving feedback from instructors and peers.
Preparation for future opportunities: Well-developed eportfolios can serve as compelling evidence of skills and experiences during job applications and further education pursuits.
Technology access and literacy: Ensuring all students have access to necessary technology and training is crucial.
Faculty buy-in and integration: Effective implementation requires faculty support and integration into curriculum and assessment practices.
Time commitment: Creating and maintaining eportfolios can be time-consuming, requiring effective time management strategies from students.
Data privacy and security: Universities need to ensure appropriate safeguards for student data within eportfolio platforms.
Overall, eportfolios hold immense potential to transform learning in higher education. By fostering student agency, critical reflection, and a holistic view of learning, they can equip graduates with valuable skills and experiences for success in their chosen fields.
ePortfolios Explained: Theory and Practice: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/eportfolios-explained-theory-and-practice
THE ROLE OF EPORTFOLIOS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THEIR PERCEIVED VALUE AND POTENTIAL TO ASSIST UNDERGRADUATE COMPUTING STUDENTS: https://www.iier.org.au/iier29/ciesielkiewicz.pdf
(PDF) E-Portfolios as Digital Assessment Tools in Higher Education: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318791234_E-Portfolios_as_Digital_Assessment_Tools_in_Higher_Education
Institute for Digital Learning (NIDL): https://nidl.blog/tag/learning-portfolios/
Making an ePortfolio: https://sites.google.com/keuka.edu/field-period-resources/assignments-reflections/making-an-e-portfolio
International Journal of Eportfolio and Reflective Learning: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308318753_E-Portfolio_Reflective_Learning_Strategies_to_Enhance_Research_Skills_Analytical_Ability_Creativity_and_Problem-Solving