Why ePortfolios?
ePortfolios provide students an outlet to express their learning through academic and extracurricular engagement as a college student. The ePortfolio is an active learning exercise where a wide array of activities and experiences can be described, linked, and reflected upon, allowing students to make connections with faculty mentors and fellow students. While not limited to a resume-creating activity, ePortfolios can be used to demonstrate to potential employers the skill set of a student and how the shared experiences relayed connect to career-readiness. Completion of an ePortfolio demonstrates students have achieved learning outcomes including:
- Reflection on goals and achievements
- Visual and digital literacy
- Career management
- Connection between academic and extracurricular learning
These student learning outcomes work hand-in-hand with the more broad University Core learning outcomes:
- Effective communication skills
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Local and global citizenship
Invested Learning
ePortfolios have been recognized by the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) as a High-Impact Educational Practice. These practices have been studied and shown to be applicable and beneficial for college students across many backgrounds to promote engagement and to create a more enriching education environment of capable and well-rounded students.
ePortfolios themselves are also a good tool for assessment and career development. They enable students to electronically chronicle work and experiences over time, giving them a timeline of their individual and unique background to reflect upon and share with professors, advisers, and prospective employers. For more information about ePortfolios and other high-impact educational practices, go to the Association of American Colleges & Universities website.