As we all know, portfolios have been around for a long time. Portfolios are a way for individuals to show their past work experience to future employers. Students recognize the e-portfolio as a resource for career advancement and a tool for job search (Ciesielkiewicz, 2019). Just like anything, portfolios evolved into E-Portfolios. I would like to see if they would be helpful while teaching my plumbing students/apprentices. I recently reviewed some literature on E-Portfolios to help me understand them in my context.
An E-Portfolio (electronic portfolio) is a digital collection of work (evidence) that demonstrates learning over time. When considering your e-Portfolio and its types of evidence, it is critical to consider its purpose and intended audience. E-Portfolios can be put into three categories: Showcase/presentation. Development/learning, and Assessment/General Education.
Looking through the literature, I quickly discovered E-Portfolios could positively impact my learners. In one of the studies, students thought the e-portfolio was a helpful tool that improved their learning or motivation to learn (Ciesielkiewicz, 2019). One way they positively impact learning is by learning the skill of reflection. Self-reflection is a skill that can be acquired with practice and feedback (Ebil et al., 2020). The self-reflection helps learners connect all the things they have learned and understand how they fit together. As noted in one study, the promising capacity of an e-portfolio as a tool for supporting TVET students’ self-reflection and connecting theory with practice throughout the student learning process (Ebil et al., 2020). Another positive impact on learners’ learning is that it creates responsibility. Students were encouraged to take more ownership of their education (Ebil et al., 2020).
E-Portfolios will be dependent on some form of technology. It might be an independent technology or embedded into a Learning Management System (LMS). The part that makes E-Portfolios better than regular portfolios is the technology. Students, even my plumbing, are using different technologies in the field. It will help with learning those technologies. The downfall with using technologies is we, the users are not the experts of the technologies, and we’ll need help. As noted in one study, providing technical support for both students and faculty was critical because it can significantly affect student motivation and perception of the e-portfolio (Ciesielkiewicz, 2019).
Even though there is little downside to using E-Portfolios in learning, three things can prevent it from being successful. The three things are student motivation, technology support, and all the stakeholders in how the E-Portfolios will be set up. Students’ perspectives on the E-Portfolio’s value and usefulness motivate them to actively participate in its creation and use (Ciesielkiewicz, 2019). Therefore, my plumbing students must know why creating E-Portfolios will benefit them and their learning. In addition, it was critical to provide technical support for both students and faculty because it can significantly affect student motivation and perception of the e-portfolio (Ciesielkiewicz, 2019). Another area that can make using E-Portfolios unsuccessful is not having everyone involved in the process of landing out the course of the E-Portfolios. As noted in a study, all potential stakeholders should be involved in determining the needs of an E-Portfolio solution and decide on the function(s) for which they will be used (Chatham-Carpenter et al., 2010). Even with potential drawbacks, I see a future in Trade Education.
The literature on E-Portfolios shows that creating them as part of any learning has excellent benefits. Even though portfolios of any type have never been associated with the trades or trades education, they have them. Many trades professionals have carried around unofficial portfolios for years. Some would call it their scrapbook of memories. However, they can do what traditional portfolios do. The professionals could use them to provide or show their experiences to future employers. They have provided these professionals time to reflect on what they learned in a given experience. So it only makes sense to start this process with my students in the early days of their learning so they can continue it moving forward into their careers.
I look forward to starting the process of integrating E-Portfolios after first including my students in that process.
References
Chatham-Carpenter, A., Seawel, L., & Raschig, J. (2010). Avoiding the pitfalls: Current practices and recommendations for ePortfolios in higher education. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 38(4), 437-456
Table Of Contents
Ciesielkiewicz, M. (2019). The use of e-portfolios in higher education: From the students’ perspective. Issues in Educational Research, 29(3), 649.
Table Of Contents
Ebil, S., Salleh, S. M., & Shahrill, M. (2020). The use of E-portfolio for self-reflection to promote learning: A case of TVET students. Education and Information Technologies, 25(6), 5797-5814.