ePortfolios

Curating and Sharing Relfections and Examples of Learning Throughout the educational Journey

“ePortfolios can be implemented in a variety of ways for teaching and learning, programmatic assessment, and career development. ePortfolios enable students to electronically collect their work over time, reflect upon their personal and academic growth, and then share selected items with others, including professors, advisors, and potential employers. Because collection over time is a key element of the ePortfolio process, employing ePortfolios in collaboration with other high-impact practices provides opportunities for students to make connections between various educational experiences.” (AACU High Impact Practices)

Overview

ePortfolios in higher education are digital collections of a student’s work, skills, and learning achievements. They allow students to showcase their progress, reflect on their learning, and connect coursework to personal or professional goals. Unlike traditional assignments, ePortfolios foster deeper engagement by helping students present their best work in a meaningful way. They are also customizable, allowing students to include multimedia elements like videos, images, and hyperlinks to demonstrate their abilities.

For educators, ePortfolios offer a valuable tool for assessing students holistically. They provide evidence of a student’s development, critical thinking, and creativity across courses. Institutions can use ePortfolios to align with accreditation standards and track program outcomes. Additionally, ePortfolios serve as a professional showcase, bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world applications for students

Website: University of Waterloo, Centre for Teaching Excellence, eportfolios explained: Theory and Practice. Link

Video: What is an eportfolio? (AuburnWrites) – 2:27 minutes

Video: Success with ePortfolios in Education (Russell Stannard) – 11:15 minutes

Video: ePortfolios- The Future of Assessment in an AI World (Russell Stannard) – 11:53 minutes

Benefits for Student Learning

ePortfolios offer several benefits for student learning by promoting reflection, deeper engagement, and the integration of knowledge across courses and experiences. They encourage students to reflect on their learning process, helping them make connections between academic content, personal growth, and future goals. This reflective practice fosters metacognition, which improves critical thinking and problem-solving skills. ePortfolios also allow students to track their progress over time, motivating them to take ownership of their learning and develop a sense of achievement.

In addition to reflection, ePortfolios support personalized and applied learning. By incorporating multimedia elements such as videos, images, and hyperlinks, students can creatively demonstrate their knowledge and skills. ePortfolios enhance students’ ability to connect learning across disciplines and showcase their competencies to employers or graduate schools. This ability to synthesize learning improves academic outcomes and prepares students for success in a digital world.

Video: George Kuh on ePortfolio as High Impact Practice (Elon University) – 3:41 minutes

Value for North Island College

Implementing ePortfolios at North Island College enhances student learning by providing a platform for reflection and showcasing academic, personal, and professional growth. This supports the college’s commitment to high-quality education and helps demonstrate program effectiveness for accreditation. ePortfolios also strengthen connections with employers by allowing students to present their skills in a professional format, improving employability. They offer a tool for faculty to assess authentic learning and foster stronger partnerships with employers, leading to more work-integrated learning opportunities. Ultimately, ePortfolios promote student success and highlight the college’s educational value.

The NIC Fine Art department already has its students create ePortfolios using WordPress (via OpenETC platform) to demonstrate what they have learned in their courses. In addition Digital Design + Development create webpage portfolios of their work leveraging the skills they have learned to produce a career-ready demonstration of their learning.

A business program could have students showcase their learning through ePortfolios by compiling key projects such as business plans, case study analyses, marketing campaigns, and financial modeling assignments. Throughout their degree, students could reflect on their evolving leadership skills, teamwork experiences, and understanding of core business concepts, tying these to real-world applications. This approach demonstrates growth and creates a professional portfolio that can be shared with potential employers.

In a nursing program, ePortfolios could document clinical experiences, care plans, patient interaction reflections, and mastery of technical skills. Students could also include certifications, research projects, and reflections on how they have applied theoretical knowledge to practice. These portfolios would serve as valuable evidence of competency for licensure processes and job applications, as well as for program accreditation purposes.

Other North Island College programs that could benefit from ePortfolios include Culinary Arts (featuring recipes, photos of plated dishes, and reflections on technique), and Early Childhood Education (documenting lesson plans, practical teaching experiences, and reflections on child development theories). These ePortfolios would highlight student growth and skill mastery, aligning well with the applied focus of many NIC programs.

Components of ePortfolios

The components of ePortfolios vary depending on their purpose, but they generally include a combination of reflective, academic, and professional elements. Key components often include:

  1. Introduction or Personal Statement: A section where the student introduces themselves, outlines their goals, and provides an overview of the purpose of their ePortfolio.
  2. Artifacts: These are pieces of evidence such as assignments, projects, essays, multimedia, or other works that demonstrate learning and achievements.
  3. Reflections: A critical component where students analyze and articulate their learning experiences, connecting them to their academic and career goals.
  4. Learning Outcomes: Clear alignment between the showcased work and program or course outcomes to demonstrate how students meet academic standards.
  5. Design and Navigation: A user-friendly interface that makes it easy for viewers to access and engage with the content, ensuring that the portfolio is accessible and visually appealing.
  6. Future Goals: A section that connects past experiences with future aspirations, often including career plans, skill development, or personal growth targets (Yancey, 2009).

The components of ePortfolios work together to provide a holistic representation of a student’s learning journey, integrating academic achievements, personal reflections, and future aspirations into a cohesive and purposeful showcase.

Preparing Your Students

Preparing students to create ePortfolios involves fostering technical proficiency, encouraging reflective thinking, and providing clear guidelines and support. First, students need training on the technical aspects of the ePortfolio platform, including how to upload artifacts, use multimedia tools, and organize their content effectively.

Before introducing ePortfolios to students, instructors should first develop proficiency with the platform they plan to use. Once comfortable, they can guide students through the basics, such as how to navigate the platform, upload and organize content, and reflect on their learning. Instructors should explain the purpose of ePortfolios, highlighting how they can showcase academic progress, foster reflection, and support career development. This foundational knowledge helps students feel confident in using the platform effectively.

Equally critical is teaching students how to reflect on their work meaningfully. Providing prompts, exemplars, and rubrics can help students connect their academic experiences to personal growth and career goals. Faculty can guide students in selecting artifacts that align with learning outcomes and encourage them to articulate how these artifacts demonstrate their competencies. Continuous feedback and support throughout the process can further help students refine their ePortfolios and ensure they feel prepared to present their work to diverse audiences.

Examples in Action

Here are some ideas of practical applications of ePortfolios:

  1. Student-Curated Digital Portfolios: Showcase how students in different disciplines use ePortfolios to present written assignments, research papers, and creative projects. For example, an art student may include images of their artwork, while a business student might present case studies and reports.
  2. Faculty-Led Projects: Provide examples of faculty incorporating ePortfolios in their courses, such as using them for peer reviews or as a tool for formative assessment, where students upload work for feedback and revise it over time.
  3. Work-Integrated Learning: Demonstrate how ePortfolios are used in internships or co-op placements to document learning outcomes, reflect on job experiences, and showcase professional skills to potential employers.
  4. Graduate Reflection and Assessment: Highlight how ePortfolios are used in capstone projects or senior seminars to integrate learning across a student’s academic journey. These portfolios often include reflections on how students’ skills evolved throughout their studies.
  5. Peer Collaboration and Assessment: Show how ePortfolios can be used in collaborative projects, where students contribute to group portfolios, track their progress, and receive peer feedback.

Each of these examples demonstrates how ePortfolios support different types of learning experiences, from academic work to professional development, and illustrates the flexibility of the platform.

Website: University of Waterloo, Centre for Teaching Excellence, Examples of Student ePortfolios. Link

Getting Started

Instructors should first develop proficiency with the ePortfolio platform before introducing it to students. Once familiar, they can guide students through the basics, such as navigating the platform, uploading content, and reflecting on their learning. Instructors should explain the purpose of ePortfolios, showing how they support academic progress, reflection, and career development.

Once students are comfortable, instructors can integrate ePortfolios into assignments that encourage reflection and artifact selection. Regular feedback helps refine portfolios, while peer collaboration fosters engagement. Gradually incorporating ePortfolios into the curriculum allows students to build meaningful, professional portfolios.

Helpful Resources
  • Eportfolio’s Evaluate Student Voice Over Work (University of British Columbia) Link
  • Eportfolio Resources (University of Victoria) Link
  • Eportfolio Samples (Thompson Rivers University) Link
  • UCalgary ePortfolio (University of Calgary) Link
References
  • Cambridge, D. (2010). E-Portfolios for Lifelong Learning and Assessment. Jossey-Bass. Link
  • Chen, H. L., & Penny Light, T. (2010). Electronic Portfolios and Student Success: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Learning. Association of American Colleges and Universities. Link
  • Eynon, B., & Gambino, L. M. (2017). High-Impact ePortfolio Practice: A Catalyst for Student, Faculty, and Institutional Learning. Stylus Publishing. Link
  • Miller, R., & Morgaine, W. (2009). “The Benefits of E-Portfolios for Students and Faculty in Their Own Words.” Peer Review, 11(1), 8–12. Link
  • University of Waterloo, Centre for Teaching Excellence. “ePortfolios Explained: Theory and Practice.” Link
  • Watermark Insights. “Using ePortfolios in Higher Education.” Link
  • Yancey, K. B. (2009). Electronic Portfolios 2.0: Emergent Research on Implementation and Impact. Stylus Publishing. Link
  • Yang, M. (2024). “An In-Depth Literature Review of E-Portfolio Implementation.” Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 52(4), 456–472. Link