This is the third article in a four-part series on the e-portfolio.
A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.
— Matthew 13:57
Often criticized by students, Salt Lake Community College’s general education e-portfolio program is well-regarded in the national – and even international – higher education community.
“[An] e-portfolio is a high-impact teaching practice that encourages students to be creative, to talk about their real experiences and encourages diverse students to learn in diverse ways,” said Emily Thompson, the director of SLCC ePortfolio.
In July 2023, Thompson presented her progress on the program at a conference for the Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEBL) in Vancouver, British Columbia. The response from college administrators and teachers seeking new ways to teach general education was positive and encouraging.
“They wanted to know how we do it,” said Thompson.
David Hubert, associate provost for learning advancement at SLCC, seconded Thompson’s experience.
“We have a nationally recognized e-portfolio program. Other institutions routinely ask our advice when they start or want to improve their e-portfolio programs,” said Hubert.
Thompson sees many strengths to using e-portfolio to document and structure a student’s learning in general education.
“Having students tie their new knowledge to their own lives is one of the ways to engage students with learning,” said Thompson.
An e-portfolio requires at least one signature assignment and a written reflection for each general education class. The essays are personal as well as academic responses regarding material covered in the class.
“E-portfolios in general education … when properly implemented, [help] students be more intentional learners, more reflective about their learning, and better able to see general education as a foundation for their future learning, instead of a list of unconnected courses they need to ‘get out of the way,’” said Hubert.
Thompson saw the program as a good fit for SLCC, which has the most diverse student body of any college in the state. The e-portfolio does not have one-size-fits-all testing or a list of requirements; students can pick from a list the general education classes that interest them, rather than having to take a set series of courses.
While improving the platform is an ongoing project that SLCC ePortfolio takes seriously, the administration has no plans to change how general education is taught and accredited at the college.
“The [e-portfolio] program is as relevant today as it was when we started it,” said Hubert.
The administration is not indifferent to student complaints about e-portfolio.
Thompson has sympathy for students who struggle with the platform. She believes some of the grievances might be exacerbated by a lack of information, misinformation, or not seeking the needed technical help.
Thompson also believes that students may also have “change exhaustion” after the college switched from the Digication platform to SharePoint, which underwent changes before it became fully operational. (Some existing students still use Digication to avoid a forced change in platforms before they graduate.)
Another frequent complaint heard is that employers show no interest in a student’s e-portfolio work, so it will go unseen past the classroom.
To this complaint, Thompson responded: “There are two sides to e-portfolio: the ‘reflections,’ which can be accessed by professors and is for the students to record their learning, and the outward facing side, where the students can build a site to showcase their work, something to show to employers – or the world.”
“I suspect students might not always know how to build and utilize the outward facing side,” said Thompson.
Students are able to allow other people, besides professors, to view their SharePoint e-portfolio, although the viewer would have to create a Microsoft account and log in to do so.
If professors can view the student’s work, the student can then post their e-portfolio assignments on other platforms such as Google Docs, especially for posts they want to share with a wider audience. (Students should keep in mind their work will not be as protected as it would be in SharePoint.)
Hubert expressed how he enjoyed the dual nature of e-portfolio.
“I have a personal e-portfolio in which I write about the books I read, and also every year at Christmas I write up the adventures I’ve been on that year. It helps me keep these thoughts fresh in my mind … I also have a professional e-portfolio in SharePoint that I share with my boss … I document my administrative and teaching work and share reflections with my boss. It helps me be a better administrator and teacher.”
It’s a reminder that the unrealized promise of an e-portfolio might, one day, be fulfilled as a way to bring creativity and connection with others into education and students’ professional lives.
