This is the second article in a four-part series on the e-portfolio.
… the same thing may be said for all of us — that we do not admire what we cannot understand.
— Marianne Moore, “Poetry”
While complaints to Salt Lake Community College Student Association about the e-portfolio are legendary, recent Globe interviews with students discovered a kaleidoscope of attitudes, from dissatisfaction to neutrality to love.
“For years, the number one complaint students have had is how much they find the [e-portfolio] assignment pointless and frustrating,” said Lilo Tuiono, SLCCSA’s vice president of Academic Pathways for the 2024-25 year.
This student dissatisfaction set Tuiono’s agenda for her tenure – work to improve e-portfolio.
“I want to clarify that the issue students have is with the assignment itself, not the staff or the space,” Tuiono added.
SLCCSA has worked for three years to address students’ issues with the e-portfolio platform and the program.
“The first year entailed making it more user-friendly; the second [year] was trying to get faculty and students on the same page behind the meaning; and this year, we want to know from students directly what exactly the problem is and their feelings toward the assignment,” said Tuiono.
As part of this year’s project, SLCC’s ePortfolio Office recently conducted a poll to try to pinpoint the source of student discontent with the program, and perhaps get an estimate of what percentage of students are dissatisfied.
Students protesting the program have rightfully gotten the attention of student government and the administration, but how representative are they of the student body as a whole?
Brittany Hall, a journalism and digital media student who graduates this semester, doesn’t think the e-portfolio is all that bad.
“It’s confusing to use at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy,” Hall said. “I have always been able to figure things out, but there [also] is an e-portfolio office and they can help you.”
Sophomore Dallin Stuart, studying communication, has had a different experience.
“I just don’t like it. It takes too long. No employer has ever wanted to look at it,” Stuart said. “I don’t like the way the website looks – it’s janky. It looks sketchy – like it will steal my information.”
Olivia Larson, a sophomore who is switching to education studies, likes the e-portfolio.
“It’s handy – a good way to show off some of your work,” said Larson. “I’m not super tech-savvy, so it was tricky at first, but the lab is great and videos they sent me were helpful.”
Larson has worked on both the written reflections and the design of her e-portfolio. Her issues deal more with the writing aspect.
“I don’t always know what I should say about the questions in the reflections,” Larson said. “It’s difficult to narrow down a whole semester. What should I include?”
Andrew Strong, a sophomore who is going into secondary education, enjoys the creative aspect of the e-portfolio.
“I was more interested in making it pretty than making it functional,” said Strong. “But somewhere along the way it became functional as well.”
Strong admits he has had his struggles with the program.
“I like clear directions,” Strong explained. “Making the sections for classes was hard. When I first tried to use it, I was really confused. Now, I am proud of it – it’s organized and pretty.”
While SLCCSA continues to receive complaints about the e-portfolio, students like Strong and Larson have begun to realize its potential for deepening their educational experience, showcasing and sharing their work, and expressing who they are. These factors help explain why the SLCC administration continues to support e-portfolio.
