Don’t think of the required ePortfolios as just more work, but a great way to showcase your academic career — and maybe even help land a job.
The ePortfolio at Salt Lake Community College is a course-level requirement for students in general education classes, but is not a requirement in order to graduate. In other words, an assignment relating to the ePortfolio is going to be given in all general education classes.
“Generally, the ePortfolio is of value since your peers and your instructors can get to know you better as a student,” says George Ramjoue, a professor of geography at SLCC.
For Tiffany Collins, a professor of anthropology at SLCC, the ePortfolio is a valuable tool in helping students set goals.
“I am definitely a supporter of the ePortfolio,” she says. ”[It] can help students think about and set academic and personal goals for themselves, reflect on what they learned from their courses aside from what was in the textbook, and recognize how they are developing as students over time.”
Collins also notes the added benefit of teaching students learn basic web design skills, which could also be useful in their personal and professional lives.
The ePortfolio is a collection of a student’s work in their many classes. Students may post their resumes, goals, and hobbies.
SLCC faculty laud the program, noting is broad impact, from connecting with students to setting and achieving goals.
“If students take it seriously, they can build something that will help them with their future college experience,” says Christiaan Coleman, a professor of communications at SLCC. “It can provide students with a collection of their best work, that could in turn help in deciding a major.”
While faculty have praised the program, students, too, have found the ePortfolio to be beneficial.
Cassandra Allen is studying visual design and art.
“It’s good to have a portfolio put together for an art major,” she says, noting she knows of the ePortfolio requirement, but is not very familiar with it.
That’s something echoed by Celia Gardner, a student majoring in web design. She says she is not familiar with the ePortfolio requirement and does not remember any of her professors mentioning it in class.
Unless an ePortfolio was created prior to August 2016, students must use SLCC’s platform, Digication.
Students may also, along with an essay about the impact on learning, submit their ePortfolios for the opportunity to receive a tuition waiver.
SLCC offers multiple resources for students to get help with their ePortfolio. Students have the option to visit an ePortfolio lab at four different locations.
SLCC has also posted ePortfolio tutorial videos, troubleshooting questions, and examples of other students’ work. This information can be found under the general education section of the SLCC website.
