I'm sure you've heard the buzz and hype around ePortfolios! If you haven't, that's okay. Let's get down to business!
First Let's Talk Pros & Cons
According to Barnstable (2010), the benefits of making and using an ePortfolio come from the process of creating it and the product that the creator has at the end. The process and end product benefit everyone from students, educators, and even employers/corporate companies! For students, ePortfolios allow them to have choice and ownership in their own learning, a place to explore their creativity, and an authentic end product (Harapnuik, 2019). With ePortfolios, learning and assessments (both formal and informal) become student-centered and allow for consistent revision instead of negative grading marks. In the end, students will have a product that can be used to show all of their learning to prospective colleges, trade schools, or employers.
For educators, ePortfolios can be a way for teachers to model the process and product for their students. It also serves as an active documentation of their journey as an educator. Educators can also use their ePortfolios to connect with other members of Learning Communities. ePortfolios are a great resource for educators to use when interviewing for a higher position within their field!
Employers and corporate companies benefit from ePortfolios as well. When looking for a perfect match for their company, interview committee members can look at a potential employee's ePortfolio to learn about their strengths/weaknesses, goals, accomplishments, etc. This will allow employers to choose the best candidate for the position.
I know you're probably thinking, "This sounds too good to be true. What are the cons?!" According to Harms (2019), the cons of an ePortfolio include: time, compatibility, and portability. In my experience, I an agree that ePortfolios do take quite a bit of time to set up, edit, revise, and publish. Although I haven't had any issues with compatibility, I can say this may be mainly due to my ePortfolio platform being a website option vs. using Microsoft Word, etc. The issue of portability comes up when you are relying on another place/desired employer having a device available for you to pull up your ePortfolio. Even though we are in a time where almost everyone/place has some sort of technology device available- a solution to this would be bringing your own device, or placing your ePortfolio link within a QR code for your desired viewer to view at a later time.
So What Do You Think?
Reflecting on the pros and cons of ePortfolios, it is clear to me that the pros truly outweigh the cons! Although ePortfolio's are used for many different reasons and have different purposes for everybody, to me the most important thing is that they allow students to show: what they have learned, created, built, written, and achieved. ePortfolios truly make learning authentic for students, and to me- that is worth ALL the hype!
References
Barnstable, K. (2010, September 30). 41 Benefits of an ePortfolio. Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://kbarnstable.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/41-benefits-of-an-eportfolio/
Harapnuik, D. (2019, May). Why use an ePortfolio. Retrieved August 30, 2020, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6063
Harms, L. (2019, August). What are the pro & cons of a professional ePortfolio? Retrieved August 30, 2020, from https://careertrend.com/facts-7394248-pro-cons-professional-eportfolio-.html
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