ePortfolio Thinking: A Provost Perspective

Abstract

This chapter introduces an electronic portfolio (ePortfolio) that includes student work, student reflection, and faculty comments as a means of capturing student progress through a program of study. It argues that with an ePortfolio, a student could record progress through a program of study and then graduate on demonstrated mastery of learning outcomes rather than on credits earned and hours in class. Alternatively, it could contain evidence of mastery of a particular literacy or skill that might give a student a credential that is more than a course but less than a degree. Further, an ePortfolio has the potential to enhance advising and admissions practices for students transferring from one institution to another. Once in an institution, an ePortfolio has the potential to be linked to a student tracking system, where advisers could be automatically alerted about student progress on development towards program learning outcomes and could intervene as necessary.