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Gutiérrez-Santiuste, E.;  García-Segura, S.;  Olivares-García, M.�.;  González-Alfaya, E. E-Portfolio in Higher Education Students’ Employability. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/24612 (accessed on 07 July 2024).
Gutiérrez-Santiuste E,  García-Segura S,  Olivares-García M�,  González-Alfaya E. E-Portfolio in Higher Education Students’ Employability. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/24612. Accessed July 07, 2024.
Gutiérrez-Santiuste, Elba, Sonia García-Segura, María Ángeles Olivares-García, Elena González-Alfaya. "E-Portfolio in Higher Education Students’ Employability" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/24612 (accessed July 07, 2024).
Gutiérrez-Santiuste, E.,  García-Segura, S.,  Olivares-García, M.�., & González-Alfaya, E. (2022, June 29). E-Portfolio in Higher Education Students’ Employability. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/24612
Gutiérrez-Santiuste, Elba, et al. "E-Portfolio in Higher Education Students’ Employability." Encyclopedia. Web. 29 June, 2022.
E-Portfolio in Higher Education Students’ Employability
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This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/educsci12050321

The e-portfolio (EP)  in the professional life seems to be a personal homepage or electronic curriculum vitae (CV). At its most complex, it can become a person’s digital identity.

career planning electronic learning employability higher education

1. The Role of EP in Preparing for Professional Practice

The first use of the EP, in preparing for professional practice, is discussed in the study by Carl and Strydom (2017) [1], whose goal is to determine whether the theoretical foundations and expectations of the EP align with the current practices and attributes of students’ training during their practice. For these authors, EPs are increasingly considered in pre-service teacher education programs to enable Education students to reflect during and on their practice in a structured way. Such reflection enables students to demonstrate growth and development as professionals. Institutions play an important role in implementing theoretical foundations and teacher training, as well as in the reconceptualization and understanding of what is really valued in professional practice. Whether the EP is considered as a professionalization tool or as a tool for representation of effective practice, creating the EP involves a series of phases: orientation, novice, advanced beginner, approaching competence, and graduation/entry into the profession (Clarke and Boud, 2016) [2]. Feedback is important to achieving the learning outcomes. Similarly, a study by Jorre and Oliver (2018) [3] based on students’ perceptions indicates that increasing their capability for employability requires receiving advice from employers, professionals, and recent graduates.
Along similar lines, the study by Faulkner et al. (2013) [4] on the fields of Engineering and Law analyzes whether the EP would train students to articulate their achievements and understand professional frameworks. The low level of reflection and training for personal development in the study’s results is not surprising, since individuals automatically orient themselves to their comfort zones—that is, students prefer to maintain their current perspective instead of looking for ways to develop. While EPs help to capture evidence of development, their value is limited to students who appreciate personal and professional development, as in the study by Beckers et al. (2016) [5]. On the other hand, including formative comments by mentors, classmates, and others encourages and supports the process of transforming students into professionals [4][6]. The study by Pool et al. (2018) [7] illuminates how advisors interpret the student’s professional training in their portfolio (traditional, not electronic) and concludes that different mental models for evaluating performance influence judgments by evaluators, potentially affecting the feedback and thus credibility of their decisions.
Hallam and Creagh (2010) [8] report that anticipating professional practice increases understanding of the need for interoperability among the different areas of education and employment significantly. The report argues that the EP should not be ignored if higher education wishes to fulfill its function of producing qualified professionals who will play an important role in the success of the community and economy. Higher education should thus transform its policies so that future workers can develop the skills, competencies, values, and behaviors that improve their employability, as indicated by the research by Okolie et al. (2020) [9], Olivares-García et al (2020) [10], and Reddy (2019) [11]. In this sense, several research studies suggest that educational programs must be evaluated and adapted to incorporate strategies for the development of self-managed employability by university students so that they are able to respond to the demands of employers [12][13]. Not only can the EP become a tool to improve learning skills and competencies, but it can also contribute to improving employability and business skills by bringing them closer to the current business landscape [14]. This process is what Yan et al. (2016) [15] call productive learning, which is characterized by a motivation for learning conditioned by intrinsic interests, self-management, and self-reflection skills, as well as collaborative work.
Using the decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB) model, Ahmed and Ward (2016) [16] found statistical support for three factors that influence the acceptance of the EP for personal, academic, and professional development. These factors are Attitude toward the Behavior (e.g., ease of use), Subjective Norm (e.g., peer influence), and Perceived Behavioral Control (e.g., facilitating conditions and self-efficacy).
A series of studies analyze the professional EP from the perspective of groups of students, graduates, professors, institutions, and employers. A literature review by Kinash et al. (2016) [17] identifies 12 strategies related empirically to improvement in employability among graduates by asking the group different questions. The key findings indicate discrepancies between the strategies indicated in the literature and those indicated in the surveys, as well as discrepancies among the groups relative to the strategies. The most important job search strategies for all groups analyzed were:
  • Work experience/placements/internships;
  • Professional advising and development of job skills;
  • Participation in extracurricular activities;
  • Attendance at networking or informational events in the industry;
  • Part-time work;
  • Volunteering/commitment to the community;
  • Memberships/participation in professional associations.
Along similar lines, Ritzhaupt et al. (2008) [18] focused on understanding the student’s perspective of EPs and their use. Their research incorporates four domains, including employment, and connects these domains to the four groups involved: students, administrators, professors, and employers. The results indicate that students’ perspectives on the EP are multidimensional, with three different and internally consistent underlying constructs: learning, evaluation, and visibility. Only 19% of those surveyed believed that their EPs were beneficial for securing employment.
There are a series of strengths of the EP viewed as an educational tool for entering the workforce. These include the fact that the EP helps students to become reflective and conscious of their personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, while also making their existing developing abilities more explicit [1][8]. It also helps them to demonstrate professional development [4] and self-consciousness of emotions, attitudes, and concerns. The EP was further effective in autonomous learning and reflection on ethical problems, clinical reasoning strategies, and future training in communication skills [19].
On the other hand, studies indicate a series of weaknesses, among them, as indicated by Ross et al. (2009) [20], the need for clear information, the need for support in presenting the EP, and anxiety, perhaps due to the challenging character of building the EP [6][21]. Carl and Strydom (2017) [1] also indicate the need to provide students with sufficient training, continuous technical support, and the design of innovative opportunities for sustainable student learning. Faulkner et al. (2013) [4] analyzed the challenge for professors of the relatively low level of reflection and planning of personal development and agree with Hallam and Creagh (2010) [8] regarding the need for interoperability among the different areas of education and employment.

2. The EP for Professional Improvement

The professional improvement—prior research provides valuable information on the use of the EP by working professionals. The diverse results obtained revolve around the utility of active reflection and planning [22][23], interest in adopting the EP as a tool for permanent learning [24], creation of professional communities [25], and demonstration of achievements related to professional development [23][26][27].
Among the strengths found for professional improvement, Andre (2010) [23] indicated the capability to store and recover information, and the provision of tools to support the structuring and preparation of reports in order to develop and communicate professional achievements. Chang (2006) [26] described the EP as a transparent tool for diversity and equity, noting its advantage for first adopters in a competitive labor market. Among the tool’s weaknesses, Andre (2010) [23] notes that compiling and managing an EP can be a slow and irrelevant process if not implemented correctly. Hampe and Lewis (2013) [22] also view as a challenge the engagement of the participation of personnel in making the practical reflections. Chang (2006) [26], in turn, indicates some potential barriers, such as cost, acceptance, privacy, propriety, the inertia of the process, and consistency.

References

  1. Carl, A.; Strydom, S. e-Portfolio as reflection tool during teaching practice: The interplay between contextual and dispositional variables. S. Afr. J. Educ. 2017, 37, 1250.
  2. Clarke, J.L.; Boud, D. Refocusing portfolio assessment: Curating for feedback and portrayal. Innov. Educ. Teach. Int. 2016, 55, 479–486.
  3. Jorre, T.J.D.S.; Oliver, B. Want students to engage? Contextualise graduate learning outcomes and assess for employability. High. Educ. Res. Dev. 2018, 37, 44–57.
  4. Faulkner, M.; Aziz, S.M.; Waye, V.; Smith, E. Exploring ways that ePortfolios can support the progressive development of graduate qualities and professional competencies. High. Educ. Res. Dev. 2013, 32, 871–887.
  5. Beckers, J.; Dolmans, D.; Van Merriënboer, J. E-Portfolios enhancing students’ self-directed learning: A system-atic review of influencing factors. Australas. J. Educ. Technol. 2016, 32, 32–46.
  6. Ciesielkiewicz, M. The use of e-portfolios in higher education: From the students’ perspective. Issues Educ.-Al Res. 2019, 29, 649–667.
  7. Pool, A.O.; Govaerts, M.J.B.; Jaarsma, D.A.D.C.; Driessen, E.W. From aggregation to interpretation: How assessors judge complex data in a competency-based portfolio. Adv. Health Sci. Educ. 2018, 23, 275–287.
  8. Hallam, G.; Creagh, T. ePortfolio use by university students in Australia: A review of the Australian ePortfolio Project. High. Educ. Res. Dev. 2010, 29, 179–193.
  9. Okolie, U.C.; Igwe, P.A.; Nwosu, H.E.; Eneje, B.C.; Mlanga, S. Enhancing graduate employability: Why do higher education institutions have problems with teaching generic skills? Policy Futur. Educ. 2020, 18, 294–313.
  10. Olivares-García, M.A.; García-Segura, S.; Gutiérrez-Santiuste, E.; Mérida-Serrano, R. El e-portafolio profesional: Una herramienta facilitadora en la transición al empleo de estudiantes de Grado en Educación Social en la Universidad de Córdoba. REOP—Revista Española de Orientación y Psicopedagogía 2020, 31, 129–148.
  11. Reddy, M.C.R. Employability in Higher Education: Problems and Prospectives. South Asian Res. J. Bus. Manag. 2019, 1, 112–117.
  12. Krouwel, S.J.C.; Van Luijn, A.; Zweekhorst, M.B. Developing a processual employability model to provide education for career self-management. Educ. Train. 2019, 62, 116–128.
  13. Osmani, M.; Weerakkody, V.; Hindi, N.; Eldabi, T. Graduates employability skills: A review of literature against market demand. J. Educ. Bus. 2019, 94, 423–432.
  14. Mapundu, M.; Musara, M. E-Portfolios as a tool to enhance student learning experience and entrepreneurial skills. S. Afr. J. High. Educ. 2019, 33, 191–214.
  15. Yang, M.; Tai, M.; Lim, C.P. The role of e-portfolios in supporting productive learning. Br. J. Educ. Technol. 2016, 47, 1276–1286.
  16. Ahmed, E.; Ward, R. Analysis of factors influencing acceptance of personal, academic and professional development e-portfolios. Comput. Hum. Behav. 2016, 63, 152–161.
  17. Kinash, S.; Crane, L.; Judd, M.-M.; Knight, C. Discrepant stakeholder perspectives on graduate employability strategies. High. Educ. Res. Dev. 2016, 35, 951–967.
  18. Ritzhaupt, A.D.; Singh, O.; Seyferth, T.; Dedrick, R.F. Development of the Electronic Portfolio Student Perspective Instrument: An ePortfolio integration initiative. J. Comput. High. Educ. 2008, 19, 47–71.
  19. Haffling, A.-C.; Beckman, A.; Pahlmblad, A.; Edgren, G. Students’ reflections in a portfolio pilot: Highlighting professional issues. Med. Teach. 2010, 32, e532–e540.
  20. Ross, S.; MacLachlan, A.; Cleland, J. Students’ attitudes towards the introduction of a Personal and Professional Development portfolio: Potential barriers and facilitators. BMC Med. Educ. 2009, 9, 69.
  21. Schneider, J.; O’Hara, K.; Munro, I. Using Continuing Professional Development with Portfolio in a Pharmaceutics Course. Pharmacy 2016, 4, 36.
  22. Hampe, N.; Lewis, S. E-portfolios support continuing professional development for librarians. Aust. Libr. J. 2013, 62, 3–14.
  23. Andre, K. E-Portfolios for the aspiring professional. Collegian 2010, 17, 119–124.
  24. Abuzaid, M.M.; Elshami, W.; David, L.; Stevens, B. Perceptions of e-portfolio use in lifelong learning and pro-fessional development among radiology professionals. Curr. Med. Imaging Rev. 2007, 13, 495–501.
  25. Lai, M.; Lim, C.P.; Wang, L. Potential of digital teaching portfolios for establishing a professional learning community in higher education. Australas. J. Educ. Technol. 2016, 32, 1–14.
  26. Chang, K. EPortfolio for Skilled Immigrants and Employers: LIfIA Project. Phase One Final Report. 2006. Available online: http://www.futured.com/documents/Report-ePforSkilledImmigrants-LIfIA.pdf (accessed on 20 December 2021).
  27. Miller, P.A.; Tuekam, R. The Feasibility and Acceptability of Using a Portfolio to Assess Professional Competence. Physiother. Can. 2011, 63, 78–85.
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Subjects: Education & Educational Research
Contributors MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register :
Elba Gutiérrez-Santiuste
,
Sonia García-Segura
,
María Ángeles Olivares-García
,
Elena González-Alfaya
View Times: 349
Revisions: 2 times (View History)
Update Date: 29 Jun 2022
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