Perspectives

University of Wolverhampton

How users and audiences engage with e-portfolios and related learning activities and perceive their potential benefits is a critical factor in their success. JISC projects have worked with a range of user groups including different types of learners and practitioners in varied educational contexts and have explored how different audiences, in particular employers and professional bodies, respond to e-portfolios.

Learners

Learners have varied responses to e-portfolios depending upon their previous experiences, attitudes to IT, independent learning, tutor engagement and understanding of the process.

Tutors

Tutor engagement is vital to the successful implementation of e-portfolios. Learners will not commit to developing and maintaining an e-portfolio if there is no continuing support provided by tutors.

Employers

There is a diverse response to e-portfolios by employers for recruitment, PDP and work-based learning purposes depending on the sector although further work is being done to increase understanding of real benefits in this area, particularly in the context of employability.

Professional bodies

Increasing interest and use of e-portfolios for CPD and accreditation amongst some professional bodies is acting as a driver for implementation within the curriculum.

Institutions

As institutional policies in higher and further education institutions are shaped by various drivers, they are likely to take an holistic view of e-portfolio implementation and use, considering how this can bring maximum benefit to a range of constituencies and stakeholders.

We have also recommended various 'pathways' through the material based on the perspective views. You can see these recommendations alongside a host of other resources on our e-portfolios portal page.