Avoiding the Pitfalls: Current Practices and Recommendations for Eportfolios in Higher Education

Abstract

Institutions of higher learning use eportfolios for multiple purposes such as to enhance student learning, conduct authentic program/institutional assessment, support students as they prepare for future careers, and meet certification standards. The article investigates existing eportfolio literature and documents our findings of current practices in eportfolio use from a survey of 43 higher education institutions which we delivered in the Spring of 2009. The intent of our research was to learn more about 1) the predominant uses of eportfolios in institutions of higher learning across the globe, 2) the challenges institutions of higher learning face when implementing eportfolios on their campuses, and 3) the considerations institutions of higher learning should address in such an implementation. We present our recommendations for eportfolio implementation along with limitations and suggestions for future research.