Student ePortfolio Insights Post-Graduation

During the 2019 Assessment Institute, Dr. Elizabeth Goering and her three former students, Maddie Brichacek, Tori Reed, and Mel Schwartz presented on the CN ePortfolio.

Dr. Goering presenting her bookend method

The three students showed examples of their work on their own ePortfolios which they were guided to complete during their capstone course. Each of the students was a part of the ePortfolio pilot for the Communication Studies department at IUPUI, taught by Dr. Goering.

In her presentation, Dr. Goering discussed the “Book End” method being used by the department and the book ends are key courses that include ePortfolio instruction and guidance. The first bookend is the introduction class taken by communication studies students entering the program, while the other bookend is the senior-level capstone course.

In our last blog post, Dr. Goering discussed this method and how she integrates ePortfolio into her teaching. However, during this presentation, possibly the most valuable insight came from students who had actually completed the course and are still using their CN ePortfolios today as they move on through the next level of their education or have begun their careers.

One of the students, Maddie, provided insight into her ePortfolio experience saying, “I think my experience creating a CN profile is largely positive. The interface is very user-friendly and I enjoy the layout better than LinkedIn. The most difficult part of creation was just finding the right content.” She went on to explain, “As someone who joined CN at the end of my college career, it was sometimes difficult finding old assignments. If I had started earlier, I think I would appreciate the site even more. I think it is most valuable when paired with a LinkedIn profile or even a resume/CV.”

M. Schwartz, M. Brichacek, T. Reed, and Dr. Goering

Overall each of the students expressed what they liked about CN and how completing their CN ePortfolios helped them grow and discover what they were actually interested in and taking away from their program. Maddie said, “This site helps highlight all my passions and achievements, rather than just listing them for potential employers.” When asked what type of content she added to her ePortfolio by an audience member, Maddie explained, “I can add video content, completed assignments, and other interactive ways of marketing myself to viewers.” The students expressed that they had learned a lot during the process, Maddie said the most valuable thing she learned was, “how to talk about myself - I never realized how much I had done, but my CN profile helped me understand, what I have accomplished and wish to accomplish. My best advice is to start early and add often.” Through this practice, the students also met important competencies and showcased them in ways they couldn’t before.

Through this presentation, there were three major takeaways that both Dr. Goering and her students expressed:

1.     Building their ePortfolios helped them reflect on their learning and connect to their majors

2.     They really wished they had started the ePortfolio building process sooner

3.     Why the ePortfolio is still important even with other sites such as LinkedIn

Create your own CN ePortfolio by visiting thecn.com and signing up. The CN ePortfolio is free to all learners throughout the world for lifelong use. K-12 and higher ed schools can receive a free campus-specific ePortfolio sign up page. Contact info@coursenetworking.com to receive your free three years license and campus-specific ePortfolio page. CN monetizes by selling optional LTI and API plugin into any LMS and SIS integration.