Students as Co-Designers: Peer and Instructional Resources for Novice Users of ePortfolio

Several decades of ePortfolio research confirm the power of the tool for helping students make meaning of varied curricular and personal experiences. For first-time users, however, the learning curve may be steep, and the gap between institutional or instructor goals and student experiences may be wide. Some studies suggest that students themselves may address this gap by taking a direct role in the implementation of ePortfolio as planners, sources of examples for others, or as peer reviewers. This study explores the use of student co-designers in a linguistics course requiring a cumulative ePortfolio project. Student co-designers held a number of roles over the course of the project and provided feedback to the instructor on the principle challenges students faced with the project. Class-wide feedback reveals that, while most were anxious about this unfamiliar tool at the beginning of the course, peer assistance and continued practice increased their belief that ePortfolio is an effective way for them to see and appreciate their learning progress over the semester.

International Journal of ePortfolio