Fulbright College Team Outlines ePortfolio Initiative

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Together with the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), a team from the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is leading an exploration of ePortfolios — a professional, digital-first way for students to showcase their skills, coursework, projects and experiences.

Their goals include building a robust ePortfolio infrastructure, including:

• Launching WordPress as a primary platform for building and hosting ePortfolios
• Creating a support structure for technological assistance
• Writing an Open Education textbook: Building a Professional ePortfolio
• Informing faculty on best practices of ePortfolio use
• Creating a centralized communication hub for ePortfolio resources
• Sharing stories of successful use of ePortfolios from U of A students
• Systemizing documentation of students' knowledge of General Education Learning Objectives

This ePortfolios initiative has been spearheaded by the Fulbright College Student Success Team, including Lynn Meade, teaching assistant professor in Student Success and communication instructor, who is also teaching a course on ePortfolios this semester.

"While transcripts are the primary tool for demonstrating your outcomes as a student, an ePortfolio really allows an employer or graduate school to see the full picture of who you are and what you're going to bring to the table," Meade said. "Our goal is to ensure every student and every teacher on campus have the support they need to benefit from the ePortfolios in school and in the workforce."

Data shows that ePortfolios are helping students stand out in a crowded field. A 2021 study from the American Association of Colleges and Universities found that nine in 10 employers appreciate ePortfolios in the hiring process. In fact, nearly half of employers said they would be very likely to click on an applicant's portfolio in a resume or application.

Also on the team is Kathryn Zawisza, director of academic technology and innovation; Aviance Taylor, director of career education; Angela Seawood Williams, teaching assistant professor in Fulbright College Student Success; Ryan Calabretta Sajder, associate professor of Italian; and Curtis Maughan, director of the World Languages and Digital Humanities Studio.

The team recently met with Eddie Watson, associate vice president for Curricular and Pedagogical Innovation for AAC&U, to discuss the opportunity to position students for ePortfolio success and to position the university as a leader in ePortfolio adoption.

ePortfolios are part of the 11 high-impact practices, which are supported by AAC&U. Learn more about the AAC&U's focus on ePortfolios and the institute: https://www.aacu.org/event/2023-institute-on-eportfolios. Learn more about high-impact practices at the U of A: https://hips.uark.edu/.