Content area
Full Text
Eportfolios serve multiple purposes-documenting course or programmatic assessment as well as facilitating student learning (Lorenzo and Ittelson 2005). However, without institutional intentionality to create authentic student products that document student learning, student eportfolios could end up "glorified electronic file cabinets with little meaning" (Reynolds and Patton 2014). Using eportfolios solely for assessment limits the scope of what an eportfolio can achieve. More than just a repository of work, an eportfolio should be a student-centered collection of work that supports deeper learning and self-reflection (Barrett and Wilkerson 2004; Parkes, Dredger, and Hicks 2013).
This article presents findings from a study conducted at the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) at California State University, Monterey Bay, a four-year, public, minority serving institution (MSI). Our institution uses eportfolios, not only for assessment but also to support diverse students using a tool that facilitates reflective learning, develops transferable knowledge, and builds professional online presence. In this article we present examples of how students reflect on their learning, communicate what they are learning to their peers and families, create a professional online identity, and demonstrate learning experiences, which provides artifacts assessment.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EPORTFOLIOS
Undergraduate research is well documented as a high-impact process (Kinzie et al. 2008) and is tied to a number of positive student outcomes, particularly for traditionally underrepresented students (Cole and Espinoza 2008). However, despite the high rates of participation and positive outcomes of undergraduate research, little is known about how to facilitate reflective learning or develop transferable knowledge through high-impact practices. In addition, facilitating and demonstrating cumulative knowledge is often absent from high-impact practices like undergraduate research.
We support undergraduate researchers in being active participants in knowledge creation-and to be, in the words of Kathleen Yancey, the "information architects" of their scholarly work. We encourage them to collect authentic "cultural artifacts" (Yancey 2004) that chart their growth and development as scholars. To do this, we use reflective writing activities that guide undergraduate researchers to learn about themselves.
Reflective writing is also well documented as a deliberate practice learning tool (Yancey 1998). Meaningful reflection involves critically examining actions and experiences in order to discover new ways of thinking or being. Such reflection uses a metacognitive approach, which supports problem-based learning and teaches students tangible ways to effectively tackle...