Diane Holtzman, Ed.D.

Evonne Kruger, Ph.D.

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

Focus on the Liberal Arts
Located southern New Jersey
State four-year college with
undergraduate/graduate courses
Focus on

Sustainability
Global
Engagement
Learning

 Written and oral communication skills

A combination of technical, leadership and interpersonal
skills
Mastery of specific knowledge and
skills required by licensure and
certification boards

Given todays competitive job market, candidates must enhance

their ability to pass the initial job screening by demonstrating
they have the skills in the areas indicated in the job ad/description

e-Portfolios
present more than just the traditional resume
can present the applicants goals, accomplishments, skills,
and knowledge to prospective employers before an interview
(Powell & Jankovich, 1998)
can provide examples of projects completed in classes as well
as in the work environment or through volunteer experiences
with the applicants reflection on these accomplishments and
growth
allows for the integration of personal narration and
reflection through audio/podcasts and the incorporation of
short video clips

In developing the e-Portfolio for the workplace

Content in the e-portfolios

should demonstrate the link between the
individuals strengths and the jobs
specifications/credentialing requirements
provides evidence that verifies individuals
education, training, credentialing, work performance,
skills, and accomplishments relate to the job
positions the individual for future jobs by
demonstrating evidence of experience, skills, and
knowledge

Required for management

concentration juniors and seniors
and is an elective for all Business
majors

Contextualizes managerial skills

within management theory and
provides opportunities for
students to master entry level
managerial skills

The management skills

course is designed so that
students should make
progress on selected
Business Program learning
goals that reflect the
philosophy of the AACSB

(The Association to Advance

Collegiate Schools of Businessaccrediting body) and College

Learning for the New

Global Century

Students should be able to demonstrate the following

knowledge, skills, and competencies [adopted by the School of
Business and aligned with the AACSB Assurances of Learning
Standards] that meet the course rubrics:

Information literacy skills in searching for information

related to the theory and practice of management [library
literacy assignment]
Professional business written communications
[Ex: business letters, reports]
The ability to interview a practicing manager and present
written and oral reports that integrate information literacy,
analysis and synthesis of the managers activities, and
reflections with the framework of Henry Mintzberg
[Interview with a manager project]

The ability to document and address orally and in

writing disciplinary and conflict issues in the
workplace [FOSA written project on workplace
discipline; collaborative video project]

Writing and critiquing resumes and cover letters

Interview skills as an applicant and interviewer

[Team project: Human Resources video-project
and written packet]

The ability to research and analyze managerial

positions and prepare professional job
descriptions and candidate interview rating
sheets [Team project: Human Resources written
project and video-project]

Critical thinking skills used in analyzing video

managerial situations and making
recommendations that include recognition of all
ethical implications [Managers Hot Seat case
projects]

Social responsibility/volunteerism through

participation in service learning in a non-profit
agency in the community (optional) [Students
reflection paper and agency feedback]

Professional attitudes, behaviors, and conduct of

managers in the workplace [Team project: Job
Interview video]

Students should be able to demonstrate:

Reflection on personal development as a

manager requires synthesis and personal
integration of the knowledge, skills, and
competencies addressed throughout the course
[Professional development reflection assignment
for the e-Portfolio]

Develop a professional career e-portfolio

(assessment and basis for life-long learning)
[e-Portfolio assignment]

Goal is professional development

Achieved through

Reflecting on the artifacts

Writing the reflection pieces (reflection on the
Human Resources project and Reflection on the
entire course experienceas a student and as a
manager.

Resume and cover letter

Business Writing: Letters and Reports
Library Information Literacy Assignment
Interview with a Manager Project
Workplace Discipline Project and collaborative
video[FOSA]
Human Resources Project Job Design/Analysis
Video Job Interview Project and Reflection
Service Learning Reflection Paper
Professional Development Reflection
Final Portfolio

 Has students reflect on

The Pastwho was I before I had this learning
experience
The Present-who am I as a result of this learning
experience
The Future how can I present myself as a career
ready manager

Thus construction of the e-Portfolio requires that

the students begin with an image of themselves
as future managers within specific industries
and/or roles. This requires research into career
opportunities and required skills sets:
Industrial sales
Hospitality industry
Health care

As they select and present each piece of the

portfolio, tying it together with the career goals
articulated in the resume and the two reflection
pieces, they construct a persona
I Manager.

The process of reflecting upon learning

experiences in terms of their relationship to
career goals and personal development is as
important as that of documentation.

A remarkable number of effective managers are

reflective: they know how to learn from their own
experience; they explore numerous options; and
they back off when one doesnt work, to try
another

Reflective managers tend to engage in higher

order thinking:

wondering,
probing,
analyzing,
synthesizing
ability to connect their experiences to the self

The importance of reflection in management can be

extended to most professions, e.g., law, medicine, scientific
research, psychology, creative writing, education, and the
performing arts.

By reflecting upon the relationship between their broadly

defined learning experiences and their perceptions of
themselves as career-ready, students provide evidence of
their preparedness to transition into the full-time work
place or graduate school, and perhaps also of their future
success.

The construction of the self using e-documentation is not a

new endeavor to most students.

Impression management and the presentation of the self in

everyday life, as first articulated by Goffman, are now being
applied to social e-sites.

The vast majority of students have experience with social

networking sites such as Facebook where they are very
aware that they are attempting to control both the
impressions their sites give about themselves and the
impressions that are actually interpreted by friends and
others.

Social networking site experience helps develop:

Envisioning skills: the ability to envision the

self that is presented to the world

Presentation skills: ability to work creatively

with multimedia: Photos, video clips, links to
YouTube and other sites must be carefully
coordinated.

Impression Management Skills: editing,

monitoring, and continuous updating skills

Social networking skills include the understanding

that the individual is constructing a persona that
he/she will try out publicly. The selections
posted are edited and reviewed should enhance
the intended persona.

Impression Management is particularly important:

Claims of damages by employers when employees

post critical comments about their employers;

Prospective employers frequently check social

networking sites and make judgments as to
character, communications skills, and maturity;

Friends are quick to identify misstatements,

prevarications, and even casual puffery.

These envisioning, presentation, and

impression management skills can be
transferred successfully by students to the
development of their skills portfolios.

When students are done with the e-Portfolio they have a

strong repository of artifacts from which they can select
those elements they want to include in an official career
portfolio to future employers.

This can include

Projectsthose revised/exemplary written and
video/audio projects
Transcripts
Resume

The content in the e-portfolios

should demonstrate the link between the
individuals strengths and the jobs
specifications/credentialing requirements
provides evidence that verifies individuals
education, training, credentialing, work performance,
skills, and accomplishments that relate to the job
positions the individual for future jobs by
demonstrating evidence of experience, skills, and
knowledge

26

Individuals will own and manage their

personal portfolio information from
childhood through careers as a tool
for reflective life-long learning.

May be required in high schools/colleges, as mandated

by states legislation, to showcase students readiness
for the job market [eFolioMinnesota)]. (Karlen & Sanchirico, 2010)

E-Portfolios are becoming the new standard that every

person has to haveand have broken out of the educational
sector and are being adopted for employees in companies.
(Batson, ePortfolios, Finally!)

27

Diane Holtzman, Ed.D.

Diane.Holtzman@stockton.edu

Evonne Kruger, Ph.D.

Evonne.Kruger@stockton.edu

Barrett, H. (2001). Electronic Portfolios - A chapter in Educational Technology. Retrieved

June 21, 2010, from http://electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/encyclopediaentry.htm
Batson, T. (2010, April 7). ePortfolios, Finally! Retrieved June 20, 2010, from
http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2010/04/07ePorfolios-Finally.aspx?p=1
Daudelin, M.W. (1996). Learning from experience through reflection. Organizational
Dynamics, 24(3), 36-48.
Goffman, Erving. (1959). The Presentation of self in everyday life. New York, NY: Anchor
Books.
Holtzman, D. & Dagavarian, D. (2007, Winter). The Use of Electronic Portfolios in
Assessing Student Learning Outcomes. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 55,
(1).
Ittelson, G. L. (2005). An Overview of E-Portfolios. Retrieved June 19, 2010, from Educause
Learning Initiative: http://www.educause.edu/ELI/AnOverviewofEPortfolios/156761
Karlen, J.M. & Sanchirico, S.M. (2010). Adult Learning and ePortfolios. The National
Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning. Atlantic City: Thomas Edison State College.
Lamdin, L. (1997). Earn college credit for what you know, 3 rd ed. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt.
Powell, K. S., and Jankovich J. L. "Student Portfolios: A Tool to Enhance the Traditional Job
Search." Business Communication Quarterly 61, no. 4 (December 1998): 72-82.
Mintzberg, Henry (2009). Managing. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.
Mintzberg, Henry (2004). Managers not MBAs: A hard look at the soft practice of
managing and management development. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.
Raelin, J. a. (2008). Work-Based Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Tillery, M. & Coe, R. (2010). Prior Learning Assessment/Portfolio Development -. The
National Institute on the Assessment of Adult Learning. Atlantic City: Thomas Edison State
College.

29