Folio Thinking 1

Folio Thinking
Madison Langston

Texas A&M University - Commerce

Folio Thinking 2

When it comes to the subject of ePortfolios, I’ve always been biased towards the

“electronic” portion of a portfolio. Call me old-fashioned, but I enjoy portfolios that are tangible

and always ready to have when I need them. The ePortfolios are portfolios, don’t get me wrong,

however they are electronic portfolios that can be kept on a laptop or other electronic device in

which they can be accessed. Regardless of my personal opinion, ePortfolios, “provide

institutions with authentic assessments of student learning and promote the deeper learning”

(Miller & Morgan, 2009) of both students and teachers.

As I said before, I value ePortfolios as the, “paper-based origins in the realms of fine

arts, music, creative writing, and architecture,” (Bryant & Chittum, 2013). However, ePortfolios

have actually begun to flourish with the rise of technology. It has become easier to access,

share and make changes to an ePortfolio more so than the regular paper-based version. The

ePortfolio has always been a regular occurrence in many, if not most, fields of education and

careers such as teaching, digital design, architecture, and many more.

Portfolios, by design, or ePortfolios, are used as a tool of reflection or self-reflection on

both the author/user, or when that person has garnered other forms of artistry to place among

their own forms of work (Slepcevic & Stock, 2018). Because of this, it has become the greatest

tool in terms of growth, challenges, and a lot of work. One can look back on a previous form of

work and see where he/she needs more work in certain areas, and in doing so, this can

challenge his/her way of thinking, and have them think outside the box. It’s a tool to get people

out of their comfort zone and see where they can begin in different directions, or branch off

from a previous subject, genre, or point of interest.

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In truth, ePortfolios are one of the greatest tools anyone can hope for. No matter what

you’re doing, whether it’s teaching, building, designing, writing, etc., everyone needs to keep

what they have created to look back upon. By doing so, you will not only remember the idea,

but new ideas can be formed from the past, and past struggles can be solved in the future.
Folio Thinking 4

Works Cited

Bryant, L. Chittum, R. (2013). ePortfolio Effectiveness: A(n Ill-Fated) Search for Empirical

Support. Retrieved from http://www.theijep.com/pdf/IJEP108.pdf

Miller, R. Mograine, W. (2009). The Benefits of E-Portfolios for Students and Faculty in Their

Own Words. Retrieved from

https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/benefits-e-portfolios-students-

and-faculty-their-own-words

Slepcevic, P. Stock, M. (2018). ePortfolio as a Tool for Reflection and Self-Reflection. Retrieved

from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14623943.2018.1437399