E-Portfolios and Nursing Education
What are E-Portfolios
An E-Portfolio is an electronic compilation of professional and career
accomplishments, thus providing evidence of expertise. With the explosion of
technology and focus on self learning and development of critical thinking
skills, the e-Portfolio has evolved into demonstrating clinical competence and
reflective practice that can be measured over time.
Purposes of E-Portfolio
The
e-Portfolio serves many purposes. One is to supplement or complement the résumé
or curriculum vitae (CV) as it details one’s career over time. Professional growth
is demonstrated overall or in a specific category such as leadership or
education, as well as detailing clinical expertise such as critical care or
advanced nursing practice competencies ( Pincombe , McKellar. Weise, Grinter ,
& Beresford, 2010).
Demonstrating skills and knowledge can support
credentialing, certification, or re-certification, as well as support employment
issues such as securing a professional nursing position serving as an adjunct
for a performance review. The ePortfolio has also been used to supplement
graduate admissions criteria and can serve as a basis for promotions and
awards. More recent applications of the ePortfolio have focused on the
development of reflective nursing practice including the assessment of clinical
competencies and professional development.
Role of E-Portfolios In Nursing Education
Developing
and refining one’s ePortfolio is a continuous ongoing process, not a one-time
endeavor. The process includes collecting the materials initially wanted in the
ePortfolio , reflecting on how the materials best demonstrate the primary
purpose or goal of the ePortfolio , selecting the best and most appropriate
materials, and then again reflecting on the overall presentation of materials
to support the intended goal. The final stage is compiling the ePortfolio and
storing it in an appropriate medium or on a website best suited for its
purpose. The evaluation reflection selection process closes the loop for
quality improvement.
Oermann
(2002) suggests that there are two types of portfolios, each serving a specific
purpose. She identifies these as “best work” and “growth and
development.” Best work ePortfolios equate to those supplementing the CV
or résumé, while the growth and development are more reflective in nature.
The
following items should be considered for inclusion in the ePortfolio when they
are used to demonstrate professional development (Jones, Sackett , Erdley ,
& Blyth, 2007): training or education including formal education,
in-services, certificates, workshops, and seminars; license or certification
information; specialized clinical skills; language fluency including sign
language: awards and honors; references that may include letters of
introduction or recommendation; and scholarly activities such as podium or
poster presentations, publications, work on faculty projects, grants, and
research studies.
Green,
Wyllie, and Jackson (2013) assert that the ePortfolio can be used to assess
cognitive, reflective, and effective skills. Garrett, MacPhee , and Jackson
(2013) have used the ePortfolio to assess the clinical competence of
baccalaureate nursing students. Using a self-reflection process, students were
able to self-identify learning needs. Faculty were able to assess and track
student progress based on the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia
(CRNBC) entry-to-practice competencies.
Summative assessments of students can
also be accomplished through the ePortfolio (Hill, 2012; Yanhua & Watson.
2011). These uses of the ePortfolio are predicated on constructivist learning
theories ( Jonassen , 1991) using experiential learning and the novice to
expert model defined by Benner (1984). Reflection on personal experiences not
only bridges the gap between knowledge and experience but also includes
evaluating the ethics of a situation, personal beliefs and values, and
self-evaluating one’s personal strengths and challenges.
The
ePortfolio is not without its limitations. Jones, Sackett , Erdley , and Blyth
(2007) cite the amount of time spent by faculty to review ePortfolios and
students’ complaints of the labor intensity of completing the ePortfolio as
barriers to its use. These sentiments were echoed by Bogossian and Kellett
(2010) when implementing the ePortfolio within the framework of an actual
clinical setting. Support from faculty was also cited as a limitation by Jones
et al. (2007) Garrett and Jackson (2006) proposed the use of a mobile clinical
ePortfolio that would be directly linked to the student’s personal digital
assistant (PDA). This would decrease the time for documentation of competencies.
is important to note that the ePortfolio should be differentiated from the
paper portfolio. The ePortfolio needs to be portable in order to facilitate
sharing of its contents with prospective employers, graduate admissions
committees, faculty, and accreditation bodles . As a most cumbersome process in
paper format, the el’ortfolio serves an important purpose for students as well
as practicing nursing professionals.
Outcomes of E-Portfolios In Nursing Education
The
underpinnings of the ePortfolio , such as reflective practice, can help nurses
grow both professionally and personally throughout their career. Although the
ePortfolio can enhance the self-reflective and critical-thinking process, there
is little empirical data to support the effectiveness of the el’ortfolio for
summative assessments, clinical competence, and its use in reflective practice
for undergraduate students, new graduates, and advanced practice nurses.The
ePortfolio may also need to be incorporated into different pedagogical approaches
in nursing practice in both academic and clinical settings.