Well, I’m nearing the end of my first e-learning course- time really does fly when you’re having fun. In addition to e-learning about learning differences between generations, learning theories, wikis, and a whole lot of other great stuff, I have been introduced to eportfolios.

An eportfolio is a personal website which communicates and showcases skills, contains diverse artifacts, and contextualizes artifacts through reflection (Auburn 2013).  With growing pressure on students to develop skills which the workplace demands, the eportfolio has emerged as a creative way of impressing employers (Pelliccione & Dixone, 2008).

I believe that eportfolios will have growing appeal in the accounting industry. With employers looking for specific skills (experience with certain software, experience in a branch of accounting/finance, etc), an eportfolio can be an excellent way of proving (as opposed to claiming) that you are a great candidate.

However, making an eportfolio can be a little more challenging in the accounting industry compared to, say, visual arts or architectural engineering. We can’t really embed QuickBooks or Excel files neatly into a webpage and it can be difficult to show the exact nature of your work with just an image. Hence, job seekers need to be more creative in presenting their work, perhaps through short videos with commentary. Even with that approach, I’d argue that a better reflective practice is for the learner to actually open the actual file, especially if it has been a while since he/she has done that/similar work.

On a personal level, a teaching portfolio is definitely something I should be working on, considering I have a bundle of artifacts from 4 years of teaching and the PIDP. I pride myself on being a modern teacher and pushing a pro-technology attitude in my classes. An eportfolio would supplement this image quite well, earning me more credibility from my students. Additionally, it might help me obtain more teaching work.

However, I want to make sure I have time to good job on something like this, since it will be on the internet for everyone to see, including my students. I don’t want to put something unprofessional out there, as it might do more harm than good. Also, I want to showcase some accounting software I have worked with and taught, so I will need to think up or research some ways to present it well. Some other artifacts I’d like to include are my teaching philosophy statement, my lesson notes, Kahoot! quizzes, and short instructional videos.

Hopefully, I’ll find time to make a great eportfolio soon. I also want to encourage my students to do the same. I’ll keep y’all posted on how things go!

References

Auburn University (2013). What is an ePortfolio?. YouTube. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/xvqBORISA5k

Pelliccione, L. & Dixon, K. (2008). ePortfolios: Beyond assessment to empowerment in
the learning landscape. In Hello! Where are you in the landscape of educational technology?