Chapter 4. ePorts: Making the Passage from Academics to Workplace

Abstract

University in 2000 and headed it for more than 10 years. His recent publications are in the area of information literacy, writing assessment, online education, and independent writing programs. Most recently, with Duane Roen and Greg Glau, he is co-author of The McGraw-Hill Guide: Writing for College, Writing for Life, currently in its 3 rd edition (2012). Learn more about these researchers' ongoing work at http://www.public.asu.edu/~bdangelo and http:// www.public.asu.edu/~bmmaid.

Eportfolios on the Job: The Use of Assessment Eportfolios in the Business and Technical Communication Job Market

“…Bacabac (2013) argued that eportfolios can help students develop Cargile Cook’s (2002) layered literacies and shared a four-part assignment sequence designed to help students develop those literacies. D’Angelo and Maid (2013) also suggested that developing eportfolios can help students practice and showcase the technology skills that 21st-century employers are seeking.…”

“…Researchers have demonstrated several benefits of eportfolio assignments beyond the claim that they will be useful in the job market Bacabac (2013)Cargile Cook’s (2002)layered literacies and shared a four-part assignment sequence designed to help students develop those literacies D’Angelo and Maid (2013)…”

“…Instructors and administrators in business and technical communication (BTC) programs have argued for decades that portfolios can play a vital role in the success of BTC graduates on the job market (Bonsignore, 2013; Kryder, 2011; Moody, Stewart, & Bolt-Lee, 2002; Okoro, Washington, & Cardon, 2011; Powell & Jankovich, 1998). D’Angelo and Maid (2013) have argued that eportfolios, in particular, can successfully serve as a bridge between academia and the workplace. They noted the “seemingly ever-present dissonance between academia and practicing technical communication” (D’Angelo & Maid, 2013, p. 77) and described eportfolios as tools for students to demonstrate to both academicians and industry insiders that they have mastered both academic theories and workplace skills.…”

“…D’Angelo and Maid (2013) have argued that eportfolios, in particular, can successfully serve as a bridge between academia and the workplace. They noted the “seemingly ever-present dissonance between academia and practicing technical communication” (D’Angelo & Maid, 2013, p. 77) and described eportfolios as tools for students to demonstrate to both academicians and industry insiders that they have mastered both academic theories and workplace skills. Indeed, this mind-set seems to be the primary logic operating beneath instructors’ and administrators’ recommendations that students use eportfolios in their job searches.…”

ePortfolio Pedagogy: Stimulating a Shift in Mindset

“…ePortfolio technology makes affordances for interaction and reflection (Eynon et al, 2014) and encourages both analytical thinking and the questioning of assumptions related to the process of learning in online spaces. ePortfolios may also be regarded as a passageway for demonstrating how knowledge acquired in academic spaces can be applied in the workplace (D'Angelo & Maid, 2013). As multipurpose tools (assessment, accountability, collaboration, curriculum), ePortfolios embody what it means to learn and teach effectively in internet spaces.…”