From Portafoglio to Eportfolio: The Evolution of Portfolio in Higher Education

Abstract

This article traces the evolution of the concept of portfolio from the Renaissance to the present day. Over time the meaning of portfolio has evolved from its origins as a case for holding loose papers to other contexts such as finance, government and education. Portfolios have evolved from paper to electronic, from local networks to the world wide web. The decade from 2000-2010 was a period when technology became part of mainstream society and educational technology become part of mainstream higher education, and portfolios spread around the world. A shift in focus has occurred in eportfolio research and practice in the last decade, there has been more emphasis on pedagogy and student learning and less focus on digital technology as it has become ubiquitous. One of the key takeaways from the story of eportfolio adoption is that educators and institutions should adopt a critical perspective to new educational technologies and approaches. Finally, the history of portfolio in higher education shows that the higher education system will continue to gradually evolve, incorporating concepts, technology and approaches that are compatible rather than transformative.

Perspective Chapter: Perspectives on the Emergency Remote Assessment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…• self-assessment [22,23] • peer-assessment [22] • take-home exams [24] • portfolios [23,25] • e-assessment activities (exams), human-led or computer-based [26].…”

A conceptual model of students' reflective practice for the development of employability competences, supported by an online learning platform

“…In higher education, portfolios are broadly used Reflective practice for student employability to keep track of learning activities and development over time. In addition, portfolios have been reported to promote reflective practice, employability and professional certification (Farrell, 2020).…”

The Implementation of Eportfolios in an Online Graduate Program

“…Even though the introduction of portfolios into higher education can be traced back to the early 1970s (Farrell, 2020), the literature review will mainly focus on electronic portfolios and provide context for the use of ePortfolios in higher education. It first describes the definition of ePortfolios.…”

“…We are living in a digital world. The advancement in technologies stimulated the use of electronic Portfolios, or ePortfolios, in academic settings and enabled students to move beyond the binder and paper portfolios to showcase their skills, knowledge, and competencies in digital forms (Farrell, 2020;Farrelly & Kaplin, 2019). Over the past decade, there has been a trend in higher education towards an increase in using ePortfolios globally (Hume & Hamilton, 2019;Madden et al, 2019;Roberts & Kirk, 2019).…”