The use of ePortfolio in health profession education to demonstrate competency and enhance employability: A scoping review

Abstract

The use of an ePortfolio to support the education of health and social care professionals is increasing in higher education. ePortfolios support the educational journey of students; however, it is unclear how they are used to demonstrate competency or enhance employability. The aims of this study were to explore the literature to identify the use of ePortfolios in health and social care higher education curricula to demonstrate competency or improve employability. Three electronic databases were searched to identify papers using scoping review methodology. Studies that were published between 2001 and 2019 were included. A total of 1530 articles were initially identified after duplicates were removed. Nine studies were included in the final qualitative synthesis following a robust review. Data were synthesised into themes that describe the role of ePortfolios in demonstrating competencies in higher education or improving employability they were (1) Self-Directed Learning, (2) Deeper Learning, (3) Expanding Literacies, (4) Successful Implementation. These studies highlight that ePortfolio is both a product and a process. ePortfolios support students to gather artefacts that demonstrate professional competency which can be applied in the job-seeking process. The ePortfolio development process applies social constructionist approaches to learning which support lifelong learning and enhance employability. The findings also highlight the importance of providing students with clear expectations of the role of an ePortfolio in their professional learning journey.