About the Requirement
In the Master of Education program we require students to develop and maintain an ePortfolio. Here's why:
By pursuing a Master's degree, you are in a process of -- metaphorically speaking -- writing the next chapter in the story of your life. Your courses are one part of that process. You construct meaning on your journey, considering how your program informs and shapes personal and professional goals.
Your ePortfolio is designed to help you document this narrative of growth to see how parts relate to the whole. We believe it will help you improve the quality of your learning experience, both during and after your time in the program.
In this program you will use ePortfolios to get to know your peers, store copies of your work, and consider how your experiences in this course connect with your program of study and life goals. If you started your degree program prior to January 2012 you are not expected to go back in time and reconstruct your story from previous courses. If you have already created an ePortfolio you do not need to create a new one for each course.
Graduate-level courses are rich experiences, but with all the resources, discussions, and coursework it can be challenging to see the forest for the trees! Revisit your ePortfolio at the end of each course to attach a sample of your work, along with a written or recorded reflection, documenting what you learned. This will help you gain perspective on the role that each course plays within the bigger picture of your learning. It also serves as a snapshot in the album that you are creating of your growth.
Some of your teachers will require additional ePortfolio work. Other teachers won't prompt you to add a work sample, but it is your responsibility to do the concluding exercise with or without direct instruction at the end of each term. This is because your ePortfolio is a program requirement, not a course requirement.
This expectation is more than busy work. The ePortfolio provides a space for you to get more out of your program, personally and professionally, now and in the future, than you would if you just went from class to class without taking the time to reflect and make larger connections. As you review your ePortfolio, it will help you identify your patterns of interest, abilities, and gaps in experience. This ongoing monitoring and self-assessment will help you identify electives, research topics, jobs, and professional development opportunities that align with your needs and growing capabilities.
It is an opportunity to see how you think your learning adds up, because in the end that's what's most important!