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Getting started with e-portfolios: advice for students, staff and employers

The three checklists below, developed as part of UKCLE’s Using e-portfolios in legal education project, give some advice for students, staff and employers on using e-portfolios – see Getting started with e-portfolios for more.

Advice for students

An e-portfolio is useful because:

  • it keeps your work in a central repository
  • it’s fun to reflect – even if you’re not very good at it!
  • it stimulates your creative juices
  • you can show off what you can do – and what you’ve done

The downside is:

  • you need some training to get started – but it does get easier
  • it feels like extra work
  • you have to keep it up to date

Give it a try – it might help your career choices.

Advice for staff

Tips on staff support for e-portfolios:

  • start the training early – give an easy introduction to the software during induction
  • follow this up with more training later in the course
  • students want guidance, templates, set styles, detailed plans…you name it!
  • investment in time early on in terms of support pays dividends later * it’s a useful feedback tool – just make sure you feed back in time

Advice for employers

An e-portfolio is useful because:

  • employees like to have everything in one place
  • it gives them some freedom to express themselves
  • it’s useful for them to reflect on their university experience, especially at transition stages
  • it’s a useful career planning tool (if used properly)

Beware of:

  • confidentiality and ownership of information concerns
  • security concerns
  • concerns about competitive sensitivity

Make sure too that the e-portfolio works with existing IT systems and that your employees are given time to keep it up to date.

Last Modified: 30 June 2010