E-Portfolios in Higher Computing Education

E-Portfolios in Higher Computing Education

E-portfolios are a way for students to collect and present content demonstrating their competencies and interests. This content may include:

  • Results of work done in the context of a study program, e.g., selected course assignments
  • Results/documentation of other activities, e.g., hobbies or volunteer work

Benefits for Students

Developing an e-portfolio offers multiple benefits:

  • Increased awareness of one's own competencies, within specific areas of skill/knowledge as well as holistically. This adds to one's understanding of being an aspiring professional, developing a (pre-)professional identity.
  • Boosting learning through reflection on work processes, results and achievements, possibly including feedback, e.g., from peers.
  • A means for presenting one's competencies in a relevant and attractive way, e.g., to potential employers and collaboration partners as part of job seeking and network building.

Implementation Success Factors

To make the use of e-portfolios successful, they need to be carefully introduced with appropriate support. They also need to be systematically applied over time and across relevant areas. This means that in order to incorporate e-portfolios into courses and study programs, the enabling and supporting role of the teaching staff is essential.

Platform Requirements

E-portfolios may be developed on different technological platforms. In the context of higher education, key requirements include:

  • Smooth and flexible integration with learning management systems
  • Open platforms that ensure the e-portfolio remains available and can be developed further after the completion of formal education

Research at NTNU

At NTNU Department of Computer Science, we have implemented e-portfolios in various courses and study programs. Our PhD student Hege Annette Olstad, who defended her thesis in 2024, conducted research in this area.

Read interview with Hege Olstad

Key Publications

Key findings from our research in collaboration with teaching staff at IDI, including recommendations for the use of e-portfolios:

Olstad, H. A. (2022). Introducing ePortfolios to IT students: The support process. Norsk IKT-konferanse for forskning og utdanning, 2020.

Olstad, H. A., Krogstie, B. R., & Su, X. (2022). Enhancing Computing Students' Learning Experience by Using ePortfolio for Formative Assessment. Paper presented at 2022 IEEE Frontiers in Education, Uppsala, Sweden.

Olstad, H. A., Krogstie, B. R., Su, X., & Hjelsvold, R. (2024). Enabling Computing Students to Recognize Acquired Competencies with ePortfolios. Computer Science Education, 1–28.