Capstone ePortfolios and Synthetic Learning

Abstract

ePortfolios are considered the eleventh high-impact practice by the AACU. Done well, they do not merely store artifacts that record a student’s progress. They actively encourage students to reflect on their work and to synthesize it. They focus attention on the process of learning, and make that learning visible to student, faculty, and others alike. The LBST 498 ePortfolio required students to explain their degree to the public in a succinct format. The process of selecting artifacts, explaining them, and using them to make meaning for themselves of their degree helped students actively to synthesize their experiences with the perspectives they had gained through their concentrations and core courses.

By demonstrating recent ePortfolios, we intend to document the initial success of the ePortfolio program, and generate discussion about the role of reflection in increasing student success.