Writing in the Disciplines and ePortfolios

Introduction

The teaching of writing in colleges and universities tends to focus on academic essays and research papers. Writing in the disciplines, on the other hand, refers to writing assignments tailored to the genres of a specific discipline or field. For instance, a science course might require students to write a lab report, while a sociology course might assign a case study.

Writing in the disciplines overlaps with modes of writing that are used in the workplace. For instance, a nursing course might have students practice writing a care plan or SOAP notes in preparation for clinical work, while an economics course might assign a business report or market analysis. In both cases, students are learning to write genres that are relevant to real-world industries and careers.

Writing in the disciplines is an effective way to embed the teaching of writing within the genres and conventions of a specific discipline or career. It helps make writing assignments more meaningful by connecting them to real-world situations. It also helps improve career readiness by aligning writing instruction with the types of writing that students will be expected to produce in the workforce.

ePortfolios may include a variety of samples of your writing across different disciplines, from lab reports and technical writing to personal reflections, narratives, and research essays.

ePortfolios

Portfolios, electronic or paper, are spaces where one can collect artifacts and curate work. An ePortfolio allows for a digitalized collection of artifacts geared towards a certain purpose and a particular audience. For example, a Professional ePortfolio that includes resume information and shows projects; a course ePortfolio that includes course work, reflection or observations on process and progress, and peer reviews/feedback; a research ePortfolio that showcases inquiry, research, and discovery; and much more.

Artifacts, or items/data included in the ePortfolio, can include a variety of mediums, such as text-based works, graphics, audio tracks, and/or multimedia elements, that are either uploaded to the ePortfolio, hosted on an outside Website like YouTube, or hyperlinked.

ePortfolios can be more than a collection of artifacts though. It can also serve as a classroom, a space to collect thoughts and brainstorm, a collaborative space for group projects, and more.

While there might be some guidelines surrounding a course ePortfolio, an ePortfolio is driven by the creator, and can allow students to take ownership of the learning process. Folio-thinking (Chen and Mazow, 2002; Chen Cannon, Gabrio, and Leifer, 2005; Chen, 2009) encourages students to connect all aspects of learning including the process, rather than just the final product. In addition, folio-thinking tries to connect learning that happens both within and outside of the classroom. Students select the best work to include, make the final decisions about how to showcase or curate that work, and reflect or observe what they did and how they did it. In other words, students focus on what they know, how they know it, how to apply it and where it fits in the world.

Benefits of Having an ePortfolio

• It is a living resume that easily showcases your work and is quickly modifiable for multiple audiences.
• It allows you to curate your work, highlighting the BEST of you.
• It demonstrates your skills and experience beyond the paper resume, including the softskills employers look for.
• It gives you an edge when seeking employment or applying for graduate school by building a professional online presence.
• It is a way to organize and share your best work.
• It increases rates of information transferability between courses, and between lived experiences and course experiences.
• It encourages reflection on process, not just finished products. Documenting the work and process, builds deep critical thinking skills.

How are Others Using an ePortfolio?

There are many purposes for having an eportfolio. These can be loosely defined within six types of eportfolios, including (IMS Global Learning Consortium, 2005):

• Learning Eportfolios – used to help a person document and guide learning over time
• Assessment Eportfolios – used to demonstrate that a person has the skills and competencies to pass an assessment or to gain recognition of prior learning (RPL)
• Personal Development Eportfolios – used to help a person with personal, educational and/or career development and planning
• Presentation Eportfolios – used to demonstrate a person’s learning and/or achievement to either get a job or promotion
• Working/Professional Eportfolios – used to collect workplace evidence for performance management or demonstrate that a person has the evidence to meet professional/industry standards
• Group – used by a group of people to showcase what has been done for a project or grant funding etc

Summary

ePortfolios are increasingly popular both in the academic and professional workplace. Some of the benefits include:

• The ability to showcase your skills to a future employer
• The ability to organize your work topically or by skill
• A demonstration of your best work
• A demonstration of a variety of writing formats (technical, narrative, argument, etc.)

Sources:

“Getting started with eportfolios.” By Digital Capability. Retrieved from: http://digitalcapability.com.au/eportfolios/resources/getting-started-with-eportfolios/ Licensed under: CC-BY

“Why ePortfolios?” By University of Alaska Anchorage. Retrieved from: https://alaska.digication.com/everything_eportfolio/Why_ePortfolios2 Licensed under: CC-BY-SA

“Writing in the Disciplines.” By Excelsior Online Writing Lab. Retrieved from: https://owl.excelsior.edu/writing-in-the-disciplines/ Licensed under: CC-BY