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Implementation of an ePortfolio to promote professional pathways.

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A case study of international students in Australian higher education

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Yi-Jung Teresa Hsieh

School of Languages and Cultures

The University of Queensland

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Background

  • Currently 546,000 international students studying in Australia (Department of Education, 2023)
  • Compared to pre-pandemic levels of 580,000 (Hurley, 2022)

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Barriers to gaining work experience in Australia

  • Potential cultural problems and lack of workplace English
  • Lack of actual work experience
  • Unfamiliarity with Australian workplace culture
  • Lack of skills to be self-critical and reflective

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ePortfolios in Higher education

  • ePortfolios can be implemented as an integrated assessment within the degree program of the student cohort concerned (Jackson, 2017)
      • Work-integrated learning context
      • Enhance employability skills
      • Provide better understanding of Australian practices, language and culture

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ePortfolios in Higher education

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Academic ‘self-efficacy’

Active engagement

Higher [academic] performance

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Research aim

To better understand the needs of international students as they build their ePortfolio

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Research methods

  • Participants: Master’s students enrolled in the UQ course titled ‘Portfolio & Synthesis (SLAT7850) – a capstone course within the Master of Applied Linguistics or TESOL
  • Data collection:
      • Stage One: Understanding of an ePortfolio and awareness of UQ graduate attributes
        1. Their awareness and understanding of an ePortfolio
        2. UQ graduate attributes and
        3. An email address for data coding.
      • Stage Two: Experience during building of their ePortfolio
        • Demographic information
        • Experience during building of their e-portfolio and
        • Effects of building their ePortfolio.

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Research question

How to support international students in Australia to promote professional pathways by developing an ePortfolio?

The questionnaire items asks participants to provide their perceptions on:

    • How building an ePortfolio provides a space for them to reflect on their learning.
    • How building an ePortfolio helps them to realise their strengths and weakness.
    • How building an ePortfolio affects their professional pathway.

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Most items in the questionnaires use Likert-scale type responses, for example:

Q – I believe that an e-portfolio can contribute to my professional activities and will help me realise my potential and establish my professional pathway.

R – Definitely not | Probably not | Possibly | Probably | Definitely

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Findings: Participants [Pilot study]

Demographic information

  • 10 female international students – 7 full-time teachers; 1 freelance teacher; 1 full-time customer service; 1 unemployed
  • Aged between18 and 44
  • 9 from China and 1 from Indonesia;
  • 7 would seek employment in their home country, but Australia and Japan are also preferred options,

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Findings: Participants [Pilot study]

Career goals

Short-term professional goals

    • I hope I can become familiar with the teaching process faster.

Long-term professional goals

    • I wish I could be a good educator more than a leader in a class.
    • To be a fantastic teacher, help students to become lifelong learners
    • To be an English expert
    • To work as a language instructor in Australia and I would like to have an English course in my home country

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Findings [Pilot study]

Overall experience of creating an ePortfolio

  1. Positive
    • An ePortfolio could contribute to their professional activities, and help them to realise and establish their professional pathway
  2. Areas for improvement
    • Unfamiliar with the broader skills acquired through the MA program.
    • A high percentage of participants lacked a clear understanding between course learning goals and the graduate attributes concerned.

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Findings [Pilot study]

Four main themes

  1. ‘An ePortfolio as a space to reflect my learning’
  2. ‘An ePortfolio as a space to realise my strengths and weaknesses’
  3. ‘An ePortfolio and my professional pathway’
  4. ‘Concerns about my ePortfolio’

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Theme1: An ePortfolio as a space to reflect my learning

The development of a quality ePortfolio assumes that students are motivated and invested in the process.

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The majority of the participants perceived an ePortfolio as a space to reflect their learning.

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Theme 1: An ePortfolio as a space to reflect my learning

The development of an ePortfolio encouraged critical thinking among the participants.

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Theme 2: An ePortfolio as a space to realise my strengths and weaknesses

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The ePortfolio must be designed to:

Provide opportunities for students to plan their learning goals, select their learning tasks, and undertake self-evaluation of performance to identify their areas of strength and weakness (Beckers et al. (2016)

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Theme 2: An ePortfolio as a space to realise my strengths and weaknesses

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What do you think is the strongest aspect of your e-portfolio?

  • 40% of people answered => Assists me to recall, recap and reflect on my professional strengths (and weaknesses)
  • 40% of people answered => Showcases and provides proof of my skills and talents
  • 20% of people answered => Organises information about myself into one location

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Theme 3: An ePortfolio and my professional pathway

Successful collaboration and critical reflection during professional development of an e-portfolio can lead to a stronger professional identity and professional self-efficacy (Samaras & Fox, 2013).

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Theme 3: An ePortfolio and my professional pathway

An ePortfolio also assists students to develop their organisational skills.

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Theme 3: An ePortfolio and my professional pathway

However:

  • 60% of people answered => They are time consuming and difficult to complete 
  • 10% of people answered => They are difficult to complete due to lack of guidance and lack of direction in the course 
  • 10% of people answered => The software to complete the E-portfolio was difficult to select and use

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Theme 4: Concerns about my ePortfolio

I shared my e-portfolio on Google docs. – 91% => NO

    • Probably because I am not sure who will read it
    • Lack of confidence
    • I don’t think mine is worthy to be shared
    • I don't think it is a perfect one.

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Theme 4: Concerns about my ePortfolio

Participants noted:

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I would particularly like support on

  • Software language
  • Gaining skills and experience | Writing an effective portfolio Understanding about what not to include in the portfolio
  • what can attract the employer's interest in the portfolio; how can I make the portfolio more visually attractive; how to be more critical in the content of the portfolio?

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How can we improve the E-portfolio creation process for future students?

80% of people answered Provide more specific directions, instructions, guidance, and/or examples

20% of people answered Provide more guidance on use of the software available for E-portfolios (e.g. Adobe Express, Wix, etc.)

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Theme 4: Concerns about my ePortfolio

I would particularly like support on

  • Software language
  • Gaining skills and experience | Writing an effective portfolio | Understanding about what not to include in the portfolio
  • What can attract the employer's interest in the portfolio | How can I make the portfolio more visually attractive | How to be more critical in the content of the portfolio?

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Theme 4: Concerns about my ePortfolio

How can we improve the ePortfolio creation process for future students?

  • 80% of people answered => Provide more specific directions, instructions, guidance, and/or examples
  • 20% of people answered => Provide more guidance on use of the software available for ePortfolios (e.g. Adobe Express, Wix, etc.)

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Concluding remarks

  • Full research with a larger cohort will follow in the final research project
  • An open-ended question will be added asking ‘Developing an e-Portfolio as a Masters student …’. This will allow for collection of some qualitative comments in the student’s own voice.

Developing an ePortfolio

  • Assists students to develop critical thinking and organisational skills, and to reflect on their professional strengths and weaknesses, and future career goals

Developing an ePortfolio

  • Is time consuming and difficult to complete
  • Requires more specific guidance to reduce the difficulties identified.
  • Many students also had concerns about showing their ePortfolios to future employers.

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References

Beckers, J., Dolmans, D., van Merriënboer, J. (2016). e-Portfolios enhancing students’ self-directed learning: A systematic review of influencing factors. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 32(2), 32-46. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.2528

Department of Education (2023). International student numbers by country, by state and territory. Australian Government. https://www.education.gov.au/international-education-data-and-research/international-student-numbers-country-state-and-territory

Hurley, P. (2022). International students are returning to Australia, but they are mostly going to more prestigious universities. The Conversation. Victoria University. https://theconversation.com/international-students-are-returning-to-australia-but-they-are-mostly-going-to-more-prestigious-universities-193391

Jackson, D. (2017). Exploring the challenges experienced by international students during work-integrated learning in Australia. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 37(3), 344-359. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2017.1298515

Samaras, A. P., & Fox, R. K. (2013). Capturing the process of critical reflective teaching practices thorough e-portfolios. Professional Development in Education, 39(1), 23-41. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2012.682318

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Thank you

Dr Yi-Jung Teresa Hsieh

School of Languages and Cultures

teresa.hsieh@uq.edu.au

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CRICOS code 00025B