Higher Education Doctorate ePortfolio

An ePortfolio (electronic portfolio) is used in the Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership & Organizational Studies program as a collection of evidence highlighting students’ learning throughout their doctoral studies. The ePortfolio is a central and common point for the students in the program as it will reflect the students’ personal leadership and intellectual development. ePortfolios are a demonstration of academic manuscripts and impressions, including writing samples, photos, videos, research projects, observations by mentors and peers, and/or reflective thinking.

The key aspect of students’ ePortfolios are their reflections on their development as leaders as well as their learning from their scholarly work, such as why an assignment was chosen to be included in the ePortfolio and what they learned from the process of developing their ePortfolio. As Scott Paris and Linda Ayres imparted in Becoming Reflective Students and Teachers: With Portfolios and Authentic Assessment, "The overarching purpose of portfolios is to create a sense of personal ownership over one's accomplishments, because ownership engenders feelings of pride, responsibility, and dedication." Thus, the real value of a student’s ePortfolio will be the personal insight gained about their professional development as leaders and learners that is documented therein, not simply the collection of work throughout the program.