Portfolios in higher education have been around for decades. Portfolios are an efficient way for students to collect their highest quality work for display and presentation. With technology advancement, moving the portfolio to an electronic means has provided ease and accessibility. E-portfolios in nursing provides a framework for students’ reflection and self-assessment (Andrews & Cole, 2015). An e-portfolio is a transferable product students can use during their nursing program and further in their nursing careers. Due to the ease of internet accessibility, students can use their finalized e-portfolio for future professional nursing applications and professional advancement. Use of the e-portfolio in the BSN nursing program adds to the students’ development of technology skills and creativity, while creating a useful product for future use.
The student’s e-portfolio is developed throughout the semester in the Professional Development 2 course at the third semester of the BSN program. Students are shown several types of e-portfolio systems and are able to choose the software that fits best with their technology abilities. Within the e-portfolio, students create a professional nursing resume and choose several items from their previous nursing program semesters to display. Students write self-assessment reflections about each of the artifacts, including an introduction and a pledge to nursing summary. As the students write reflections of their experiences, they are encouraged to contemplate nursing program outcomes, concepts, and QSEN competencies. As a building assignment, students submit their individual item reflections to the course management system for peer review. Self-assessment, student reflection, and peer evaluation are effective means of feedback with technology (Bonnel & Smith, 2010). Students present their final product in an oral presentation in front of the class at the end of the course. The oral presentation allows the students to share their stories of significant events in their program to date. Students are able to reflect upon and share their successes through the nursing program. Observation of others’ presentations builds development of their own oral presentation ability (DeGrez, Valcke, & Roozen, 2014). Building self-confidence through presentations allows the student to think optimistically and persevere through difficulties (Lundberg, 2008).
This poster presentation provides nurse educators worldwide an alternative assessment of students’ growth throughout their program. E-portfolio use provides educators a route for program outcome assessment. The e-portfolio documents the students’ journey through the curriculum and whether program outcomes were met (Ryan, 2011). In the coming academic year, students’ reactions to the e-portfolio assignment will be collected through an IRB approved survey. Adjustments to the e-portfolio process will be made based on survey analysis. The e-portfolio assignment serves as a tool to collect self-reflection and future goals. The value of the e-portfolio lies in the nature of the process rather than the product (Webb et al., 2003). E-portfolio development contributes to students’ personal and professional growth through critical analysis of the contents.