Incorporating Career Portfolio’s as a Course

Wide Learner Tool

Sophie McKenzieDeakin UniversitySchool of Information Technology

Case study of Information Technology

Portfolio @ Deakin D2L ePortfolio is about building competencies◦ Academic literacies◦ Course competencies◦ Career competencies

Career Competencies Personal Management Learning and Work Exploration Career Building Articulation of skills for employability

◦ In IT technical and soft skills

The Students Very focused on IT “Learning Coding” Choose IT because they “like computers” “like playing computer games” Have very vague or no career aspirations Difficulty in understanding what goes into an “IT course” – evidenced by “Why do I have to learn about databases”

Students’ view of degree Enjoy their chosen major

BUT… Have difficulty constructing their ‘course’ into career competencies Don’t plan progression through 3 years

Assessment

Unit learning outcomes

Course learning outcomes and career

competencies

Course Design

Assessment

Unit learning outcomes

Course learning outcomes and career

competencies

Course Design Student Approach

Assessment

Unit learning outcomes

Course learning outcomes and career

competencies

Course Design Student Approach

?

Assessment

Unit learning outcomes

Course learning outcomes and career

competencies

Course Design Student Approach

?

??

Assessment

Unit learning outcomes

Course learning outcomes and career

competencies

Course Design Student Approach

?

??ePortfolio

Aims for introducing ePortfolio

Provide a structured, holistic perspective of IT studies for students

Focus on Course Learning Outcomes Encourage development of professional/career aspirations

THROUGH Development of ‘graduate’ ePortfolio

Graduate Portfolio Template

ePortfolio strategy Students use ePortfolio from Year 1 Students create/collect artefacts and submit and save as artefacts Learn reflection to build competencies Career development – guided activities Integrated through course site

Assessment

Unit learning outcomes

Course learning outcomes career

competencies

Course Design Student Approach

?

??ePortfolio

Assessment

Unit learning outcomes

Course learning outcomes

Course Design Student Approach

ePortfolio

Outcomes so far 1st year of course wide implementation Progressing students career development awareness: key◦ Skills progression◦ Job awareness◦ Employment opportunities

Outcomes so far Building students skills for articulating career competencies: a challenge◦ Reflection◦ Reporting on evidence/ learning outcomes

ePortfolio use becoming common and linked with assessment

Next steps Continue staff development of ePortfolio use Incentives to ePortfolio development for students◦ Industry feedback◦ Exemplars◦ Prizes/ competitions

Thank youPlease ask me any questions in our next break

References

Blackburn. J., and Hakel. M., 2006, Enhancing Self-Regulation and Goal Orientation with ePortfolios, Handbook of ePortfolios, IGI Group

Betz. N., et al, 1994, Evaluation of a Short Form of the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale, Journal of Career Assessment, SAGE

Yang. J., et al, 2013, Career development learning and electronic portfolios: Improving student self-efficacy in employability skills in an undergraduate science course, Career Development Learning and ePortfolio, IN press.