In, " Making Meaningful Connections in an Eportfolio", Dr. Harapnuik writes that “an Eportfolio is not just a digital file cabinet where one show how many dots they have collected– it is domain of one’s own where the student reveals their learning journey and shows through reflection, speculation and documentation all the meaningful connections that they have made.”
This statement highlights the main and most important difference between an ePortfolio and a site that holds artifacts. The ePortfolio is a meaningful tool that showcases one’s personal learning and journey that can be shared with prospective employers, colleagues, and the world at large. It is one’s own documentation process of their personal reflections, meaningful connections, and ultimately a way in which to reveal growth that has occurred overtime. As well, the ePortfolio gives it’s creator a way to look back in time to see exactly what they were thinking and shows steps that they took to achieve a goal. If they just drop a project into a site, they won't have access to the steps, thinking, and changes that were made along the way.
Another important difference between a static site and an Eportfolio is that "with ePortfolios, the process of reflection originates as a solo activity, but becomes social through a feedback loop, as the student’s instructor, peers, mentors, and even family members respond to and provide commentary on those reflections” (Eportfolios Explained, 2018). It is this process that makes the Eportfolio the learning tool that it is.
EPortfolios Explained: Theory and Practice. (2018, February 28). Retrieved January 24,
2019, from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/educational-technologies/all/eportfolios
Harapnuik, D. (2015, May 26). Making Meaningful Connections in An Eportfolio.
Retrieved January 24, 2019, from http://www.harapnuik.org/?p=5790
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