Abstract:

This study provides a forward-looking exploration of the potential that the institutional integration of e.portfolio holds for increasing graduate employability at a university in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The study reports on a mixed methods empirical research conducted within the same context to measure the extent to which the integration of e.portfolio in Assessment Capstone courses increases graduate employability. The first constituent of the research indicates that, conceptually, e.portfolio holds a great potential to the improvement of graduate employability. Yet to date, a critical evaluation of related literature in this domain indicates that no empirical research from the perspective of students and faculty exists within the context of Saudi Arabia that addresses and assesses the effectiveness of integrating e.portfolio on graduate employability. The study addresses this gap in the literature through a mixed methods case study approach with a validating quantitative data model. The main purpose is to investigate to what extent and in what ways – from the perspectives of college students and faculty– the case institution, through the integration of e.portfolio into the university curriculum, prepares its graduates to be job ready. In this study, surveys are collected from both students and faculty to measure their perceptions on the extent to which the development of a competence-based e.portfolio impacts student learning, academic growth and future job marketability. The survey includes three open-ended qualitative questions to validate and confirm findings from the survey. For the sake of methodological triangulation and to increase the validity of the findings from the quantitative and qualitative research constituents, document analysis of two capstone learning outcomes assessment course syllabi of the case institution are conducted to identify the extent and the way through which course syllabi emphasize the development of competency based learning and training activities and assignments that allow students, through their e.portfolios, to reflectively demonstrate employability lifelong learning competences and skills . The study used the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) to analyse quantitative data and a qualitative data analysis software package (NVivo) to analyse qualitative data. The findings indicate that there is a statistically significant impact of using e.portfolio on graduate employability from the perspectives of both students and faculty. The quantitative findings have been confirmed through results from the qualitative results. Significantly, the study indicates that student e.portfolio tells a story that is worth mentioning and reflecting on; it is a lifelong learning story of accomplishments, and of professional, personal and academic growth. It is a story of self-reflection, self-esteem and self-efficacy. As a digital archive of well selected artifacts, e.portfolio represents the case institution's evidence based capstone courses which are essential for national and international quality assurance and accreditation

Keywords:

e-portfolio, Employability skills, graduate employability, Saudi Arabia higher education, Capstone courses.