FACILITATING CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: INTRODUCING E-PORTFOLIOS IN MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

E-portfolios are becoming an increasingly common feature in the field of Higher Education. The definitions and purpose of the portfolio varies according to the subject area and discipline but they are often used as a means of collecting, presenting and assessing students’ outputs and associated learning. The digital enhancements of appropriate soft-ware create opportunities for creativity in format, diversity of materials (audio, video, web-based), sharing of information and on-going feedback, that were not possible in more traditional paper based portfolios.

This study reports on the introduction of e-portfolios to a professionally accredited post-graduate course. The research is situated in a UK University on a Human Resource Management Programme professionally accredited by Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). In this context the e-portfolio is a personal digital collection of information describing and illustrating a student’s learning, career, experience and achievements. It recognises the importance of out-of-class learning experiences and gives students an opportunity to identify connections among different learning environments. The introduction of e-portfolios was intended to encourage and support continuous professional development (CPD). It is based on a model of CPD focusing on the value of reflection and reflective practice as a fundamental part of both initial and continuing development of managers. It therefore requires the capture and analysis of experience to inform future practice as without an element of critical reflection, CPD becomes a record of training and development events and loses the full potential of enhancing practice.

The paper explores the potential of e-portfolios as an enabler to continuous professional development; it reports on the introduction of E-Portfolios, the barriers encountered and suggests strategies for successful adoption on other management courses. Through content analysis of the e-portfolios, the paper reports on the extent to which students engaged with development on an on-going basis rather than solely to meet the assignment deadlines. Finally, it discusses the enhanced engagement that can be achieved through the use of technology to embed reflective practice in both professional education and practice.