Graduate student perceptions of eportfolios: Uses for reflection, development, and assessment

• Eportfolios can be a valuable developmental and assessment experience.
• Students value the ability to show their technological skills and competencies.
• Students value eportfolios for reflection and sharing of their work.
• Technical support is a key component of successful eportfolio creation.
• Eportfolio process may be improved by explicit emphasis on reflection.

While there is discussion of eportfolios in many fields in higher education, there is little literature on eportfolios in the helping professions fields of school counselor and school psychology education. This study sought to explore graduate students' perceptions of the value of creating eportfolios and ways of improving the eportfolio process. Overall, the students found the construction of their eportfolios to be useful in reflecting on their competencies and in gaining confidence in using technology. The students also valued the hands-on training sessions, peer review opportunities and model portfolios, and technological skills built by creating the eportfolios, which they stated may be useful in job searches. Suggestions for improving the eportfolio process for future students include having all students only create eportfolios, being more explicit about reflection, and meeting with students earlier to expose them to the eportfolio platform in order to lessen technology anxiety and increase time for reflection.