HomeBlogePortfolio An Introduction to Me and the ePortfolio by Katie BakerJune 16, 2026 Share: Section NavigationSkip section navigationIn this sectionBlog Home AI and Engaged Learning Assessment of Learning Capstone Experiences CEL News CEL Retrospectives CEL Reviews Collaborative Projects and Assignments Community-Based Learning Data Literacy Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity ePortfolio Feedback First-Year Experiences Global Learning Health Sciences High Impact Practices Immersive Learning Internships Learning Communities Mentoring Relationships Online Education Place-Based Learning Professional and Continuing Education Publishing SoTL Reflection and Metacognition Relationships Residential Learning Communities Service-Learning Signature Work Student Leadership Student-Faculty Partnership Studying EL Supporting Neurodivergent and Physically Disabled Students Undergraduate Research Work-Integrated Learning Writing Transfer in and beyond the University Style Guide for Posts to the Center for Engaged Learning Blog If I were to introduce myself through the work of an ePortfolio, it might have artifacts from three big buckets, all shaping who I am as an educator and as an Elon University Center for Engaged Learning (CEL) scholar: Michigan: the site of my own K-12 learning and my undergraduate experience; the geographic location itself has been critical in shaping how I think about teaching and learning and how I compare and contrast what I do at Elon University Classroom Teaching: my experiences from teaching preschoolers, 4th and 5th graders, and from math coaching Mathematics Teaching: a master’s and doctorate program inspired by my curiosity in how children learn and think about math intuitively; my experiences as a teacher educator supporting others in their math instruction What Is an ePortfolio? According to the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), an ePortfolio is both a process and a product. An ePortfolio, or quite literally, the electronic portfolio, is an evolving collection of artifacts across time (American Association of Colleges and Universities 2026). These artifacts may include written work (e.g., essays and research reports), visual projects, audio/video recordings, and/or personal reflections of the growth, challenges, and goals being represented in the ePortfolio. The AAC&U collaborated on the development of the Field Guide to ePortfolio (Batson et al. 2017) with the Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL), the International Journal of ePortfolio (IJeP), and the Electronic Portfolio Action and Communication (EPAC) Community of Practice. Over 50 practitioners shared insights about the “key components defining the field of ePortfolios for learning and student success” (Batson et al. 2017, iv). These components will be expanded upon and examined in future blog posts. Additionally, Eynon and Gambino’s (2017) book on the ePortfolio is a pinnacle source in considering how to launch, maintain, and refine ePortfolio practices. Baker teaching a mathematics methods course to teacher candidates in the Elon University Maker Hub. Why ePortfolios Matter Now The Field Guide shared the ePortfolio community’s inspiration as the ePortfolio being a space of both contextualized and transferred learning in which students collect artifacts from a situation, then another situation, and examine moments in time for meaning-making and connections. Learning is not one article, or even one course, but a synthesis across individual, situated moments into transfer and transformation. Excitedly and promisingly, in an academic time when generative AI threatens to dampen students’ independent writing and intellectual curiosity and pursuits, the ePortfolio might respond by providing guideposts for deep reflection and authenticity, referring students back to their own artifacts in iterative nature. Looking Ahead Over the next two years, I’ll deep dive into the topic of ePortfolios for CEL. A loose roadmap of this journey will take us first into teacher education and how I have experienced the ePortfolio to continue to introduce my intersection with ePortfolios. The blog topics will then broaden to ePortfolios in general and how they are being used across higher education. I’ll highlight how practitioners and students across subjects use ePortfolios, and also explore “the how”—considerations of how one might start an ePortfolio practice and examine various components bit by bit. And, in staying true to the ePortfolio practice, I’ll also take pause points to reflect upon my own learning during this process. In a sense, this series of blog posts (roughly two per month across two years) will be my own ePortfolio of my CEL scholar work. Join me in this open-access ePortfolio on my deepened learning journey of the ePortfolio! References American Association of Colleges and Universities. 2026. “Trending Topics: ePortfolios.” June 1, 2026. https://www.aacu.org/trending-topics/eportfolios. Batson, Trent, Kathryn S. Coleman, Helen L. Chen, C. Edward Watson, Terrel L. Rhodes, and Andrew Harver, eds. 2017. Field Guide to ePortfolio. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. Eynon, Bret, and Laura M. Gambino. 2017. High-Impact ePortfolio Practice: A Catalyst for Student, Faculty, and Institutional Learning. Routledge. About the Author Katie Baker is an Associate Professor of Education in the Department of Education & Wellness at Elon University. She is the CEL Scholar for 2026–2028, focusing on the use of ePortfolios. How to Cite This Post Baker, Katie. 2026. “An Introduction to Me and the ePortfolio.” Center for Engaged Learning (Blog). Elon University. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/an-introduction-to-me-and-the-eportfolio.
