Online portfolio enhances efficiency
The Education Development Office and English Language Centre (ELC) have co-organised the second e-Portfolio Competition to promote the use of creative and practical online learning portfolios. Out of a total of 40 entries, four winners were selected from 15 finalists.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU) was allocated teaching development grants by the University Grants Committee (UGC) towards the e-Portfolio Competition. The competition aimed at encouraging students to enhance their learning.
The e-portfolio system is a very effective learning tool that allows students to utilise technology to manage their academic progress. The context of the e-portfolio can be tailored to different purposes, namely learning, employment, extracurricular activity and more. Students can collate their work, ideas and notes in the e-portfolio to monitor their development. Teachers can also make use of the e-portfolio to understand students’ work patterns, challenges and approach to study for later feedback and discussion.
In her speech at the ceremony, Professor Lilian Vrijmoed Kwan Lee-ping, Dean of Student Learning, said, “The e-portfolio project is one of our hugely successful teaching projects and I hope students can consolidate what they learn and continue to use this mode of reflection in their study lives.” Professor Paul Lam Kwan-sing, Acting Vice-President (Undergraduate Education), also attended the ceremony and presented the award to the competition champion.
Dr Eva Wong YW, Director of Education Development Office and one of the competition judges, said, “The standard of all the entries is very high and all the works are very impressive in terms of their design and content. I believe students who use the e-portfolio can learn more efficiently.” She also agreed that the usage of e-portfolio met the objectives of Outcomes Based Teaching and Learning (OBTL).
Mr Dean Fisher, Principal Investigator of the Electronic Learning Portfolio Project at the ELC said, “The e-portfolios provide opportunities for leaning and critical thinking that paper portfolios cannot provide. The technological medium allows students to do tasks they could not do before, such as uploading multimedia elements.” He said more than 750 students had created e-portfolios so far this academic year and the number would definitely increase.
“The e-portfolio provides an opportunity to learn English using words and images. New ideas can also emerge in times of reflection,” said Yang Yifang, the competition champion and foundation year student from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE).
Fellow FSE student Pang Wing-nga, runner-up, comprised her e-portfolio of films and video information for her Creative Media course, her own animation, to improve its layout and design. Li Qingzhu, the third-place getter and foundation year student from the Faculty of Business, said the e-portfolio provided a sound base for her to accumulate knowledge.
Ms Cheung Hok-ling, Co-investigator of the Electronic Learning Portfolio Project, said the department planned to extend the development of e-portfolio to assist students in their career planning. “Students in their first year can build their graduate portfolio to collect not only the data of their university and extra-curricular activities, but also their career plan and goals throughout their campus life.”
The e-portfolio scheme was part of an $800,000 UGC grant over a period of 18 months. The first-stage of the project focused on English language skills and was extended to other areas, including the Department of Biology and Chemistry, Division of Building Science and Technology, Division of Computer Studies, the Department of English and Communication and the Department of Public and Social Administration.
List of the winners and finalists:
| Award | Student | Faculty/ Division |
| Champion | Yang Yifang | Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Runner-up | Pang Wing-nga | Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Third | Li Qingzhu | Faculty of Business |
| Third | Kong Chuiliu | Faculty of Creative Media |
| Finalists | Cheng Yi | Faculty of Business |
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| Lau Ka-ho | Faculty of Business |
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| Lau Heung-ling | Division of Commerce |
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| Deng Shanshan | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
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| Liu Sili | Faculty of Science and Engineering |
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| Zhuang Yuan | Faculty of Science and Engineering |
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| Jian Lidan | Faculty of Science and Engineering |
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| Mak Ka-hei | Faculty of Science and Engineering |
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| Liu Ka-man | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |
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| Li Tong | Faculty of Business |
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| Wu Huiyu | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |