Abstract
BackgroundElectronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are used to document and support learning activities. E-portfolios with mobile capabilities allow even more flexibility. However, the development or acquisition of ePortfolio software is often costly, and at the same time, commercially available systems may not sufficiently fit the institution’s needs. The aim of this study was to design and evaluate an ePortfolio system with mobile capabilities using a commercially free and open source software solution.MethodsWe created an online ePortfolio environment using the blogging software WordPress based on reported capability features of such software by a qualitative weight and sum method. Technical implementation and usability were evaluated by 25 medical students during their clinical training by quantitative and qualitative means using online questionnaires and focus groups.ResultsThe WordPress ePortfolio environment allowed students a broad spectrum of activities – often documented via mobile devices – like collection of multimedia evidences, posting reflections, messaging, web publishing, ePortfolio searches, collaborative learning, knowledge management in a content management system including a wiki and RSS feeds, and the use of aid tools for studying. The students’ experience with WordPress revealed a few technical problems, and this report provides workarounds. The WordPress ePortfolio was rated positively by the students as a content management system (67 % of the students), for exchange with other students (74 %), as a note pad for reflections (53 %) and for its potential as an information source for assessment (48 %) and exchange with a mentor (68 %). On the negative side, 74 % of the students in this pilot study did not find it easy to get started with the system, and 63 % rated the ePortfolio as not being user-friendly. Qualitative analysis indicated a need for more introductory information and training.ConclusionsIt is possible to build an advanced ePortfolio system with mobile capabilities with the free and open source software WordPress. This allows institutions without proprietary software to build a sophisticated ePortfolio system adapted to their needs with relatively few resources. The implementation of WordPress should be accompanied by introductory courses in the use of the software and its apps in order to facilitate its usability.
Highlights
IntroductionElectronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are used to document and support learning activities
Electronic portfolios are used to document and support learning activities
Technical set-up and realization From a technical point of view, WordPress allowed us to build a multimedia enriched ePortfolio system by expanding its basic functions with additional and freely available plugins. This was possible due to the high flexibility and great variety of plugins provided by WordPress, in combination with simple PHP programming
Summary
Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are used to document and support learning activities. E-portfolios with mobile capabilities allow even more flexibility. The use of logbooks to track students’ or trainees’ learning activities is increasingly common in medical education [1]. Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) allow for features such as providing feedback on the learning outcome and progress [3]. Much of the learning evidence in medical education comes from practical training activities in hospital wards and outpatient clinics. In this setting, an ePortfolio system with mobile capabilities would add extra value by providing the opportunity to collect and store evidence on learning during clinical training without the need of a desktop or laptop computer. These devices are able to capture multimedia or record event reminders and send the data remotely to the ePortfolio and attach them to the entries carried out on a desktop computer [5]
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