Perception of Multimodal Portfolios as a Pedagogical Strategy for Learning Writing in a Digital Context

Abstract

Active learning is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of higher education's teaching-learning paradigm. In this context, educators serve as facilitators, empowering students to take the lead and assume co-responsibility for their learning. Among the array of active learning strategies available, the portfolio stands out as an instrument that not only aids in knowledge construction but also fosters the development of crucial skills like autonomy and creativity. Furthermore, it serves as an interactive and participatory learning approach that encourages self-assessment and reflection on the teaching-learning journey. Portfolios, through the continual (re)construction of knowledge and ongoing collaborative engagement between students and educators, promote self-regulated learning by progressively fostering students' awareness of their learning process. This study reflects on the pedagogical application of individual portfolios, aiming to explore their role in enhancing writing skills within a digital context and nurturing cross-disciplinary skills highly valued by employers. Specifically, it delves into students' perceptions of the portfolio construction process within the Internet Writing course, a segment of the Master's degree program in Marketing and Digital Communication at the University of Aveiro (Portugal). After a brief examination of active learning strategies, with a specific emphasis on portfolios as tools for self-reflection and learning, the study analyzes questionnaire survey results utilizing SPSS software. The survey was administered to students enrolled in the course to assess the effectiveness of the applied teaching strategy. Lastly, based on the findings, this work identifies potential limitations and suggests strategies for improvement in future implementations.