An E-portfolio Application for MSTP Students: What Can We Learn from It?

Abstract

This paper presents findings of a research made to two cohorts of Vocational and Training Education
(VET) students at Kuantan, Pahang that have been deploying the E-portfolio system during their training.
A qualitative research approach was used, consisting of e-mail interviews and online communication to
investigate users‟ perception and evaluation throughout the session. Qualitative data showed that the Eportfolio
was believes could contribute to the improvement of several aspects of teaching and training
such as communication, reflection on practical work, motivation of learning, progress based learning, and
the construction of new knowledge. In addition, senior staff believed that the use of an E-portfolio would
benefit the institution by saving printing costs and enhancing the institution‟s image to the public and to
the awarding body. The findings suggested that, when blended with the current traditional training
pedagogy, the E-portfolio system has the potential to be implemented as a showcase E-portfolio, used for
online assessment or can be used as a teaching approach. The finding also revealed that user attitudes and
the support required for the use of the E-portfolio are the biggest challenges. Based on these findings, a
scaffolded approach to the implementation of E-portfolios in MSTP is recommended. The key outcomes
of this research are the E-portfolio scaffolding strategies in the MSTP that could be deployed at other
Skills Training institutions or organizations which intend to explore the use of E-portfolios in the future.