Using ePortfolio’s to Assess Undergraduate Paramedic Students: A Proof of Concept Evaluation

Abstract

The ePortfolio presents itself as potentially a highly useful assessment tool for students, encouraging self-reflection and the development of both clinical skills and theoretical knowledge by students identifying strengths and gaps in knowledge. A survey of students after the completion of the inaugural Emergency Health ePortfolio program revealed several strengths and weaknesses of the ePortfolio as an assessment tool of paramedicine students. The ePortfolio format was perceived by many students to encourage reflection and help them recognise areas where improvement was required. Certain students struggled to accurately identify the volume of information and concepts that should be covered while collating the ePortfolio which caused a degree of stress for some. The online format was another point of contention for students, with some enjoying the freedom of online education while others struggled to integrate multimedia components into their ePortfolios. The overarching student response was favourable and encouraged further implementation of the ePortfolio tool into the education of paramedicine students. This paper concludes that the ePortfolio has the potential to be a powerful assessment and more importantly education tool if development of the concept is continued into the future.