Developing and Implementing ePortfolio Coursework to Leverage Engineering Students' Skillsets for Improved Career Development

The Biggadike ePortfolio research team was presented with the goal of improving career development strategies for students within the University of Arkansas College of Engineering through high impact practices that will aid students' abilities to competitively search for internship and job opportunities.This research began with determining stakeholders and key needs of the project and then finding a platform that would support these needs.Stakeholders were identified as certain faculty members within the College of Engineering and all engineering students, and the key needs are that the platform is easy to use and learn, free, and available after departure from the university.After testing multiple platforms for efficacy, Quarto was determined to be the most viable option that met all criteria.Additionally, research was conducted to determine the most effective method of coursework development and course implementation.This curriculum needed to be easily implemented into courses in a complementary manner.After researching a variety of learning models, the team determined that independent learning modules will be most effective for both students and faculty, as instructors will not be required to greatly alter their course schedules and students will be able to pace themselves through the material.Informative text documents and video content were then developed that guide students through the chosen platform in an introductory phase, followed by a basic editing phase and by supplementary personalization methods.The curriculum will be implemented into a First Year Engineering Program course and two sophomore Industrial Engineering courses for the Fall 2023 semester, after which potential methods of implementation into additional courses in the University of Arkansas Department of Industrial Engineering will be determined.Providing students with the knowledge and ability to create and maintain ePortfolios is valuable to career development, and the facilitation of updating these sites through a multitude of courses would benefit both the students and departments involved.