Learning portfolios: Potential to assist health professionals with self-directed learning

While learning portfolios have been used by students enrolled informal education courses for over 20 years, their potential to assist health professionals with their learning activities remains relatively unexplored. The increasing need for health professionals to manage change efficiently and the central role of practice-based self directed learning provide the impetus for educators to find ways of assisting professionals to enhance the quality of their learning activities. This article explores the potential of the portfolio to enhance the quality of an individual's learning activities while respecting their desire for control of the education process. Physicians using a new computer software program called PCDiary report that it helps them to review and appraise their learning activities. It is predicted, based on these early experiences, that the integration of computer and telecommunications technology and the traditional learning portfolio will produce a new generation of interactive learning tools. PCDiary, and future computer-based learning tools, will stand or fall on their ability to assist professionals to plan and appraise learning activities generatedfrom their practice experiences. Computer “smart” portfolios will enhance learner interaction in ways that preserve the autonomy of independent learners. They will also be useful tools to research ways of helping professionals with their continuing learning.