A recent article in EdTech discusses whether or not digital tools like ePortfolios and digital badges are beneficial for graduates. Here are some interesting statistics from the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) research:
“80 percent of employers found e-portfolios to be helpful, but only 45 percent found the traditional transcripts to be helpful.”
“23 percent of employers felt recent graduates were prepared to work. This was in direct contrast to the 59 percent of students who reported that they felt prepared.”
The verdict is still out on if these statistics reflect a disconnect in the graduate’s ability to communicate their skills or if they are simply unprepared for employment. We believe digital badges and ePortfolios bridge the gap by helping students display and even prove their experiences to potential employers, but are not a replacement for the well-written cover-letter and resume. They are vital to professional learning and development, degree programs for professionals, and masters-level programs of study as well as useful for preparing a college student to present their acquired experience and skills.
Lucky for our clients, Edvance360 provides ePortfolios and digital badges as part of the LMS at no additional cost (see article here on integrating the two: http://discover.edvance360.com/e-portfolios-and-gamification). Instructors and program coordinators can award digital badges and certificates to students for completing courses or programs of study, which can be displayed in the ePortfolio or shared on social media, providing a “bragging” psychological “bump”. Students can build their ePortfolio as they progress through their degree or program of study, gather recommendations from fellow learners/instructors/etc., and share the final product link with potential employers via LinkedIn or email. Many learning programs extend the ePortfolio features to alumni so they can use it to help with employment opportunities long after they’ve completed their studies.
According to, a vice president, at Adecco Staffing, “e-portfolios and badges allow employers to search for specific skill and a majority of employers are on board with the new trend.”
For more information on how to implement badges and ePortfolios, contact training@edvance360.com. For more information on badges and learning paths, click here. For more information on badges themselves and a curated list of how badges are being used all over the world, click here.