A gap in governance: acknowledging the challenges of organic ePortfolio implementation

ABSTRACT The adoption and integration of ePortfolios into third level teaching and learning provide many benefits as well as challenges. In this article, we capture the perspectives of nine academics from across seven departments within a small Higher Education Institute (HEI) who integrated ePortfolios into their teaching. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, we gained insight into the experiences of academics as they implemented various ePortfolio technologies. What is particularly notable about these participants is that the use of ePortfolios had occurred in an organic manner, often with little or no “official” support. Although, many of these organic initiatives may herald an initial flurry of positive feedback coupled with enthusiasm; the study indicates that without adequate management and support of the planning and implementation of ePortfolios there can be negative outcomes. The major conclusion drawn is that without a comprehensive and appropriate policy framework the implementation of ePortfolios is likely to run into a series of challenges. These are: fear and resistance to ePortfolios; challenges faced by students using ePortfolios; and difficulties with the integration of the technology into teaching & learning strategies.