STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON THE ENGAGEMENT OF ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIO AS A TOOL IN CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION

The current digital technologies in the forms of electronic learning have placed electronic portfolio as an area of interest in various disciplines of education. Within the field of engineering, e-portfolio enriches students’ university experiences; both hard and soft skills, and prepares them for a career in their chosen area. The purpose of this study is to investigate the implementation of e-portfolio as a part of engineering undergraduates’ coursework assessment by analysing their perceptions and experience of the concept of e-portfolio in a classroom. The study involved 58 students of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, who answered two questionnaires. The findings indicated that the majority of the students felt that e-portfolio is an excellent learning tool and should be embedded into their course instruction as it enables them to improve on their hard and soft skills. However, some students also showed reluctance to have the concept of e-portfolio replacing their traditional methods of assessment. This study signifies the possibility of bringing technology of e-portfolio into Malaysian engineering students’ classroom. It is hoped that students can gain valuable knowledge and experience from the technology.Keywords: students’ perspectives, engagement, electronic portfolio, tool, classroom instructio