Internet Learning Volume 6, Number 2, Fall 2017/Winter 2018 | Page 65

Internet Learning Journal
助学生找到拥有终身平台的潜在雇主。
关键词 : 电子档案袋 ,Portfolium, 表现差距
Employers suggest that recent college
graduates do not have the
skills and knowledge necessary to
fill their jobs, even entry-level positions
(Bessen, 2014). However, as educators
we design learning outcomes, courses,
and even entire degree programs to meet
the needs of the modern workforce. So,
where is the disconnect? Borrowing
terminology from Portfolium founder,
Adam Markowitz, this disconnect is the
demonstration gap, where recent graduates
are not able to articulate, and therefore
employers are not able to see, what
these graduates know and can do. Frustrated
by this situation, Markowitz left
a promising career as a rocket scientist
to help build a system that goes beyond
legacy e-portfolios to connect learners
with employers in new ways.
Portfolium bills itself as an
e-Portfolio network, which “partners
with colleges and universities to help
students connect learning with opportunity”
(Portfolium, n.d.). Portfolium
provides a solution and benefits for
higher education stakeholders, yet does
involve some challenges. For successful
implementation, there are practical
steps to consider.
Learner Benefits
The use of e-Portfolios, or digital
portfolios, is not new. So, what
makes Portfolium different from
other e-Portfolio systems? First, Portfolium
is free for the end user (i.e. the
student or learner) always and forever.
Anyone can start their own Portfolium
page to share or highlight their skills
and knowledge. Institutions do pay a fee
to create a network of learners, faculty
members, staff, and alumni; however,
even when learners leave the institution,
they maintain the rights and access
to their Portfolium. So, in addition
to being free for learners, it is portable:
meaning they can take Portfolium with
them from institution to institution
and job to job. This is a direct contrast
to legacy e-Portfolios, which live in the
walled gardens of learning management
systems. Portfolium also gives learners
the ability to control the privacy settings
on each artifact they upload, deciding
whether it will be publicly accessible or
only accessible by themselves, or to pertinent
faculty members.
Employer Benefits
Portfolium acts as a conduit for
career matching for its users. Employers
are able to search the site
by the skills and knowledge required for
a position they wish to fill, review candidates’
evidence, and even reach out to
discuss opportunities—all without posting
a single help wanted ad. Networks
can connect and overlap. For example,
institutions can invite employers they
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