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Self-regulated learning and the role of ePortfolios in business studies

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Abstract

Students’ work in ePortfolios was assessed through a case study supported by observation techniques and eQuestionnaires to gather data from a sample of eighty students over a period of 4 years (20 students per academic year). The main purpose of the study was to explore whether ePortfolios can be used efficiently to support the learning process of postgraduate business students taking a course where finance modules were a major component. The use, role and learning value of integrating ePortfolios into the learning process in a higher education institution was analysed over the period of study. The empirical findings suggest that ePortfolios could be used to facilitate and enhance students’ self-regulated learning. Additionally, the role of the instructor was found to be fundamental during early stages of the learning process to guide and coach students on how to use the tool. This role diminished as students became familiar with the course requirements. Overall, students judged the ePortfolio as being positive to their education, noting a significant improvement in their learning experience when compared to a traditional learning approach. The evidence suggests that ePortfolios could be used to support technical and complex modules in a controlled environment. At the same time, ePortfolios were found to be flexible enough to give students creative space by helping them to integrate their own ideas and views through their learning process. Students were also able to offer their instructors feedback on their learning achievements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Accounting and Finance, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland

    Lucía Morales & Valentina Tarkovska

  2. Finance and Accounting Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain

    Amparo Soler-Domínguez

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  1. Lucía Morales
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  2. Amparo Soler-Domínguez
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  3. Valentina Tarkovska
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Correspondence to Lucía Morales.

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Morales, L., Soler-Domínguez, A. & Tarkovska, V. Self-regulated learning and the role of ePortfolios in business studies. Educ Inf Technol 21, 1733–1751 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-015-9415-3

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