ePortfolios were added to the American Association of Colleges and Universities' (AAC&U) list of High Impact Practices in 2016 as research confirmed that creating ePortfolios over time by curating collections of artifacts and reflecting on personal and academic growth increases retention, completion, and satisfaction rates. Two key elements of implementing ePortfolios as a HIP are the integrative nature of their use throughout the educational experience, and intentional inclusion of expectations for deep reflection allowing participants to form meaningful connections between their various experiences. Simply using an ePortfolio as a method for sharing work is also associated with positive gains, but not nearly as many as when they are paired with reflective work.

Evidence suggests that the creation of an ePortfolio facilitates meaningful reflection in the learning process, while increasing success in reaching personal learning goals. In light of these benefits and many others, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) added the use of ePortfolios for reflection to their research-based list of "High Impact Practices" for teaching and learning in 2016. 

Benefits of using ePortfolios in the classroom:

• Increases grade point averages, graduation rates, and term-to-term persistence rates
• Provides authentic assessment of student learning
• Creates opportunities to connect experiences with learning outcomes over time
• Promotes deep learning
• Allows for metacognition through periodic reflections
• Facilitates integrated learning across academic contexts and experiences

Sources: ePortfolios, the 11th High Impact Practice and The Benefits of E-portfolios for Students and Faculty in Their Own Words

 Editorial: ePortfolios - the 11th High Impact Practice

The initial announcement (published in the International Journal of ePortfolio. Vol 6, No. 2) identifying ePortfolios as an eleventh high impact practie due to evidence based results indicating increases in student success metrics.

 High-Impact Educational Practices

A .pdf of the 11 High Impact Practices (HIPs) recognized by the Association of American Colleges and Unviersities (AAC&U) with detailed descriptions and examples of each. 

 Five Ways to use ePortfolios for Reflection

A recent article with strategies for implementing reflective ePortfolios in academic contexts. This article is written by Heather Tobin (instructional designer and adjunct instructor at DU), and is based on projects that DU faculty and staff collaborated on during the 2018 academic year.

 ePortfolios for Reflection: 7 Best Practices

Curated list of best practices (informed by field literature, and compiled by Heather Tobin) for reflective ePortfolios.

 Integrative Learning, High Impact Practicess & Reflective ePortfolios

Web content written and developed by Heather Tobin for the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) at the University of Denver.

 Podcast episode with Dr. Kara Taczak

Podcast interview for the Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) investigating reflective pedagogies and the use of ePortfolios in the classroom. Hosted and developed by Heather Tobin.

 Rubric for High Impact ePortfolio Implementation

Digital poster session for 2020 Colorado Learning and Teaching with Technology (COLTT) conference, developed by Heather Tobin.

 Reflective ePortfolio Development Worksheet

Downloadable worksheet supporting the collection, selection, and reflection processes for developing a reflective ePortfolio. Created by Heather Tobin.