Creating 21st century leaders is the focus of a MBA program in Southwestern Ontario. To build leadership capacity among MBA students through reflective learning, ePortfolios were used as an intervention in a thirteen-week course. ePortfolios have been used for reflective learning in higher education and teacher education (Jafari & Kaufman, 2006), but few studies have explored its use among business students (Eynon, Gambio, & Török, 2014). This mixed-methods study investigated student perceptions of ePortfolio use to support transformative learning and leadership development in a MBA program. Analyses of pre-and post-intervention surveys reveal that students’ initial positive attitudes towards ePortfolios were sustained throughout the course as a tool for reflection and communication. Interviews with students, faculty, administrators and staff and content analyses suggest students engaged in transformative learning and leadership development by demonstrating awareness of their leadership strengths, how their awareness changed the way they lead, what type of leader they wanted to become, and the type of leader they were becoming. However, sustaining continued ePortfolio use throughout the program was a challenge. Strategic implementation of ePortfolios from the beginning of the MBA program and support throughout the program modules is needed to help students sustain ePortfolio use and benefit from continued self-reflection for leadership development. The poster presentation will engage participants by sharing ePortfolio exemplars, excerpts from interviews, and a reflective activity to generate shared understanding of how students perceive integration of ePortfolios into a MBA program.
Eynon, B., Gambino, L. M., & Török, J. (2014). What difference can an ePortfolio make? A Field Report from the Connect to Learning Project. LaGuardia Community College (CUNY).
Jafari, A., & Kaufman, C. (2006). Handbook of research on ePortfolios. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Reference.
