Bridging the Gap: E-Portfolios Fostering 21st-Century Skills in Studio Art Courses

• In Event: Roundtable Session 92
  In Roundtable Session: Evolving Contexts in Educational Technology: Design, Integration, and Evaluation

Abstract

It becomes increasingly important to assess the skills developed from such programs for the sake of accreditation and employability. Creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, information literacy, media literacy, among others, are important to any visual arts profession, but are also necessary skills for life-long learning and employability. Instruction using ePortfolio technologies has proven successful in general education courses to scaffold these specific skills; however, these instruction techniques often require practices that can be viewed as intrusive to studio class time that is already fully saturated with instruction. This paper discusses the adaptation of ePortfolio tools to scaffold these essential skills while maintaining a traditional studio course structure. The suggestions provide possibilities for course instruction and future areas of research.

Author

• Josh Yavelberg, George Mason University