Swinburne University of Technology students will this year be given digital portfolios in an effort to boost their job prospects upon graduation.
‘ePortfolios’ will be provided from US-based company Portfolium, whose cloud platform allows students and recent graduates to showcase their academic success and undertakings.
Students can also highlight industry engagement and work placement experiences through the platform, which the university has integrated into a large number of its courses.
Swinburne is the first Australian institution to pilot the platform, joining the ranks of US educators like Yale, Virginia Tech, Purdue and Cal State universities.
A spokesperson from the university told iTnews that although students will be responsible for developing and curating their own Portfolium sites using examples of curricular and co-curricular learning experiences, the platform does integrate with Swinburne’s learning management system (LMS).
Although the functionality is similar to LinkedIn, the spokesperson said the level of LMS integration and fit-for-purpose usability surpasses other portfolio or resumé platforms.
It also gives teaching staff the ability to verify what students are reporting on the platform, reducing the scope for over-hyped representations of skills or experience.
Portfolium also has the capacity to publish authenticated badges that flow through from the LMS to further validate the skills and capabilities achieved by the students.
Swinburne deptuy vice-chancellor (Academic) professor Duncan Bentley said the partnership with Portfolium will be a valuable tool for graduates to confidently enter the job market.
“In a time when the world of work is changing, with an increasing focus on the value of enterprise and professional skills such as teamwork and communications, it is essential that graduates can demonstrate their broader skills and capabilities to prospective employers,” Bentley said.
"Combined with their course-related learning outcomes and industry experiences, access to digital platforms like Portfolium ensures they have the best opportunity to succeed in their career goals."
