Title: Developing and leveraging the professional intellect through working e-portfolios

Authors: Alan D. Smith

Addresses: Department of Management and Marketing, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA 15219–3099, USA

Abstract: With the progress of technology, the paper-based portfolios have been taken to another level. Electronic portfolios, also know as e-portfolios or digital portfolios, are not new ideas. However, many higher level institutions and businesses struggle with how to best use e-portfolios. A personal interview procedure was implemented on employed professional people, representative of the service industry located in the metropolitan section of Pittsburgh, PA, USA, testing a number of hypotheses as well as exploratory research. This paper explores the possibility of using the e-portfolio developed by the working professionals not just as an assessment tool, but to assist individuals with career planning and job placement. As partially demonstrated, portfolios do aid in the development of professional intellect, especially in the first three levels, namely cognitive knowledge, advanced skills and systems understanding or critical-thinking skills.

Keywords: critical thinking skills; electronic portfolios; e-portfolios; empirical; online resumes; professional intellect; digital portfolios; working professionals; assessment tools; career planning; job placement; cognitive knowledge; advanced skills; systems understanding.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2008.018389

International Journal of Management in Education, 2008 Vol.2 No.2, pp.124 - 153

Published online: 19 May 2008 *

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