Creativity and critical thinking in electronic portfolios in the primary years : impact and stakeholder perspectives

Abstract

This research addresses the role of e-portfolio in promoting students critical thinking, fostering students creativity, helping students take ownership of their learning, as well as recognizing its role as a form of assessment. In Lebanon, summative assessments after the learning experiences are typically utilized to determine student development at the elementary cycle. Often denying pedagogical practices that promote meaningful learning, this "one size fits all" form of testing and assessment-giving neglects student individuality as well. In turn, a better assessment tool that shows students uniqueness, growth and progress more accurately has been suggested; e-portfolio assessment. This study therefore aims at examining the effects, especially those concerning the influence of e-portfolios on creativity and critical thinking of primary students. More so, the study aims at exploring the implementation of the e-portfolio as a form of assessment during primary years. The research has been conducted through a participatory action research (PAR) approach along with a qualitative instrumental case study approach. Findings show that creativity was demonstrated through both student design and creating culminating projects, as well as handling apps to make creative graphics in their bigger projects. The study also portrayed how students recalled and reflected on the knowledge acquired during this unit, demonstrating their critical thinking. What was also evident was students autonomy and ownership when constructing their e-portfolios. Findings are discussed in terms of provisions and affordances of e-portfolios in the primary years and the aspects that supported its adoption as an assessment technological tool.