At the surface level, the student because he created it. But after a second, I realized there was more to that question. Dr. Harapnuk says this about ePortfolio ownership.
“An initial response to this question would be the learner/student. It is their work so they would own it – wouldn’t they? However, if you look at current ePortfolio practice and the research into learner engagement, agency, choice, and voice you will find that even though the students are doing the work, more often than not they do not own the ideas and are not making meaningful connections, they are simply completing assignments and giving the instructor what they want.” (Harapnuik 2023).
So, giving students a choice over what they create is essential to the start of the student's owning and having a personal interest in creating and curating their ePortfolio. I can relate to this because I often did better in the classes I “liked.” Now, the feeling I had was due to the instructor giving me a choice in creating and accomplishing the assignment/project. In my brain, I just felt that I “liked” that class and was willing to spend much more time and effort to succeed in the class. This is because I was given choice and ownership and, therefore was personally invested in the assignment/project.
Also, I learned that if a student creates their ePortfolio using the school-provided email address, they will lose access to it upon graduation. This is because using the school-provided email address means that the school district is technically the owner of the ePortfolio. To make the student the actual owner of their ePortfolio, they have to use their personal email address. If the student uses Google sites, it will show who the owner is.
In review, there is the technical ownership, the domain of the ePortfolio, and the more elusive aspect of the student being able to choose, which gives them a sense of personal ownership that is utilized after graduation. In true ownership or “buy-in,” students are not just doing something in class just to get a grade, and it is never used again.
In review, ownership of the ePortfolio is like anything in life. With ownership, it makes you more passionate about whatever you are working on. It is easy to follow the guidelines of a school assignment or what your boss wants to see. However, are you learning anything or bettering yourself as an employee? When you have ownership, there is more of a connection to what you are working on. If it were an assignment for a class, the student having ownership of their work can lead to them retaining the information, as they actually will care about it more. Likewise, in the workforce, if your boss asks you to work on a project but allows you to put your touch to it, not only would you be able to complete it, but it would potentially be a better product, as you would take care in what you did.
References
Harapnuick, D. (2023, September). Who owns the e-portfolio? Retrieved from
https://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6050
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