Innovators, problem-solvers, and communicators are highly valued in today’s rapidly changing world. These abilities are increasingly emphasized in institutions of higher education as job-specific training is quickly outdated. Although estimates of the number of job changes one might have in a lifetime may be exaggerated (Young, 2017), few jobs are likely to be stagnant. Thus, a strong case exists for “an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change” (Association of American Colleges & Schools, [AAC&U], n. d.). This includes skills relevant across areas of study, such as team work, communication, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making, in addition to in-depth study of a particular field (AAC&U, 2011, 2015). Higher education leaders are encouraging faculty to redesign student learning experiences to emphasize cross-cutting learning outcomes, expand opportunities for application, and measure acquired knowledge in authentic ways. An increasingly common platform for such assessment is the eportfolio, which entails students creating and compiling artefacts that represent their learning, accompanied by reflections about what they have learned and how they have learned it (e.g., metacognition) (Cambridge, 2010; Miller & Morgaine, 2009). ePortfolios may involve students making connections across courses in addition to providing evidence for how they have met outcomes in a specific course. This study explores the implementation of student eportfolios in two sections of a business management course. One section was an online course in which students collaborated remotely using digital tools and reviewed and commented on each other’s eportfolios, and the other was a face-to-face course in which students collaborated in person and wrote reflective journals. ePortfolios were created in teams rather than individually to help students develop collaboration skills and learn to be effective team members. The assignment provided students with autonomy over how to demonstrate their learning, as opposed to traditional teacher-centred testing, and the opportunity to develop needed skills in resolving conflict, understanding diversity, and communicating effectively—all topics in the course and skills valued by future employers. Evaluations included student self-report measures (e.g., focus groups, structured reflections; Miller & Morgaine, 2009) in which students identified their strengths and weaknesses, assessed their progress, and commented on their autonomy and capacity for self-direction. Comparisons across the two course delivery modes were made to determine the effectiveness of virtual collaborations and identify any variations in student experiences and outcomes.

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