Employers give hiring preference to university graduates with skills that apply across areas of study such as communication, teamwork, ethical decision-making, critical thinking, and knowledge application (Finley, 2021, 2023; Gray, 2023; Hart Research Associates, 2015, 2018; Social Research Centre, 2019). They value breadth and depth of learning, work ethic, persistence, and applied learning (Finley, 2021, 2023). The Council of the European Union similarly advocates for skills appropriate to the knowledge economy, including problem solving, creativity, cooperativeness, and self-regulation rather than memorization and factual learning, and strongly advocates for language learning (EUR-Lex, 2018). ePortfolios are a high impact educational practice that can help students develop these skills (Kuh et al., 2017; Watson et al., 2016).

ePortfolios are a product—an archive of learning artifacts—as well as a process that supports learning. They help students make valuable connections across learning activities through reflection. They encourage self-assessment and provide evidence of learning outcome achievement. An English language ePortfolio illustrates to students themselves, professors, classmates, and future employers what students can do in English and what they have achieved. It showcases their best work with reflections on their learning processes.

Multilingualism is a key principle of the Council of the European Union, which promotes language learning for personal and professional advancement, social cohesion, and intercultural competences (European Commission, n. d.; Le Pichon-Vorstman et al., 2020). English language skills are often a prerequisite to success in higher education and professional contexts. With 6.4 million globally mobile students worldwide comprising up to 29% of higher education enrollments in some countries (Project Atlas, 2022), integrating English language development with degree attainment is a clear directive for higher education institutions.

Flexible learning, an alternative to physical relocation, is increasing access to higher education. In the U.S., 61% of undergraduate students took at least one course by distance in fall, 2021 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2021). A prerequisite for student success in these contexts is self-regulated learning (SRL), or the ability “to control the factors or conditions affecting [students’] learning” (Dembo et al., 2006, p. 188). SRL entails forethought (purpose, goals), performance (strategy application), and self-reflection (performance monitoring) (Zimmerman 2002). Autonomy (self-direction, choice), structure (course design), and dialogue (interaction) are also important aspects of distance learning (Moore, 2013).

This study examines how students enrolled in English language workshops delivered in a blended modality developed SRL behaviors through an ePortfolio assignment.

English language students at a small, private, non-profit liberal arts university in Eastern Europe who were enrolled in English for Academic Purposes workshops created ePortfolios to demonstrate their English language skills. The 41 workshop participants were at the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The delivery model for the workshops was blended with four in-person workshops and five synchronous online workshops over 12 weeks. The instructor explained the purpose of the English language ePortfolio and introduced students to the ePortfolio platform (Google Sites). She provided them with an outline of the ePortfolio content and descriptions of each required artifact (language learning profile, learning plan, personal writing, disciplinary writing, presentation, reflection). Each assignment included a list of resources to enable students to complete the tasks and develop their academic English language skills (e.g., the writing process, paragraph and essay structure, narrative and descriptive writing, reflective writing, paraphrasing and citation conventions; public speaking and presentations, academic writing style). The workshops focused on helping students understand and practice the tools in these resources. In addition to a comprehensive reflection on learning outcomes achievement, English language learning strategies, and plans for continuing linguistic development, several artifact assignments entailed peer review and reflection on how students applied various tools. Reflections were analyzed using R software, which assisted with coding and categorizing the data into themes (Dauber, 2023). The constant comparative method within the broader framework of grounded theory was applied (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Quality assurance techniques for qualitative research were utilized. These included examining multiple entries from students’ ePortfolios and use of rich, in-depth descriptions to accurately reflect students’ learning journeys (Trochim, 2006; Yilmaz, 2013). The model of self-regulated distance language learning guided the analysis (Andrade & Bunker, 2009, 2011). Based on the theories of transactional distance (Moore, 2013) and self-regulated learning (Zimmerman, 2002), the model posits that students have varying levels of knowledge, self-regulation, and commitment at the onset of a distance course. Structure and dialogue within the course help them monitor their performance, increase their competences, and increase their self-regulation and autonomy. The data analysis identified learning outcomes for workshop participants and insights into their practices for English language development. Key themes included self-evaluation, metacognition, and strategy use leading to increased motivation, confidence, autonomy, and performance (self-reported) in terms of English language proficiency, as evidenced through ePortfolio artifacts and accompanying reflections.

The results of this study showed how the course design for the English language workshops, delivered through a blended modality, supported the development of SRL and autonomy, leading to self-reported increases in English language proficiency. Students showed evidence of SRL behaviors, guided by the structure and dialogue in the course, to apply English language learning strategies, and become more self-directed and effective learners. They set and monitored goals, explored the use of new learning strategies, reflected on their performance, and modified their learning approaches. The study also showed evidence of the development of employer-valued skills such as communication, critical thinking, communication, application of knowledge, cooperativeness, and self-regulation (EUR-Lex, 2018; Finley, 2021, 2023; Gray, 2023; Hart Research Associates, 2015, 2018; Social Research Centre, 2019). These skills were evident in the students’ ePortfolio artifacts and in their reflections as they wrote about what they learned, how they applied new knowledge and developed new skills, their processes for and results from required peer reviews, and their goal-setting, monitoring, and performance review behaviors. Findings from this study illustrate how a blended modality online course can be designed with the guiding principles of structure, dialogue, and autonomy (Moore, 2013) to help English language learners increase their SRL behaviors, capacity for autonomy, and language proficiency (Andrade & Bunker, 2009, 2011). By doing so, they also develop related employer-valued skills such as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking (EUR-Lex, 2018; Finley, 2021, 2023; Gray, 2023; Hart Research Associates, 2015, 2018; Social Research Centre, 2019). To reach goals set by the Council of the European Union (European Commission, n. d.; Le Pichon-Vorstman et al., 2020) pertaining to language acquisition, intercultural awareness, and professional skill development, research should continue to examine innovative practices that integrate the learning of content knowledge with knowledge application and skill development.

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