Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

In this exploratory case study, the ultimate goal was to examine how effective electronic portfolios (e-portfolios) are from the perspectives of former undergraduate graphic design students in terms of developing career readiness by graduation with the intent of finding employment in their studied fields. The study also aimed to explore what employers who hire graphic design graduates are looking for in electronic portfolios when hiring college graduates so that the curriculum this college offers and the competencies employers desire could be compared. The study was conducted at a selected American Midwestern university where both undergraduate and graduate graphic design programs are offered. This inquiry, however, solely focused on the outcomes of the undergraduate program. The rationale behind seeking such information stemmed from the fact that such studies have not been conducted in the Midwest in the graphic design discipline. Although e-portfolios are seen as industry standard in graphic design, existing literature is limited on the subject of career development e-portfolios. The vital piece often missing in literature is the efficacy of e-portfolios for obtaining jobs. In this qualitative study, triangulation was employed as three data sources were sought out. First, departmental data were collected to describe how the graphic design curriculum is structured and how the capstone course fits into the curriculum during which graphic design e-portfolios are created. Then 11 graduates were interviewed who reflected on their experiences related to how effective their e-portfolios were in developing career readiness by graduation and provided ideas faculty may be able to implement for the sake of future graduates. Lastly, six employers shared during semi-structured interviews what they prefered finding in the e-portfolios graduated applicants present during the application, interviewing, and selection processes. The results were analyzed utilizing an inductive method and open coding. The results support some relevant, general research related to e-portfolio usage and benefits. Overall findings about student and employer perspectives revealed that the graphic design program teaches learners to include a variety of items in their e-portfolios, though students may not fully reach that goal on a level that matches their own or employer expectations by the time of graduation. Therefore, they were not entirely satisfied with their creations but certainly considered e-portfolios as a foundation on which they can build a stronger online presence. Ultimately, graduates understand the purpose of the e-portfolio as well as its benefits in their own field. Depending on the industry and specific job openings, graduates normally do not demonstrate the entire palette of expectations in their e-portfolios that job advertisements prescribe. Employers see small sample selection of work” and too much of the same item” and therefore suggest tailoring the e-portfolio to the organization where graduates apply. In conclusion, while there were some discrepancies between what students included and employers desired to see in e-portfolios, there were plenty of similarities too. Stakeholders are aware of the gap on both sides. These inconsistencies present the opportunity to educators as well as students to modify their actions accordingly in hopes of better preparing graduates for their careers.

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