Disciplinary Knowledge, Identity, and Navigation: The Contributions of Portfolio Construction

Abstract

In this paper, we look at how the construction of two types of professional portfolios supports engineering student learning. To frame "engineering learning," we use the dimensions brought together by Stevens and his colleagues: disciplinary knowledge, identity, and navigation. We present data from a comparative study in which students constructed one of two types of professional portfolios and provided data through extensive questionnaires. In this analysis, we look at their answers to the first question on the questionnaire ("What did you take away from this experience") in terms of the extent to which the students reported insights about disciplinary knowledge, identity, and navigation as a result of portfolio construction activities and the nature of the insights reported.