Exploring the relationship between students' self-regulated learning ability and their ePortfolio achievement

This study explores the relationship between students' self-regulated learning (SRL) ability and their ePortfolio achievement in a language enhancement programme. Undergraduate students (N = 26) were asked to create several ePortfolio showcases to demonstrate their English language learning experience over a period of three months. Upon completion of the programme, participants' SRL ability was measured by the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and their achievement was assessed using an ePortfolio scoring system. Our findings reveal that higher-order cognitive skills (i.e. elaboration, organization, critical thinking), metacognitive control strategies (i.e. self-regulation) and collaborative learning strategies (i.e. peer learning) were positively correlated with the ePortfolio achievement of participants. The results not only provide evidence to support that ePortfolio development is a complex process that cannot simply be driven by surface learning strategies, but also suggest that students should be equipped with appropriate SRL strategies to successfully participate in and benefit from ePortfolio activities. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.