{ Assessment 1 }

Reviewing e-Portfolios – 1.0

Engineering Practise Preparation (EPP) is a subject at the University Of Technology Sydney (UTS) that focuses on developing a student/novice engineers portfolio, ensuring they are prepared to show future employers what they can offer the employers company. Within the subject, we were asked to create an online e-portfolio which describes us and showcases what we can provide, what skills we are familiar with, and so on. Utilising peer reviewing, students were able to showcase their e-portfolios to their peers for constructive feedback.

At the beginning of the semester, I was placed with three other students (respecting their privacy, I will not mention their names) who would asses my online e-portfolio. Fast forward four weeks, I have now completed my first draft of my portfolio which I submitted to my peers for feedback. Not only did I have to provide a portfolio for review, but I was presented with the task to review three other portfolios that were submitted to me. By completing this, I was responsible for informing them of elements I believe should be tweaked or added to improve the overall quality of their e-portfolio.

Reviewing products and providing constructive feedback is not a skill that is foreign to me as I have been exposed to it on a professional level. My exposure has been developed from the video games company I currently have the pleasure to work for, Limerocket. To guarantee that the games we develop meet a criterion of high quality and enjoyability, reviewing and providing feedback is something that the team and I have to do to achieve this. With this experience and the new feedback methodologies, I have learnt from EPP; I offered each of my peers honest and valuable feedback to help them improve their e-portfolio.

During our in-class tutorial, we exchanged feedback verbally with each other. Learning about the sandwich feedback model, I wanted to take this approach as I felt it was the most effective way to express my opinions in a positive yet valuable manner. My peers were exceptionally pleased with what I had to say and took everything on board by writing down the feedback.

As my turn approached to receive the feedback from my peers, I asked for them to “rip into me”. My reasoning behind this is because I wanted to improve my e-portfolio to best I could. Having a safeguard on the feedback would not allow me to achieve this. My peers ensured to do so, and questioned sections they thought did not make sense or could be improved. Writing this down in real-time allowed me to identify the critical issues but also sparked new ideas.

Overall the experience of providing and receiving feedback was excellent. Being honest was a valid key in making this experience valuable. Becoming aware of the sandwich feedback model was something that I will bring with me when providing feedback for Limerocket and future company projects.