This practitioner-led article documents the
journey of a cross-institutional multidisciplinary team to support the development of practitioners’ ePortfolio professional competencies through an “Unconference.” We describe the approach used to support an ePortfolio unconference hosted in January 2018 at Dublin City University. According to Budd et al. (2015),
the most meaningful professional learning at conferences tends to occur at the coffee breaks when delegates are free to engage in open dialogue. An unconference is a dynamic participant-driven conference which features discussion and collaboration at its core to support professional learning. This approach was chosen to capture, develop and document current ePortfolio practice in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
This article outlines key facets of professional
learning generated as a result of the unconference including the promotion of ePortfolio competencies and the generation of collaborative research outputs. At the unconference, attendees participated in experiential learning opportunities which enhanced and extended their personal and professional ePortfolio competencies as well as developed practice-focused
research outputs collaboratively in real time
using a range of technological tools.
Participant feedback highlights the impact of the unconference on their professional ePortfolio learning and practice, and the critical reflections of unconference organizers inform future ePortfolio professional development.