Pooling pearls of portfolio wisdom: Preparation, promotion and practice

Introduction/background:
Portfolios have gained traction as a tool to facilitate reflective practice, both in higher education and in the post-graduate training and professional development space. Indeed, a recent public consultation by the Medical Board of Australia (November 2019) proposes a revision to the continuing professional development standard to include a ‘personal professional development plan’ for all medical practitioners.In health professions education, the very notion of a portfolio (and reflection) can be met with resistance from students and practising clinicians alike. This opposition exists despite evidence which supports the role of the portfolio in developing reflective capacity and facilitating self-regulated learning.
Purpose/objectives:
This PeArLS will draw upon participants’ experiences of supporting learners and educators to engage in portfolio-based learning and assessment. Specifically, we want to understand how participants address ‘the three Ps’ of portfolios: promotion; preparation; and practice.Through this session, we intend to draw collective pearls of wisdom, with a view to identifying ways to develop a culture in which portfolios are embraced as a pathway to productive learning.
Issues/ questions for exploration or ideas for discussion:
Promotion: How do we pitch and ‘sell’ the portfolio to learners and educators? Preparation: How do we prepare learners and educators to engage with portfolios as a learning tool? Practice: How can we facilitate ongoing use of portfolios into clinical practice?