For my ePortfolio, I plan to include a range of media and file types to guide the audience through my research process through a timeline-oriented approach, eventually arriving at the final product which will be the research findings and a polished summary. The phases of this timeline are intended to be collection, selection, reflection, and connection. I have recorded my STA496 reflections, literature search, and assorted notes on Microsoft Word, thus this is one file type which I intend to include in the final ePortfolio. Inclusion of reflections could demonstrate the intention behind specific research choices, assorted digital notes capture the brainstorming process, and literature search shows external academic evidence that influenced the research direction.
Additionally, since I was a child, I have used scratch paper to jot out ideas and map out substeps in a project: this is something I have done throughout the STA496 literature search and reflection process as well. It would be interesting to include images of these scratch papers to demonstrate the creative process, and an inside “peek” into how my individual thought process works before any formal results are produced. Furthermore, I believe the inclusion of these handwritten brainstorming notes could increase audience engagement, as it may encourage a more personal connection between the reader and the author (myself) instead of a strictly rigid academic presentation format. By fostering a more human-based connection between the audience and author through choice of file/media types in my presentation, I also align with my overall goals, which is to bridge the gap between the rigorous side of statistics and the side of learning.
I considered a few platforms for hosting my ePortfolio, including Quercus's Showcase Portfolio and Google Sites. Quercus would have kept everything tied directly to the course, but I ultimately wanted something more permanent that I could continue building beyond this semester. I decided instead to integrate my ePortfolio into a personal website I'm building this summer, with a dedicated STA496 research section. This choice aligns with my broader goal of bridging the quantitative and human sides of statistics education: a personal website lets me present my research alongside other projects and reflections in a way that feels more cohesive and personalized, rather than siloed within a course platform.