Knowledge and Attitudes of Dental Students on E-portfolios as a Tool for Learning, Assessment, and Professional Development in Dental Education

Background E-portfolios are evolving electronic/online resources that record, store, and archive the artifacts of learning and reflection for an individual learner. They have become more popular nowadays. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of dental students regarding the use of e-portfolios as a tool for assessment, learning, and professional development in dental education. Methods Three hundred seven dental students completed a five-point Likert scale questionnaire, which was administered using Google Forms (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA) on e-portfolios. The questionnaire comprised three sections: general information, knowledge, and attitude assessments. Data were stored in EpiData 3.1 (Jens M. Lauritsen, Odense, Denmark) and analyzed with Stata 16.0 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX). Results The research shows that 83.7% of students appreciate using portfolios for reflecting on their skills, and 82.1% believe that e-portfolios are effective for self-assessment. Portfolios help 55.0% of students identify their strengths and weaknesses, and 68.7% report experiencing better independent learning. Moreover, 70.0% of students feel that portfolios help to connect theoretical knowledge with practical application. Challenges include 71.3% of students finding portfolios time-consuming and 49.5% feeling stressed. It is essential to have effective guidance from instructors, with 77.2% agreeing on the importance of clear goals and 70.7% valuing faculty consultations. Conclusion While e-portfolios are generally viewed positively by the majority of dental students for their role in learning, assessment, and professional development, the study highlights the need for proper guidance and integration into the overall grading system to address concerns about time and stress.