Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
A model of engagement in reflective writing-based portfolios: Interactions between points of vulnerability and acts
Shannon Arntfield1, Brittney Parlett1, Christine N Meston1
1a Western University , Canada.
Background:
Portfolios are widely used for meeting new accreditation standards in the age of competency-based medicine. However, the method of learning through portfolio has been suggested to be vulnerable.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to explore conditions affecting the experience of teaching and learning from the perspective of both students and mentors in a reflective writing-based portfolio initiative.
Method:
Using mixed-methods rooted in grounded theory, 139 students and 13 mentors completed questionnaires, 23 students participated in four focus groups and 9 mentors in individual interviews.
Results:
The overarching theme in our data was student-mentor engagement. Our results confirm previous literature describing portfolio as a vulnerable method of learning, extend this concept by identifying and categorizing specific points of vulnerability, and contribute new knowledge regarding acts of adaptability, which serve to strengthen the student-mentor relationship.
Conclusion:
Engagement is central to the success of portfolio and is shaped by a dynamic interaction between points of vulnerability and acts of adaptability. We propose a model of engagement in portfolio that can be used for faculty development to optimize student-mentor engagement.
Related Concept Videos
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model
Attachment Styles
Processes of Self-Presentation
Introspection

