Enhancing quality assurance and accreditation readiness through a digital portfolio in higher education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/jas.v23i3.11538Keywords:
Digital portfolio system, Teaching and learning documentation, Quality assurance, Internal audit, Accreditation complianceAbstract
The digital portfolio system is increasingly adopted in higher education. However, empirical evidence regarding their effectiveness in enhancing usability, ensuring compliance with accreditation standards, improving audit efficiency, and supporting academic documentation management remains limited. To address these gaps, this study evaluates the users’ experience and perception of the system’s usability, accessibility, and effectiveness in facilitating quality documentation, audit readiness, and compliance with accreditation requirements. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving 58 lecturers who participated voluntarily from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, UiTM Cawangan Pulau Pinang. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.873, indicating high reliability, and were complemented by system log analysis to examine usage patterns, update frequency, audit trails, and feature utilization. A t-test analysis comparing completion rates of course files and teaching portfolios revealed no significant difference, t(161) = 0.92, p = .36, indicating comparable effectiveness. Findings revealed that system features such as automated document compilation, completion status tracking, real-time WhatsApp notifications, and an intuitive interface contributed to improved compliance rates and reduced reliance on physical documentation. The system also offers centralized and quality-focused document management, enhancing consistency and streamlining academic documentation. Overall, the system received a high satisfaction rating (mean = 4.73/5), reflecting strong user acceptance. Despite being limited to a single faculty, the findings suggest strong scalability across institutions. Ultimately, the system serves as a strategic tool for enhancing audit readiness, strengthening quality assurance compliance, and supporting the digitalization of the academic quality management system in higher education.
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