In order to obtain indepth information, this study focused on two participants selected by
purposeful sampling (Patton, 1990). According to Merriam (1998), purposeful sampling is
based on the assumption that the researchers want to discover, understand, and gain insight;
therefore, they must select participants from whom the most can be learned. Hence, data for
the current study were collected through the researcher’s connection with a collegelevel
EFL teacher in Taiwan, who required students to design electronic portfolios as an
assignment for the class. The teacher was then asked to recommend some EFL students who
showed interests in participating in the study. Then, the researcher began to contact the
potential participants by email. The two participants were finalized based on their
willingness to participate in the study and completeness of their electronic portfolios. Both of
them were college EFL learners who were enrolled in an English class at a university in an
EFL context—Taiwan. Table 1 below presents each student’s background information.