About
ePortfolios
An ePortfolio is, at its most basic
level, an "electronic portfolio."
It is a collection of evidence of work,
proof of skills, and reflections on
lessons learned. ePortfolios are often
compared to résumés because
they represent your achievements and
experiences. But an ePortfolio goes
beyond the capabilities of a static
résumé, "[providing]
a richer view of individual progress...learning,
and achievement over time" (from
the On Line article ePortfolios:
Your (Career) Future is On Line).
They provide a depth of information
far beyond that capable with a standard
paper résumé.
Though an ePortfolio can take a different
form for each person, there are aspects
that should always be included. These
include selected evidence of past work
from classes or other activities and
reflective commentary related to the
work and other experiences.
The remainder of this site, and the
external resources listed, include a
lot of information about the various
pieces of an ePortfolio, as well as
the steps included in their creation.
We recommend that you take the time
to familiarize yourself with the site
and its content and use this as a resource
throughout your ePortfolio process!
A Valuable Tool
An ePortfolio is a powerful tool for
self-exploration and promotion. It is
a collection of work that represents
your knowledge, skills, and achievements.
In both the academic and professional
realms. ePortfolios are quickly becoming
a standard. The importance of an ePortfolio
in an employment search is clear - its
Web address can be included on a standard
résumé as a means of enhancing
the stated experience and skills with
in-depth evidence of work. In some cases,
state or other institutional certification
programs are now requiring an online
portfolio exhibiting the capabilities
of those applying to their programs.
ePortfolios can also be a powerful addition
to graduate school applications for
obvious reasons.
The ePortfolio
Process
The following is an excerpt from an article on ePortfolios by Michael Taves, Director of Technology and Instructional Support Services, a division of ITS. Read the full On Line article.
"I think the promise and excitement around the ePortfolio is two fold; one, it provides for a multimedia enriched, self-reflective and more nuanced approach to assessing individual accomplishment and achievement, and two, it may be an "antibody" to the dangers of more oversimplified approaches to assessment...
The ePorfolio, as a method, can be applied to almost any student at any stage in their learning career, and to any professional at any stage in their vocational career, but the method implies the same understanding in both cases; that learning and accomplisment is a lifelong process. Therefore, it is in the nature of an ePortfolio that it is a living document, to the extent that it is expected to continuously change and update, and it may even take different forms, or be directed to different audiences, either simultaneously or at different points in time...
Whatever the focus, every ePortfolio has certain elements in common, including the following.
- It has a purpose and an audience, which need to be explicitly understood... Construct your ePortfolio to provide the evidence to achieve your goal.
- It is electronic in form and provides a digital collection of [evidence] which are linked to one another, and most often should be available via the Internet, though access limitations may be appropriate for some or all of the content where confidentiality concerns come into play.
- It should include multiple forms of media: text, images, audio, video and hypertext linkages among them. These will include all of the summative information normally found in a resume, but in addition may include full text examples of written work, images of complete projects, video interviews relevant to one's achievements, audio or video clips of performances, and so forth.
- It should include relevant critical reflections on the learning [evidence] presented in the collection, and self-reflections and critical feedback from others on the work and goals presented...
- It uses a well-organized, logical presentation format to present all the elements of the porfolio in a fashio that is easy to navigate and illustrates academic or professional growth over time."
Read the full On Line article.
For a more in-depth discussion of the aspects of an ePortfolio and the process involved, see The ePortfolio Process section.
