E-portfolios can serve different purposes. As such, students will reflect on different themes, faculty and peers will provide different types of feedback, and the evidence given in the portfolio will be different.
It is very important to think about what purpose you have in mind for your particular class or as a department before assigning e-portfolio work. If used longitudinally over the course of a few years, portfolio purposes could shift as well – possibly early on the purpose might be skills improvement while later students might be asked to shift the tone and evidence towards what a future employer would like to see. What follows is a lightly adapted table from John Zubizarreta’s book The Learning Portfolio.
|
Purpose |
Themes |
Evidence |
|
Improvement |
Development, reflective inquiry, focus on goals, philosophy of learning |
Drafts, journals, online threaded discussions, e-mails, statement of goals, classroom assessments or exams, research notes, lab reports |
|
Job Search |
Career preparation, versatile skills, ambitions, potential for future contributions, flexibility, knowledge of technical equipment (lab skills), programming skills |
Showcase projects, writing and communication samples, resume’, references, internship evaluations, certifications, reports/logs, computer programs, awards, transcripts, videos explaining use of technical lab equipment, posters or other research presentations |
|
Prior Learning |
Mastery of content, readiness for new curriculum and challenges, goals |
Products demonstrating skills and competency, references, achievement/placement test scores, interview transcripts |
|
Problem Solving |
Critical thinking, creativity, application of knowledge, flexibility, curiosity |
Problem-solving logs, lab reports, computer programs, spreadsheet data analyses, engineering / architecture models, examples of solved problems |
|
Field Experiences |
Application of knowledge, trained skills, adaptability |
Field journals, logs, reports, video/audio recordings, photos, project leader evaluations, grant proposals, publications |
|
Assessment of Achievement |
Challenge, risk, creativity, reflection, motivation, self-directed learning, preparation for graduation / professional school, higher-level skills, collaboration, service, leadership, value-added education |
First year essays or lab reports alongside capstone or senior level essays, retrospective reflections, papers and lab reports in draft and final stages with feedback and responses, academic presentations (programs, handouts, Powerpoints, posters), service / leadership records, photos, awards, transcripts |
|
Teacher Preparation |
Content mastery, philosophy of teaching and learning, creativity, responsiveness to advice |
Products demonstrating skills and competency in the discipline, sample lesson plans, explanations of teaching philosophy, recommendations and references, service / leadership records |
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