Dr. Barbara L.

Pittman
Spring 2012
Further Reading:
ePortfolio at San Francisco State: http://at.sfsu.edu/eportfolio/student_land A nice overview of the purpose and
components of ePortfolios.
Demonstrating and Assessing Student earning with !"Portfolios# $PDF%:
http://net.educause.edu/ir/li&rar'/pdf/!()**).pdf +**, review of ePortfolio case studies from the !D-.A-S!
earning (nitiative $!(%.
/ordPress.com: http://wordpress.com/ A freel'"hosted resource for creating sites that can &e used as ePortfolios. 0'
sample portfolio1 displa'ing a multi"page format: http://pittmanportfolio.wordpress.com
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
/hat does it loo2 li2e in practice3
Students save copies of all artifacts of wor2 during a course or single pro4ect1 collecting them to a
portfolio shell1 arrange items in an order that shows progression1 and write introductions to and
re5ections on that wor2. (nstructors prescri&e the t'pes of self"evaluation students will write. Resulting
portfolios ma' &e shared with classmates as presentations and for end of semester/pro4ect
discussions1 as long as the portfolios are written in a re5ective manner that suggests development in
the 6eld and not discussions of grading. Students would &e well advised to strip from the te7t of their
material an' facult' comments or grading mar2s.
ePortfolios in the Classroom
/hat is it3
!portfolios are electronic portfolios1 digital collections of items that represent completed wor2 or
wor2 that is in progress. As with print portfolios1 the' can &e used for assessment1 documentation of
ac8uired s2ills1 or professional achievement. (n the classroom1 ePortfolios can &e used to assess the
wor2 of one pro4ect or of the entire course. 9'pical components of ePortfolios are samplings of
written wor2 $or an' wor2 that can &e presented electronicall'%1 re5ections on that wor21 and a
discussion of plans for development. (n some institutions1 ePortfolios are cumulative and follow
students throughout their studies1 &uilding with each course to re5ect a student:s educational
progress.
;ow does such a tool 6t into m' course3

.ourse ePortfolios can &e considered a writing pro4ect if suf6cient writing is e7pected to introduce
and re5ect on material from the course.

A group ePortfolio can &e one component of a group pro4ect that gives the group mem&ers an
opportunit' to evaluate their wor2 as a team.

(n an art1 design1 or creative writing 6eld1 an ePortfolio displa'ing ac8uired s2ills can &e a capstone
pro4ect for a degree1 as well as for a 4o& search1 having &een &uilt throughout a student:s
course of stud'. !ach course would contri&ute artifacts and evaluation to the 6nal version.