The main purpose is to showcase your best work and demonstrate your learning and growth over the course or semester. It should provide evidence of your skills, understanding of key concepts, and your ability to reflect on your own learning process. It's often used as a final assessment in place of a traditional exam.
You should include a diverse range of artifacts that best illustrate your achievement of the course learning outcomes. This might include:
Written assignments (essays, reports, research papers)
Creative work (presentations, videos, artwork, design projects)
Problem-solving exercises (lab reports, code, mathematical solutions)
Reflective journals or notes
Peer feedback or critiques (if relevant and permitted)
Always check the assignment guidelines for any mandatory items that must be included.
You must use the citation style specified in the assignment or by your instructor, which is typically MLA, APA, or Chicago. You need to cite any external sources you reference in your reflective pieces, captions, or as supporting evidence within the portfolio itself.
Create a "Works Cited" or "References" page within the portfolio.
For any work that's not fully original (e.g., a paper originally citing sources), ensure the original bibliography remains with the artifact.
If you're using images or media from external sources, you should also provide a full citation or credit line for those materials.
Reflections are crucial! They should be more than just a summary of the artifact. A strong reflection should:
Contextualize the artifact: Briefly explain what the assignment was and why you chose to include it.
Analyze your learning: Discuss what skills or concepts you learned or demonstrated while creating it.
Identify challenges: Explain any difficulties you encountered and how you overcame them.
Discuss growth: Show how this piece of work relates to your overall learning journey and how you would improve or apply this knowledge in the future. Use specific evidence from the artifact to support your points.
Unless otherwise stated, the portfolio should be submitted as a single, organized, and easily navigable document or website.
Digital format: Check if the submission must be a PDF, a folder of files, or a link to a specific online platform (like Google Sites, WordPress, or a learning management system module).
Naming convention: Follow the required file-naming convention (e.g., Lastname_Firstname_Portfolio_CourseName).
Organization: Ensure there is a Table of Contents or clear navigation so your instructor can easily find all required sections and artifacts. Make sure all links are active and all files are accessible before the deadline.