The contents of a course portfolio depends on the type of portfolio you want to make. Many instructors begin with a Benchmark course portfolio, later developing it to serve different purposes and to reflect a variety of experiences and insights the instructor has gleaned over time. These types can include Benchmark, Inquiry, Comprehensive, and Concept as defined by Savory and Goodburn [1]. See the chart which defines Portfolio Types.
A Basic or Benchmark portfolio should include the following:
All of these elements must be included in the course syllabus. See minimum requirements.
Course title, number, and term
Course description and prerequisites
Learning outcomes or course objectives
Instructor information
Textbook or resource materials
Grading policies
Course topics, calendar of activities, major assignment or exam dates
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy Statement
Academic Integrity Statement
In addition, the course portfolio should include analysis of teaching methods, assessments, and performance, i.e., reflections at midpoint(s) and end-of-semester.
Analyze and reflect on your course in 3 general areas, providing evidence to support your reflections. Explain your expectations, rationale, and conclusions about each part at different points of reflection: during the semester as well as after the semester has ended. Last provide a reflective narrative of the 3 parts. "Is there evidence of students meeting the specific course learning goals? What criteria do you use to assess such understanding? How does the understanding represented by the student samples you present differ among students? How do these differences relate to the criteria you use in evaluating this work? And what is the range or distribution for learning within the class as a whole?" (Savory and Goodburn p. 4)
The categories below will guide the development of a basic/benchmark portfolio. However, you may want to incorporate elements from the other types to present a more in-depth assessment of your course. Thus, using some of the guiding questions from one of the other types may work better than the more general prompts below. For example, an Inquiry Course Portfolio answers a research question about your teaching practices or student learning, so you could inquiry how a particular aspect or technique influenced learning. Thus, if your course incorporates new or different elements (such as a flipped model or hybrid approach), you may to devote an entire section of the course portfolio to a research question that explores the effectiveness of the new approach. Consider the following: How does the implementation of "X" affect students' abilities to do "Y"? What measures have I used to evaluate student learning in the new approach? How do I determine success? What evidence supports my conclusions? What problems have I encountered?
What is your vision for the course?
In sum, how do course outcomes, teaching methods, and assessments connect to your expectations for how students learn? (You may want to draw from your Teaching Philosophy regarding your theory about student learning.)
What is your design rationale?
How are you implementing your design?
Discuss how your teaching materials and methods support the student learning outcomes for the course. Consider the following:
Assignments , exercises, quizzes
Tests
In-class/out-of-class activities
Feedback and grading tools
Learning management system
Readings
Overhead copies
Lecture notes
Labs, demonstrations
Study questions
Guides
Videotapes
Peer observations of class sessions
Audiotapes of out-of-class interactions such as conferences
Hard copies of individual and group listserv discussions
Classroom assessment technique results Midterm student feedback on teaching results
What are the results of your implementation in terms of students achievement and experience?
How will you present this information? For example, could you present a chart that represents students' overall performance or list sample questions and representative responses and your evaluation of student work? Consider the following:
Learning outcomes
Student papers (with instructor feedback)
Quizzes (with instructor feedback) Tests (with instructor feedback0
Oral reports/presentations/demonstrations (with instructor feedback)
Lab reports (with instructor feedback) Conferences
Web board/electronic discussion comments
Pre- and post-tests
Surveys (including student evaluations) Assignment/Assessment and Evaluation rubrics
Grades
Teaching Materials additions/revisions Support materials additions/revisions Student evaluations of instruction
Peer review of instruction and course materials
[1] Savory, Paul and Goodburn, Amy. (2009). "Using Electronic Faculty Course Portfolios to Showcase Classroom Practices and Student Learning."Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Faculty Publications. Paper 31. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/imsefacpub/31.