Digital Portfolios in the Classroom

Statement of Purpose

Through our research our aim is to evaluate the purpose and power of implementing portfolios as practice in the classroom at a variety of levels. We focus our research on why digital portfolios would be more beneficial than paper portfolios and explore a variety of tools currently available to educators.

Abstract:

According to the research of Georgi and Crowe, among others, a portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that tells the story of the student’s efforts, progress, and achievements. Organizing and managing a collection of papers and artifacts can prevent teachers from creating student portfolios, but going digital revamps how students' growth is documented. Such purposeful collections involve student participation in selecting the contents of the portfolio and result in increased ownership in the process (Crowe, 1998). As many schools shift toward more student-centered approaches to learning, technology is helping educators streamline this process through the use of digital portfolios. REFLECTION: Thoughtful implementation of digital portfolios in the classroom can strengthen reflective practices thereby encouraging students to claim ownership of their learning (Besse, 2017). INTERACTION: The affordances of a digital portfolio also allow for timely interactions among students, teachers, and parents (Davies, 2012). ASSESSMENT: Digital portfolios allow for authentic, process-based assessments rather than traditional one-time tests or presentations (Tolsby, 2001). Students learn to think critically by developing the habit of documenting and sharing their learning, thus leading them to become lifelong learners (Besse, 2017).