What and Why? Digital Portfolios

Instructor Sample Digital Portfolio Instructions for Students

English 5M Google Sites

English 10 Google Sites

English 109W Google Sites

English 5 Canvas

English 10-11 Canvas

Further Reading

https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/electronic-portfolios-decade-twenty-first-century-what-we-know (Links to an external site.)

In her article, Kathleen Yancey reviews where we are with electronic portfolio ten years into the 21^st century (2009). She talks about how eportfolios have been used in both curricular and assessment contexts. She points out that they commonly contain artifacts (often multimedia) and reflective commentary and are linked to evidence of program or personal outcomes. The eportfolios document student accomplishments and effects on learning outcomes. In contrast to print portfolios which often act as a final exam, eportfolios can be used beyond a single course; they can be models to document learning across experiences. She indicates more research is needed to understand the role of portfolios across multiple contexts and for supporting intellectual development. She mentions several benefits of eportfolios: they engage students in new ways, especially when they are participatory; students who complete eportfolios rate higher on metrics such as engagement, course completion, and retention; and they foster development of non-cognitive traits such as those mentioned before (e.g. retention). She does caution that student engagement in the portfolio itself is crucial to get the overall benefits since the process will be flawed if you can’t get students invested in creating the portfolio. She spend time discussing the types of portfolios and how the technology can shape the level of engagement or excitement as well as how the technology can shape learning. She says that most universities have gone with open or web-based products that provide flexibility and creativity. Furthermore, she admits that we don’t yet know why eportfolios work to create things like retention. One element that she says is crucial to finding a portfolio system that works is talking with students and getting their insights. She discussed a university that uses a matrix style where one object can be placed in multiple places of the portfolio since it serves to show learning in different contexts; the artifact has different purposes in these different places. Students in this university also use the matrix format to explain where they acquired skills (jobs, internships, classes, etc.). She ends with a section on evidence and reflection that talks about the benefits of students selecting evidence and reflecting. This section points out the benefits of metacognition or students being aware of how they learn. Yancy ends the article on this: “And because e-portfolios link curriculum and assessment in ways that acknowledge and build on students’ experiences, they provide new sites for learning about how we assess, about how we teach, and perhaps most importantly, about how we all learn.”