What are Portfolios?

Electronic portfolios can help facilitate students’ reflection on their own learning. Portfolios include posting artifacts in any form (written, audio, visual, video, etc.) to highlight academic work of the student. In addition, reflections are posted in relation to each artifact to help the student attain more awareness of the learning strategies and needs they have to complete their studies. Some portfolios may include an academic planning piece to help academic advisors guide students through their learning environment. Community involvement, resumes, and collections of evidence and reflections of learning all may be included in portfolios. The use of an electronic portfolio has been proven to lead to better learning outcomes in specific areas of study. Portfolios are an ongoing learning record of a particular student’s academic learning progress.

ifolio is a learning portfolio, a "rich, flexible document that engages students in continuous, thoughtful analysis of their learning: (Zubizaretta, 2004). First, students place coursework, or artifacts, into iFolio to illustrate their academic accomplishments. Students then reflect on artifacts and courses to demonstrate their grasp of learning objectives. Instructors utilize artifacts and reflections to assess their teaching strategies. This assessment instrument will assist with future accreditation efforts as well as guide departments as they evaluate their programs.

Ask yourself these four questions:

How do you encourage student reflection?
How do you fulfill your department's programmatic goals?
How do you shape students' academic paths?
How do you prepare students for their future?

Students who are asked to create a portfolio through the University portfolio system should follow all departmental guidelines as outlined by their advisor and instructors.