Last update 22 August 2006; R. Hill
An electronic portfolio is a lot like a student website project: Each is a set of linked pages, meant to be viewed on a computer monitor, designed and composed, by the student, to display knowledge or skills.
The differences are:
E-Portfolio: A compendium of professional work for sharing on
request, such as an inquiry from a potential employer. Included
documents may be in word processor format, or audio/video, or images, not just
written text. Permanent; may be stored on CD for easy copying and mailing.
Student Website: A web page hierarchy for sharing with the class
and perhaps the public. Materials
included may link to external websites. Temporary; perhaps for a semester
assignment or graduate project. Requires a web server.
This document briefly addresses devlopment of both categories. For more help with UW student websites and servers, see the Faculty Help question, "How can my students set up their own class web pages?" We explore two options below-- (I) A simple website, and (II) A purpose-built (specialized) portfolio developer and server.
To set up an electronic portfolio, a student writes interlinked text pages, often with pictures, and perhaps video and sound. Because an e-portfolio has this structure, it can be viewed as a website, with a hierarchy of pages and elements linked to each other, opened when the viewer clicks on them.
| Example (below):
A possible title page, of an electronic portfolio for a class project, as it might be created in the web development software Nvu. Notice the graphical fomatting buttons at the top, and the tabs at the bottom, to reveal the HTML Tags and Source. The current "Normal" view simply shows the resulting page and allows easy development. |
 |
For instructions on this option, including obtaining Nvu, see "How can my students and I develop websites or e-portfolios with an HTML editor?"
Several educational organizations and commercial services provide electronic portfolio platforms. The Keep ToolKit from the Carnegie Foundation allows students and teachers to establish homepages and fill in fields to create portfolios on its site, www.cfkeep.org.
The Open Source Portfolio project, at www.osportfolio.org, provides samples and demos on its site, and software to download for institutions to install themselves, for hosting their own community portfolios. UW is interested in pursuing this option in conjunction with the Sakai open source course platform. To examine the possibilities, choose the demo, and log in as one of the test subjects, student or teacher. You might want to go to the "University Studies" commons and try "Presentations."
Among the commercial products is FolioTek, at www.foliotek.com, integreated with the eCollege line, to be assessed by the Outreach School.
We would be interested in faculty commentary and suggestions.
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