Digital Portfolios

British School 18th century, A Man with a Portfolio, Taking Snuff.

Portfolios have long been associated with visual art.  The primary reason is that this type of art is made to be seen and no written description will serve the observer better than a glimpse at the real thing.  All educators face the problem of the visual art teacher in that much of what we should be teaching is not easily described or measured.  We teach students to think, create, solve problems, value others’ perspectives, persevere, be compassionate, lead, innovate, and question; yet, we don’t have a particularly good way to assess these attributes.  A portfolio provides a way for students to demonstrate their ability and competence in these areas.

According to Merriam Webster, the word portfolio dates back to the early 18th century and is derived from the Italian “portare” (to carry) and “foglio” (leaf,sheet).  The root of the word tells us that the portfolio must have served two primary purposes:  to archive and to share.  Teachers have long used portfolios for the purpose of archiving student work.  Alphabetized folders in hanging files are common place in classrooms around the world.  However, in the past decade digital portfolios are becoming more commonplace as they have many advantages over paper/folder portfolios.  Digital portfolios are dead simple to share with others and also offer a way for students to add personal reflections and for others to offer comments and support.

A portfolio gives students the ability to archive their work for future use or reflection.  It can be a powerful documentation of growth.  The archive can also be used as a credential for future schools and jobs.  It is a more authentic description of a student’s work than a report card or a standardized test, and the best universities and employers are beginning to recognize it as such.

Sharing is all about audience.  As an archive of academic work and reflection on that work, a student’s portfolio’s initial audience will be the school community:  classmates, faculty, and parents.  However, a wider audience for a portfolio can create greater authenticity, as the student demonstrates the relevance of his work to the world, not just at school.  Students must also consider future audiences in the creation of a portfolio, in particular, future schools and employers.  

Want to develop your own system of digital portfolios?  Find a platform and test it, give students some control to personalize their portfolio, provide students regular time in school to archive and reflect, require students to share it, and don’t grade it.