Creating an ePortfolio

collect   Learn HOW – Collect

After you have identified the purpose of your ePortfolio and selected a platform for it, you can start thinking about what content to include.

A good starting point is to gather a wide range of content that relates to the purpose of your ePortfolio. You might select appropriate items that you have already created as part of your programme or through your work. In addition, you may also wish to select items related to extracurricular activities that best demonstrate your achievements and skills. You may be required or decide to create specific content.

As you upload these items (or artefacts) to your ePortfolio platform, it is a good idea to reflect on their significance in a blog. For example, you might reflect on what you learned while developing a particular artefact, compare your understanding of a topic before versus after, investigate how an artefact relates to other work you have done and any work you would like to do in the future and so on.

What are artefacts?

Artefacts are digital items that evidence achievements, accomplishments, experience and goals over time. They are examples of your study and work that represent your learning and progress. An artefact can be an electronic document, a graphic or image, an audio file, a video file, a presentation or any other form of digital media. Your ePortfolio is a repository for the artefacts that you have created and collected.

What can you put in your ePortfolio?

The artefacts that you select should have a purpose – they should illustrate the competencies, skills and abilities that you have acquired through education, training, work or extra-curricular activities.
When selecting an artefact to include in your ePortfolio, consider the following questions:
•  Why are you selecting the artefact?
•  How does it demonstrate your learning or development?
•  Where does it fit in your ePortfolio?
•  What have you learned from it?

Examples of artefacts

Examples of artefacts that you could include in your ePortfolio are:

How do you structure your ePortfolio?

As well as collecting and creating artefacts, you will need to develop a structure for your ePortfolio. By first identifying specific categories or areas within your ePortfolio, you can easily upload your artefacts to the appropriate locations, giving your ePortfolio a logical and organised look and feel. When planning the structure, you could use a simple table template (see the sample below) or even a mind map tool (see the Resources section).

Resources_alone   Resources

Planning

Copyright

When sharing your work publicly in your ePortfolio, you need to ensure that any use of third-party media is legal. These copyright resources will help you identify media for use in your ePortfolio and provide guidance around protecting and sharing your work online.