Instructional design/ePortfolios/Best Strategies

1. Introduction

2. Purposes of ePortfolios

3. Types of Artifacts

4. Benefits and challenges

5. Best strategies

6. Assess Yourself

7. Summary

How to develop ePortfolios?

Here are the best strategies for developing an attractive ePortfolio:

1. Think strategically. Always start with an objective. Highlight your role and purpose of the project. Make your ePortfolio simple and easy to navigate.
2. Be creative. Name categories thoughtfully. This will make your ePortfolio stand out.
3. Keep your ePortfolio up to date. Include good and attractive content.
4. Use your own images. They should represent you and your skills. Make sure they are relevant to your content.
5. Embed social media tools in your ePortfolio. If you use LinkedIn, Facebook, Research Gate, Twitter, and other social media tools professionally, it is good to include them in your ePortfolio. Your digital identity can impact your employment.

"10 Steps to Building Your Perfect Online Portfolio" outlines the importance of having a web-ready and mobile-friendly ePortfolio and tips for defining 'About' page copy.

"Build a killer online portfolio in 9 easy steps" article will help you "to transform visitors into clients".

The institutional implementation process might take some time. "Do not try to do everything at once, start small, and then expand." This is one of the critical success factors for implementing ePortfolios. Gathercoal et. al (2002) examined critical success factors for successful implementation at educational institutions. Their article highlights important factors of ePortfolio implementation. "Three keys for successful ePortfolio implementation" discusses three critical factors for developing ePortfoliosː

1. Students must understand the standards.
2. Students must understand what it means to reflect.
3. Students should think about additional audiences for their work.

You may want to read "success stories" and learn some tips for successful implementation.

Four Common E-Portfolio Mistakes To Avoid

Explore ePortfolio Examples

Institutional ePortfolio Example

Explore different types of ePortfolios. Pay attention to their structures and types of artifacts.

Student ePortfoliosː Auburn University. http://wp.auburn.edu/writing/eportfolio-project/eportfolio-examples/

Teacher ePortfoliosː A Guide for teachers. http://siteeportfolio.weebly.com/

Institutional ePortfoliosː Merlot. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/materials.htm?category=250391

Lifelong ePortfoliosː eFolio Minnesota. http://www.efoliominnesota.com/

Award winning ePortfoliosː https://sites.google.com/site/eportfoliocompetitionsite/winners

How to assess ePortfolios?

Lifelong Assessmentː Typically employers ask questions about your artifacts and skills after reviewing your ePortfolio. Include the URL of your e-portfolio in your resume. Make sure to review the details of your artifacts in your ePortfolio before going to a job interview.

Formative and Summative Assessmentː Below is a sample rubric for evaluating ePortfolios in a classroom setting. The purpose of the assessment is to guide students through the development of their online professional portfolios.

Criteria	Description	Grade points
Goal statement	A clear explanation of the purpose of the ePortfolio	10
Statement of your skills & abilities	A story about you and your goals	10
Artifact samples	Visible images and objects	10
Creativity	Unusual and unique approach	10
Navigation design	Easy to navigate	10
Final portfolio	Final version of the portfolio	30
Presentation	Oral and written report	20
Total		100

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Backː Benefits and challenges	Next: Assess Yourself