ePortfolios

An electronic portfolio, also known as an ePortfolio, is a electronic collection of artifacts meaningfully assembled to document and facilitate learning and performance (Cambridge (2009); Rossi (2008)).  These artifacts may include text, electronic files, images, multimedia and hyperlinks. An ePortfolio allows the learner to collect, select, reflect and project their learning journey over time.  

ePortfolios can be used for development, for presentation and for assessment; 

• facilitating critical reflection, self-awareness, self-development and life-long learning,
• demonstrating professional competencies and assessing performance in career development,
• supporting and assessing education outcomes across an institution or course of study,
• supporting integrative learning,
• assessing learning objectives in a course or program.

at the University of Guelph

Guelph has a long history of scholarship and initiatives with (e)portfolios. Some highlights;

• Fred Evers' work on Bases of Competence Skills,
• Guelph Engineering Portfolio System,
• Resources and Workshops on Teaching Dossiers,
• Workshops on Perceptions from Business Students and Employers and Incorporating ePortfolios into Course Design,
• Student Life, Graduate Student Learning Initiative, and Bachelor of Arts and Science research and initiatives.

in CourseLink (D2L)

Every student, faculty and staff member of the University of Guelph has access to the ePortfolio tool within CourseLink.  A growing number of courses and programs are embracing the CourseLink ePortfolio and incorporating it into curriculum and assessment.

Using the CourseLink ePortfolio, users have access to a private webspace where they can create, upload and organize artifacts and reflections from their experiences, whether they be related to academic, experiential, career, extracurricular or personal pursuits.  These artifacts and reflections form the building blocks to build web-based presentations which can be shared with others within and outside of the University.

Find out more

• Examples of CourseLink ePortfolios
• ePortfolio User Guide
• You'll find the link to your ePortfolio in the My Settings widget on your My Home page.
  Login to CourseLink and try it out!

Questions?

• for functional assistance, contact CourseLink Support.
• for general information on ePortfolios at the University of Guelph, contact Kyle Mackie or Richard Gorrie.

Additional reading

• George Lorenzo and John Ittelson, An Overview of E-Portfolios, The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, July 2005.
• George Lorenzo and John Ittelson, Demonstrating and Assessing Student Learning with E-Portfolios, The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, October 2005.
• Philippa Butler, A Review of the Literature on Portfolios and Electronic Portfolios, eCDF ePortfolio Project, October 2006.
• Effective Practice with e-Portfolios, JISC, September 2008.
• Val Klenowski, Sue Askew and Eileen Carnell, (2006) 'Portfolios for learning, assessment and professional development in higher education', Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 31:3, 267 - 286.