Texas Tech University

Resources for Faculty

This document is framed as "quick start" guide to provide some suggestions for best practices in utilizing ePortfolios, on the following; 

Table of Contents [click to jump to section]

Articles on ePortfolios

Other free ePortfolios tools 

Blackboard Video Tutorials

Other Links

Looking into ePortfolios?

What are ePortfolios?

"Portfolios are portable collections or electronic spaces where [students] can showcase artifacts that communicate identity, interest, skills, talents, and qualifications for a particular career of industry" (Tanner, M. Introduction to Integrative Studies. (2nd) 2016, Kendall Hunt, p. 127). Offering any type of portfolio in an online environment transforms a portfolio into an ePortfolio.

"The learning portfolio is a flexible, evidence-based tool that engages students in a process of continuous reflection and collaborative analysis of learning. As written text, electronic display, or other creative project, the portfolio captures the scope, richness, and relevance of students' intellectual development, critical judgment, and academic skills. The portfolio focuses on purposefully and collaboratively selected reflections and evidence for both improvement and assessment of student learning." [Zubizarreta, J. (2009). The learning portfolio: Reflective practice for improving student learning (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., p. 20]

Advantages of ePortolios

  • Provides a way for the department to assess your classroom deliverables and feedback thereby illustrating your value and process (to some degree).
  • As it includes student reflections, you can assess how students assess your teaching.
  • Show students the value of your teaching.

Types of ePortfolios

  • Student descriptions about the why and how of their learning
  • Student reflections
  • Career preparation
  • Collection of best artifacts
  • Capstone document

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Articles on ePortfolios

 

Other FREE ePortfolio tools 

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Blackboard Video Tutorials

Creating a Portfolio Assignment: This video will show you how to create a content area, what a content area is, and how to make an assignment a Portfolio submission. As an instructor, you can also create a Portfolio template of your own for your students to use, here.

Table of Contents Time (in video)
Creating a Portfolio assignment Content Area  00:11
Creating and designating an assignment as a Portfolio  02:17

 

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Creating a Portfolio Tool Link: This video will show you what a tool link is, how to add the Portfolio homepage tool think to allow students access their Portfolios, how to create a Portfolio tool link to allow students view and comment on each other's portfolio, and also introduces other possible tool links.

Table of Contents Time (in video)
Creating a Portfolio Tool Link in the navigational bar area  00:31
Creating a Portfolio Tool Link in a course Content Area  02:34
Creating the Portfolio Homepage Tool Link or any other Tool Link  03:28

 

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Choosing a Portfolio Template: This video will show you the 7 Portfolios templates you'll likely encounter on Blackboard. As an instructor, you can also create a Portfolio template of your own for your students to use, here.

Table of Contents Time (in video)  
The Undergraduate Template for Industry Positions and Graduate Programs Template  02:14  
The University Studies Integrative Learning Template  02:51
The Graduate Template for Faculty Positions  04:12
The Graduate Template for Industry Positions  04:56
The Global Readiness Portfolio Template  05:37
The Masters in Educational Leadership Template  06:18  
The SPMT 5003, Internship in Sport Management Template  06:53  

 

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Downloading portfolios for assessment: This video will show you how a portfolio will look on the grading page, and how a portfolio will look on a computer, including how the files will be presented.

Table of Contents Time (in video)  
Accessing the Grade Center 00:19
How the Portfolio looks like in the Grading Center 01:07
How to download the Portfolio  01:53
Viewing the student's Portfolio on your computer  02:31  

 

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Other Links

Student Resources

Departmental Considerations

Practice, Pedagogy and Assessment of Portfolios

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Teaching, Learning, & Professional Development Center

  • Address

    University Library Building, Room 136, Mail Stop 2044, Lubbock, TX 79409-2004
  • Phone

    806.742.0133
  • Email

    tlpdc@ttu.edu