Developing and Maintaining Your Professional E-Portfolio

The Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

Overview

• Definitions and purposes• Portfolio development• Sample portfolios• Avoiding design mistakes

• Resources

Portfolio Definition

Materials (“artifacts”) that showcase your academic and/or professional experience

– Portfolio purpose statement– Evidence of academic expertise and/or

professional experience– Supporting materials from others– Resumé – Contact information

Your Portfolio Process

Part of the Big Picture

• Portfolios are part of your personal development process

• Take time to write out your goals• Keep a log or journal faithfully• Set times to reflect on your experiences• Keep in contact with mentors and advisors• YOU ARE IMPORTANT

Defining Your Portfolio’s Purpose

• What argument about your experience should your portfolio make?

• Who will read your portfolio?

• What evidence will be most convincing to this audience?

Purposes for a Portfolio

• Job application

• Job performance review

• Reflection --> improvement

Portfolio Main Page

Portfolio Purpose Statement

• Introduce yourself– Name – Position(s)– Experience (academic/professional)

• Explain what portfolio provides

• Forecast portfolio organization

Example Purpose Statement (Steptoe, U of Richmond)

[Intro] Welcome to my Portfolio Website. In May of 2003, I will graduate from the University of Richmond with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing.

[Portfolio provides…] This site provides you with information about various skills that I have developed during my four years at UR, both inside and outside of the classroom.

[Forecast] My accomplishments and skills are organized according to five competency/skill areas. Please use the side menu to navigate through the five competency areas. I hope that you find this site both interesting and informative.

Organizing Your Portfolio

• Project

• Skills (e.g., teamwork, communication, leadership)

• Coursework

Project-based Organization

Project-based Organization, cont’d

Skills-based Organization

Skills-based Organization, cont’d

Coursework-based Organization

Coursework-based Organization,

cont’d (Twarog)

Artifacts You May Include

• Documents (e.g., reports, memos)

• Manuscripts, publications

• Grants• Web sites

• Presentations• Software• Manuals• Others????

Provide a Description of Each “Artifact” Included in Portfolio

• Provide a context: What project? What problem, concept, issue was addressed? What class?

• Describe the artifact

• Discuss outcomes

Artifact Description (Mohammed)

Supporting Materials from Others

• Ask a professor or manager to write letter

• Invite a colleague to write a letter

• Ask former clients to write testimonials

Assess Your Portfolio

• Does my portfolio represent the depth and breadth of my experiences?

• Does my portfolio show that my experiences reflect current knowledge of my field?

• Have I provided descriptions for each “artifact” that I’ve included?

• Have I acknowledged my fellow collaborators?

• Have I asked others to review my portfolio?

Sample Portfolio

http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~varun/

Avoiding Design Mistakes

Design Principles

• Use legible fonts– Light background with dark text

• Clear navigation• Links should be obvious

– different colored, underlined text

• Resize images so that they load within 3 seconds

Design Principles Cont’d

• Put up downloadable materials in a variety of formats– Word document, PDF file, image file

• Content should be short, scanable, and to the point

• Check compatibility with different browsers• Include your contact information and last

updated date

References and Resources

http://www.uwstout.edu/art/artedportfolios/whatis/index.html E-portfolio site for art educators at U of Wisconsin-Stout

http://www.llc.rpi.edu/~martiv/cep/index.html Writing Center short course, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

http://www.llc.rpi.edu/~martiv/cep/student_epfs.html Student examples used in this presentation

http://www.educ.indiana.edu/ist/programs/contents.html School of Education, Indiana University

References and Resources

Kimball, Miles A. 2003. The Web Portfolio Guide: Creating Electronic Portfolios for the Web. New York: Longman.

Kimeldorf, Martin. 1997. Portfolio Power: The New Way to Showcase All Your Job Skills and Experiences. Princeton, NJ: Peterson’s.

Lead through Excellence in Engineering Communication

Find More Communication Resources

• at the Cain Project Web site at http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj

• or in modules on the Connexions Web at http://cnx.org

• or in the OWLSPACE Communication Archive