A portfolio is a collection of student works, often called “artifacts” in academic settings, which can include projects, papers, assignments, reflections, etc. These pieces are revised and polished, and the portfolio is collected at the end of the semester. (A portfolio is not simply a collection of products amassed during the term. Students include reflections of their work, which encourages metacognition.) An ePORTFOLIO is a portfolio that is collected electronically.
An artifact is any work that a student can reflect on or that may be evaluated to determine the extent a student has achieved a learning outcome. In writing studies, artifacts are selections of writing that may be compiled into a portfolio of a semester’s work. Artifacts may be collected and evaluated to assess an entire course or program.
An ePortfolio is not:
There are two primary types of academic portfolios:
A process-oriented portfolio asks you to showcase the development of your writing over time by presenting drafts of your work and exploring your process through one or several reflections. In this type of portfolio, you might also include brainstorming material, feedback, peer review responses, and other components of your writing process that help you construct an implicit and explicit account of the ways in which your writing changed and developed over the course of the semester.
A showcase-oriented portfolio asks you to select, organize, and reflect on finalized, polished texts that you have created throughout the semester. Rather than focus on your development or process as a writer and thinker, this type of portfolio asks you to present yourself to a distinct professional or academic audience. In this instance, drafts are not included, and you might select only a portion of your work to showcase specific skills or strengths relevant to the portfolio’s audience.