Electronic portfolios as tools for organizing student information

The educational literature contains abundant information regarding different types of electronic portfolios and their role in fulfilling various purposes. Student e-portfolios can be used to showcase academic accomplishments, support student advisement, assess student work, and prepare students for job seeking. Development of a student e-portfolio generally involves three processes: collection, selection and reflection. My review of the literature determined that there are numerous types or classifications of e-portfolios, in the academic and non-academic venues. My interest in incorporating an e-portfolio into my courses led me to consider which portfolio type would best suit my needs as well as those of my students. The classification schemes found in the literature did not seem adequate for categorizing the portfolio options available for organizing student work. The purpose of my analysis was to suggest a comprehensive classification scheme for student e-portfolios and to apply the classifications to case studies from the literature. The classification scheme considers the level of connection among the student's selected works as the key element of the portfolio's design, because it is the ability to make these connections that distinguishes an electronic portfolio from a print one. The classification scheme uses a file cabinet/briefcase approach to collecting and selecting student work, and proposes four types of student e-portfolios: showcase model, competencies model, development model, and integrated model. I chose five cases from the educational literature where electronic portfolios were incorporated into an academic program, and analyzed each case to determine which of the proposed models best fits the portfolio implementation. The models may serve as a tool for students or instructors who are deciding which portfolio structure best fits a particular program or course.