Preparation
Creating ePortfolio Assignments
You and your students can be creative about how they reach particular objectives or standards. Questions to ask might include:
- Is there one best way to reach this objective or standard, or can I give students a choice about how to reach it?
- What skills will the students need in other classes in this program?
- What skills will employers want to see?
ePortfolios provide opportunities to accommodate students' different learning styles and different learning needs. If possible, give students options regarding how they demonstrate skills and competencies. These options can be related to the format used or the content covered in completing the ePortfolio assignment. Examples of different formats to achieve the objective include writing a paper, giving and recording a presentation, or creating a video. Giving options related to content can be as simple as providing four essay questions and asking students to answer one of them, as long as they can show the same skills or knowledge with each one.
Many campuses are shifting away from "checkbox filling" to "intentional learning." While students must complete all the requirements for a class or program, it is also important for them to know why they are doing it and to make choices about classes or ePortfolio assignment topics that move them toward some goal. Asking students to write reflective statements about individual artifacts is one way to get them to think about why they are doing an ePortfolio assignment and how it relates to the class, the program, or their life goals.
A note about Universal Design for Learning:
Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, is an educational approach to make sure that every student has an equal chance to succeed (see http://cast.org for details about UDL – link opens new window).
