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 Course planning (syllabi, sample lecture notes) Actual teaching (sample lab exercises, favorite assignments) Evaluating (samples of students’ graded work) Staying current (workshop attendance) Quantitative evidence Short-answer question Essay questions

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 Clear navigation 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