This document discusses e-portfolios, which are electronic portfolios that showcase a person's work and accomplishments over time. E-portfolios can be used for education or career purposes. There are three main types - showcase, learning, and assessment. The document also provides examples of what to include in an e-portfolio and discusses how the author plans to create one to track their work assisting students and showcase their skills and accomplishments when pursuing future career opportunities.

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What are E-Portfolios
David Compton
CSE 689
Western Oregon University

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What are E-Portolios?
David Compton
CSE 689
A portfolio is compilation of materials that exemplifies your beliefs, skills, qualifications,
education, training and experiences (Clarke University). According to a web page found on
Clemson University’s website, an e-Portfolio is a collection of work (evidence) in an electronic
format that showcases learning over time. The difference between the two is that a portfolio
does not necessarily utilize an electronic format to showcase your work. Many individuals who
work within or around the technology field might choose an e-Portfolio over a regular portfolio
because it is an excellent way to show off the work that you have done within the field.
Today, e-Portfolios are used for many purposes. Some use them to keep track of the
work they have been doing. Others use them to prepare for the working world to show off
what they can do when searching for a job. You can also use them to help explain class projects,
or to show what you have learned and created throughout a term. According to Clemson
University there are three types of e-Portfolios. The first is Showcase/Professional. This is a way
for a student to highlight the strengths of their academic career. The second is Learning e-
Portfolios. This created by a student as part of a course to demonstrate learning and
understanding. The final is Assessment/General Education. This type allows instructors a way to
measure educational competencies that have been learned by the student.
On Goshen College’s website they list a number of things that should be included in an
e-Portfolio. These include a Welcome, a career objective, resume, work samples, study abroad

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experiences, awards and honors, education, volunteer/extracurricular, references and letters of
recommendation. To me, this seems like a very specific type of e-Portfolio. After looking
through the examples that you provided us it is clear that there is not one set of rules when it
comes to e-Portfolios. However, in all of them you notice that they showcase the best works of
each creator, they introduce themselves, and they are unique to the individual.
According to the reading for this week, e-Portfolios can also be used in the professional
world, and are not limited to the realm of education. However, for this class, I hope to create an
e-Portfolio that will be geared towards evaluation. Many of us will choose to create a portfolio
as our exit option from the program. It makes sense that we would create an e-Portfolio to
showcase what we have done. I hope to use this e-Portfolio as a way to keep track of the works
I have done and to focus my creations to help further my career. Although I do not work within
a teaching realm, there are many ways that I work with students and those students can benefit
from the artifacts I have created.
One such way is through a program I started 12 years ago. It is called the WOU Project
and it is a partnership with the Salem-Keizer School District. The program allows me to work
with high school seniors and help them on their path to Western Oregon University. Up until
now all of my works have been scattered. It would be great to bring them all together for
myself, professionally, but also to have a great resource for the students I will work with for
years to come.
After taking this course I feel that I have a greater understanding of what e-portfolios
can help you accomplish. It is not just a place to store artifacts, but is really meant to tell a story

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of your work. It allows you to use audio and visual devices to make your work standout. For
those of us hoping to use this format to show off for a new job, I think it is a going to be a great
way to really show what we can do.

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References
The What, Why and How of ePortfolios. Clemson University. From
https://www.clemson.edu/academics/programs/eportfolio/information.html
What is a portfolio? Clarke College. From
https://www.clarke.edu/academics/careers-internships/student-checklist/resume-
writing-and-portfolios/what-is-a-portfolio/
What to include in your Eportfolio. Goshen College. From
https://www.goshen.edu/careers/eportfolio-what-to-include/