1. Developing and Maintaining Your Professional E-Portfolio
The Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES

2. Overview Definitions and purposes Portfolio development
Sample portfolios
Avoiding design mistakes
Resources

3. 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

4. Your Portfolio Process

5. 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

6. 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?

7. Purposes for a Portfolio
Job application
Job performance review
Reflection --> improvement

8. Portfolio Main Page

9. Portfolio Purpose Statement
Introduce yourself
Name
Position(s)
Experience (academic/professional)
Explain what portfolio provides
Forecast portfolio organization

10. 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.

11. Organizing Your Portfolio
Project
Skills (e.g., teamwork, communication, leadership)
Coursework

12. Project-based Organization

13. Project-based Organization, cont’d

14. Skills-based Organization

15. Skills-based Organization, cont’d

16. Coursework-based Organization

17. Coursework-based Organization, cont’d (Twarog)

18. Artifacts You May Include
Documents (e.g., reports, memos)
Manuscripts, publications
Grants
Web sites
Presentations
Software
Manuals
Others????

19. 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

20. Artifact Description (Mohammed)

21. 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

22. 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?

23. Sample Portfolio

24. Avoiding Design Mistakes

25. 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

26. 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

27. References and Resources
E-portfolio site for art educators at U of Wisconsin-Stout
Writing Center short course, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Student examples used in this presentation
School of Education, Indiana University

28. References and Resources
Kimball, Miles A The Web Portfolio Guide: Creating Electronic Portfolios for the Web. New York: Longman.
Kimeldorf, Martin Portfolio Power: The New Way to Showcase All Your Job Skills and Experiences. Princeton, NJ: Peterson’s.

29. Lead through Excellence in Engineering Communication
Find More Communication Resources
at the Cain Project Web site at
or in modules on the Connexions Web at
or in the OWLSPACE Communication Archive