Design ePortfolio-related Course Assignments

As an instructor, how can you incorporate ePortfolio into your course? It is quite easy. You can create an ePortfolio related assignment (or a series of assignments) in your LMS (such as Canvas, Blackboard, Sakai, Moodle, Schoology, or CN), give detailed instructions to students, and ask them to submit a URL. You can view their ePortfolio and grade the assignment directly in your LMS. In most of the cases, the ePortfolio assignment will fit into one of the following three scenarios.

Case One: Design assignments that require students to build their entire ePortfolio

If you teach a first-year-seminar, capstone, or career development course, you may create an assignment or a series of assignments to ask students to build their entire ePortfolio.

Here is an assignment example from a first-year-seminar course:

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You are expected to create a complete ePortfolio throughout your college years.

Having a nicely built ePortfolio brings a few benefits:

• Gives you an opportunity to reflect on your learning experience,
• Helps you network with others with the same academic interests,
• Documents your learning evidence and accomplishments, which you can use when applying for jobs.

Please watch this short CN ePortfolio tutorial video https://support.thecn.com/hc/en-us/articles/115006596567, and then create the following content on your ePortfolio by Nov 30.

• Upload a profile picture
• Add a cover image
• Add visual resume (at least 5 institution logos)
• Fill out About and Basic Info
• Add skills and expertise
• Upload a resume (if you have one), work samples (such as writing samples, assignment files, PowerPoints you have created, etc.), certificates and other documents
• Add additional sections that may apply to you, such as Education (your high school and college), Research, Grants, and your Twitter feed.
• Create a few Showcase placeholders. You are expected to add evidence and reflections in the following years of your undergraduate program. The following five Showcases are required:
  • Course Projects
  • My Communication Skills
  • Community Service
  • Internship Experience
  • Study Abroad Journey

After Nov30, review at least two classmates’ ePortfolio. Leave them recommendations and endorse their expertise. Please complete this peer review by Dec 5^.                                     

Submit the URL of your CN ePortfolio as a link to this assignment by Dec 7^.

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Case Two: Design assignments that require students to create a course folder

Instructors who teach a specific subject/course may design an assignment to ask students to add course deliverables to a folder. This assignment is due at the end of the semester after other deliverables are submitted. Its purpose is to help students collect learning evidence on their ePortfolio and review what they have learned in the course. You may treat this assignment as a bonus assignment.

Here is an assignment example of this scenario:

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Please find the Documents section on your CN ePortfolio, create a folder to document the works you have done in this course. Here is how to create a folder: https://support.thecn.com/hc/en-us/articles/115006985727

Use the name of this course as the title of the folder.

Add this description to the folder: “This folder contains my course deliverables from SU19: Informatics Foundations.”

Select a visibility setting for the folder. If you do not want to share the folder with others, set up a password. Please note: the folder’s visibility setting will override the visibility setting of the files in it.

Please add the following four deliverables to the folder:

• Informatics History Timeline
• Java Programming Exercise
• Describe an Algorithm
• System Analysis Paper

Please clearly name each file. The file description needs to be detailed, including the following information: 1. What the file is, 2. What you did to create the file. Don’t forget to add demonstrated skills and knowledge, such as Informatics, Java, Computing Algorithm, Critical Thinking, etc.

Please submit the URL of your folder and its password (if there is one) to this assignment by Dec 7.

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Case Three: Design assignments that require students to create a course Showcase

Courses that have a project component or major learning outcomes may ask students to present their experience and outcomes and to reflect on their learning through a Showcase on their CN ePortfolio. Instead of submitting these content to only the course instructor to view, a Showcase enables students to look at and comment on each other’s work. They could also present the Showcase with potential employers during job interviews.

Here is an assignment example for Showcase assignments:

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While the final project is approaching the end, please create a Showcase on your CN ePortfolio to document your learning experience and outcomes. This tutorial article guides you create a Showcase: https://support.thecn.com/hc/en-us/articles/115007087087

Please name this Showcase “Marketing Analysis Project”.

In this Showcase you need to attach at least the following documents:

1. The final version of the project proposal
2. Project final report
3. Presentation PowerPoint

In the content area of the Showcase, please write a 600-word reflection to address the following questions:

1. What is the project
2. What did you do in this project
3. What have you learned through this project
4. What would you like to continue to learn or what skills would you like to develop after this project

Remember to tag the demonstrated skills such as Business Analysis, Marketing Analysis, Presentation, Collaboration, etc. at the bottom of the Showcase.

Submit the URL of your Showcase by Dec 2. If your Showcase requires a password to view, please include the password.

By Dec 7, please review classmates’ Showcase and endorse at least 2 Showcases.

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To look at a real ePortfolio assignment instruction example and use it as a template, please read this faculty experience sharing article. 

We hope you get some ideas from this article and realize that incorporating an ePortfolio activity in your class is very doable. Imagine if every instructor encourages and guides their students to add their course learning outcomes to their ePortfolio, course-by-course, by the end of the education program, every student will have an evidence-rich, full-built ePortfolio. Their ePortfolio will help them tremendously apply for jobs, the next level of education and other opportunities. We hope more instructors should incorporate social ePortfolio into their class.

If you have any questions about this article, feel free to email us at help@thenc.com.