Design ePortfolio-related Course Assignments

As an instructor, how can you incorporate ePortfolio into your course? There is a very practical approach. 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 their ePortfolio URL. You can view their ePortfolio and grade the assignment directly in your LMS.

In most of cases, the ePortfolio assignment will fit into one of the following three scenarios.

Case One: Design an assignment that asks students to build a basic ePortfolio

If your students are just introduced to CN ePortfolio, this assignment will get them ready to add more advanced content (see cases two through four) later on. 

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You are expected to create a comprehensive ePortfolio throughout your college years. In this assignment, you will be introduced to CN ePortfolio and populate the basic sections. This assignment will prepare you for future ePortfolio-building activities. 

Having an ePortfolio brings many benefits, such as:

• Gives you an opportunity to reflect on your learning experience,
• Capture your learning outcomes and growth in a more authentic way,
• 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 populate the following content on your ePortfolio:

• Upload a professional profile picture
• Add a cover image that represents your major
• Add visual resume (at least 5 institution logos)
• Fill out About, including Bio, resume, and Basic Info
• Add at least 10 skills relevant to your major 
• Upload some work samples (such as writing samples, assignment files, PowerPoints you have created, etc.) and certificates to Documents
• Add at least 2 additional sections that may apply to you, such as Education (your high school and college), Courses, and Awards. 

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 an assignment that asks students to create a folder

Instructors who teach a specific subject/course may design an assignment to ask students to add course deliverables to a folder. This assignment can be 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 prepare them for creating Showcases with the collected files or adding more artifacts into the folder from other courses. 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. <The folder may also be titled for a competency, such as "Inquiry and Analysis">.

Add this description to the folder: “This folder contains my course deliverables from SU19: Informatics Foundations.” <if the folder is titled based on competency, the description could be "This folder contains artifacts that demonstrate my inquiry and data analysis skills">. 

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. Why and/or how you created the file. Don’t forget to add demonstrated skills and knowledge, such as Informatics, Java, Computing Algorithms, 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 an assignment that asks students to create a Showcase

Courses and programs that have a major project may ask students to document and reflect on their experience through a Showcase on their CN ePortfolio. If there isn't a major project, you can also ask your students to reflect on their overall learning experience and upload key artifacts. Instead of submitting these contents as a regular assignment, a Showcase on ePortfolio enables students to look at and comment on each other’s work and have life-long access to their contents. They could also present the Showcase to potential employers and other audiences.

Here is an example of a Showcase assignment:

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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 to 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 and what skills you have acquired through this project
4. How is this project connected to your future career
5. What would you like to continue to learn or what skills would you like to develop after this project

Remember to tag project collaborators and 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’ Showcases and endorse at least 2 Showcases.

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Additional resources: 

To look at a real ePortfolio assignment instruction example, please read this faculty experience-sharing article.

ePortfolio introduction and assignment template in Canvas Commons (you can copy and paste the content even if you do not use Canvas)

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 completing their academic program, every student will have an evidence-rich, full-fledged ePortfolio. Their ePortfolio will help them tremendously when applying for jobs, applying for the next level of education, and offering them other opportunities. We hope more instructors should incorporate social ePortfolio into their classes.

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