An Electronic Portfolio (ePortfolio) provides students with an online platform to collect content that represent themselves and the work they produce. The online nature also extends traditional paper-based assignments to include video, audio, links, and better quality images.

When online materials are represented as printed materials, something is lost in the translation. So when students turn in a printed portfolio as an assignment, their online content–from blogs, tweets, and discussion forums–suffers. Other digital material, like audio and video files can’t even be represented. Most mobile phones can capture audio and video, and can be used to documentation purposes, but without a way to incorporate these files, they are often under-used.

ePortfolios help to bridge the gap between offline and online learner content.

ePortfolios can be used by a student throughout their career, and can give them insight into their growth and development, as well as a platform on which to make connections between various learning experiences. Also, ePortfolios provide the option for continuous sharing with selected people—like instructors and colleagues—so the work can be more collaborative.

To find out more about how ePortfolios can be used to support teaching and learning, contact Academic Technologies at atc_support@cornell.edu or call 607-255-9760.

See also:
Barry Perlus and Stephanie Owens on blogs and ePortfolios and student work
https://www.it.cornell.edu/teaching/showcase/studentwork.cfm
ePortfolios help Bridge an Engineering Student Gap
http://itnews.cornell.edu/2012/12/12/eportfolios-help-bridge-an-engineering-student-gap/