Creating Electronic Portfolios

1. Creating Electronic Portfolios The Writing Center at Rensselaer 4508 Sage Hall AOL InstantMessenger: instantwriter http://www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter

2. Why an Electronic Portfolio? • Easy to change content • Supports various media and hence various pieces of evidence • Displays material that employers can both experience and think about • Provides evidence and accompanying descriptions that aids interpretation • Easily accessible: Web or CD

3. Electronic Portfolios • Creating a Portfolio for Self-Evaluation & Development • Creating a Professional Portfolio

4. Self-Evaluation Portfolio -1 • The goal is to collect and catalogue all your work (artifacts) • Include everything • old projects • papers • sketches • videos

5. Self Evaluation Portfolio -2 • Reflect on your work • Figure out what you like about each piece • Write descriptive introductions: what each piece does, what you want it to do, what you are proud of

6. Self Evaluation Portfolio -3 • Examine the work of others • What do you admire? • How would you do it better? • Reconsider the wording of your descriptions • Set goals: what other work do you want to include

7. Self-Evaluation Portfolio -4 • Determine an organization • chronological • type • purpose • “Artifacts” tell a story to you • Artifacts tell a story to others

8. Self-Evaluation Portfolio -5 What else is this portfolio good for? • Staying focused on a learning path • Professional licensing (in some states) • Determining your skills and assets • Documenting learning for credit • Collecting material for graduate school

9. Aimed at the Job Market The Professional Portfolio • Employers need people with varied but specific skills • The market is competitive • Employers (human resources dept.) don’t have a lot of time to spend searching for the information they need Manpower (2000). About Manpower - Our Story. [Online]. Available: http://www.manpower.com/en/story.asp. Retreived 11 September 2000.

10. The Professional Portfolio -2 “Employers . . . visit the job seeker’s personal Web site to view examples of the skills listed on a resume or portfolio. In the case of a graphic artist, a personal Web site might include a video clip illustrating an actual ad campaign, pictures of current or award-winning work, sounds from ads or interviews, and scanned images (such as an actual award)” (p.152). Kimeldorf, M & Kennedy, J.L. (1997). Portfolio power: The new way to showcase all your job skills and experiences. Princeton, NJ: Peterson’s.

11. The Professional Portfolio -3 • Identify your audience • Analyze your audience; research • Determine: What knowledge, skills, abilities are they looking for?

12. The Professional Portfolio -4 Sources of information: • Interviewing • employers • employees • alumni • professors • Trade Publications • Web Sites • Job Advertisements

13. Sample Job Ad Equity Technology Group - Junior Web Developer Junior Web Developer: Opportunity available for Junior level Web Developer. The candidate will be responsible for creating content-rich and visually appealing human-computer interfaces. The Candidate will define the visual image of the company and our services. Must be able to create under tight deadlines. Successful Candidates will have a minimum of one year experience in HTML and JavaScript. Experience with development tools such as Dreamweaver, Photo Shop, and Fireworks are required. This is a 6-month contract to perm position. If the candidate becomes permanent the candidate will lead and be responsible for all aspects of the creative design process for the Company and will be part of the core product development team. The candidate must be a self-starter, able to work in teams, or individually. Must be authorized to work immediately in the United States. This job requires an individual who is creative, dedicated, and a self starter. HTML and JavaScript experience is a MUST.

14. The Professional Portfolio -5 • Mine the ad (interview, publication . . .) • Knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes required (hallmarks) • Work that a person graduating in this field would know how to do (key performance) • Basic skills: drafting, editing, writing code • Use this information to collect and organize your work

15. The Professional Portfolio -6 Equity Technology Group - Junior Web Developer Junior Web Developer: Opportunity available for Junior level Web Developer. The candidate will be responsible for creating content-rich and visually appealing human-computer interfaces. The Candidate will define the visual image of the company and our services. Must be able to create under tight deadlines. Successful Candidates will have a minimum of one year experience in HTML and JavaScript. Experience with development tools such as Dreamweaver, Photo Shop, and Fireworks are desired. This is a 6-month contract to perm position. If the candidate becomes permanent the candidate will lead and be responsible for all aspects of the creative design process for the Company and will be part of the core product development team. The candidate must be a self-starter, able to work in teams, or individually. Must be authorized to work immediately in the United States. This job requires an individual who is creative, dedicated, and a self starter. HTML and JavaScript experience is a MUST.

16. The Professional Portfolio -7 • Rephrase the hallmarks and key performances as “statements of excellence” to describe your work • Web design work that is informative and easy to navigate with respect to the user’s needs and abilities • Web design work that uses visual and verbal material to highlight and emphasize each other’s content • Visual images that convey information or emotional content pertinent to a particular need • Use these statements to guide the user through your portfolio

17. The Professional Portfolio -8 • Determine how each hallmark and key performance can be demonstrated? • In your own fields, what are some things employers are looking for? What evidence can you provide?

18. The Professional Portfolio -7 Examples of Artifacts (evidence) • Musical compositions (demonstrating a sense for creative composition) • Music or Video (demonstrating a particular technical competency) • Creative Writing (demonstrating a particular personal value)

19. Electronic Portfolio Examples • Victoria Moore: http://www.rpi.edu/~moorev/portfolio • Matt Iacovone: http://www.mattiacovone.com/portfolio • Other students: http://www.llc.rpi.edu/martiv/cep/student_epfs.html • Current CEP class: http://www.llc.rpi.edu/martiv/cep/index.html

20. Include (and coordinate) Resume • Update your resume • Be sure skills stated on the resume are evidenced in the portfolio • Be sure that skills evidenced in the portfolio appear on your resume • Considerhyperlinking items on the resume to items in your portfolio

21. Now What? • Collect criteria of excellence for your field • Locate, select, devise evidence that addresses the criteria; put as much in one folder if you can • Write short descriptive paragraphs for each piece of evidence; include evaluative statements • Enroll in a DreamWeaver Workshop