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In my day to day role, I work at a BC Post-Secondary Institution and see portfolio based assessment as something that definitely comes up in a variety of ways already and I foresee it continuing to increase in adoption.
For example, when I recently completed PLAR (prior learning assessment recognition) for three courses towards my degree proving prior knowledge from my work as a journalist, workshop provider, and magazine editor; online portfolio was the platform in which this was accomplished.
As a conference co-chair for an association of adult basic educators, I see the increase in portfolio based assessment for the alternate school/K-12 system being launched. Demand is high for workshops that demonstrate efficient ways to include portfolio in instruction and lesson planning.
It makes sense to me that portfolios are gaining importance in the academic realm as they have always been important in the workplace, from demonstrating the breadth of the projects you’ve been responsible for to showcasing your academic and professional careers on your CV.
To prepare for the transition to lesson planning, it makes sense to teach with the end in mind. Have several assignments that are open-ended enough to allow the student to integrate his or her own interests and skills and will show well in a portfolio. Introduce a platform that will be helpful for demonstrating the knowledge learned (the PIDP blog assignment is a good example of this). Finally, show the student at the outset the importance of portfolios in the marketplace (with applications from linked in to a professional website to hosting an online course as an instructor).
In the article, “4 Secrets to Building a Portfolio that’ll make Everyone want to Hire you,” the author points out the compelling attraction of visual presentation.
The secrets are quite comprehensive targeting a wide variety of job seeker. Here is a wrap-up of the advice:
Note: I recommend visiting the article for the full benefit of the information in context with details that may be helpful for your individual needs.
1. Figure out what you want to show off – the skills, projects, partnerships, and knowledge that make you the one to hire
2. Keep things visually simple and uncluttered (they include examples)
3. Utilize drop down menus to make searching your portfolio easy. (again more specific examples at the article)
4. Inject enough personality and information about yourself to give yourself the benefit of a pre-interview. You may stand out from the crowd before you even walk into the interview room if you use this tool to your advantage.
Portfolio applications really interest me and I am thrilled to be doing my second conference workshop on this subject this year later this fall on the benefits of linkedin & its portfolio applications for professionals and students alike. Connect on linked in