Now I’m not sure if I’m starting to get a one-track mind, or if there are just SOOOO many applications for ePs out there that it’s becoming ridiculous. Time and time again though, people seemed to be seeking a way to consolidate all the ‘bits’ of their lives, their work, their projects, whatever, and make some kind of sense of them. And to me, ePOrtfolios seem to be the way to do that. Or at least one way.  

What I mean by that is that ePortfolios aren’t anything new. It’s not about doing ‘more’ as such, but about bringing together what we’re already doing and making sense of it. We already have a range of experiences which we’ve collected – for many of us though, evidence of those experiences are scattered far and wide, and often it takes a mammoth search to find them! We already reflect on those experiences, just usually not in written form and not as regularly as we’d probably like. We select experiences and weave a story around them for job applications, but we often have to rush through this at the last minute – after the mammoth search. So we’re doing it all anyway. ePortfolios just help us doing it better.

This is especially true when it comes to our work in teams. A couple of times, people suggested that information be gathered on specific courses or projects and the response was – “but that’s all over the place – in my filing cabinet, in theirs, on my computer, under a desk…and hey, didn’t Mr X have some of it, but he left years ago. Wonder where it is now?” Now if that project just had a portfolio that all could access, contribute to, record meetings and reflections and ideas in, as well as developing work…

Or perhaps that’s just my one-track mind.

Photo source: http://lh6.ggpht.com/_YXpDdoS_RUI/SG_1gXmRkgI/AAAAAAAACCA/vqTgbQwlIg4/DSC01211.JPG

Many people think about ePortfolios as pictures of the past – snapshots of the ‘best bits’ that you want others to see so that they’ll give you a job, a promotion, a pay rise. But there’s another view that sees portfolios as a tool to support the lifelong learning process – a space where you can think about the future as well as reflect on the past. A space where you can develop the skills to grow and change, and to continue to learn not only as part of formal education but also as part of your working life. So, if you take on that view, then thinking (and writing down) what you want for the future is absolutely part of what an ePortfolio should be all about.

BTW, Sacha has completed a masters degree but has moved away from academia into a position at IBM. Her blog is a place where she can share what she learns, networks and keeps on track of everything that’s happening in her life. It’s a great example of a blog-based ePortfolio – and it works. She cites it as the main reason she gained her current job! Here’s her approach in a nutshell – and where it has taken her:

Not bad.

Of course, there are already freely-available tools out there that anyone can use to create their own portfolio. Grab any blog tool and you’re 75% of the way there already! What we’re looking for is a system that provides you with much greater confidentiality and privacy than you might get by pulling together a series of Web2.0 tools – something that we’re hearing is certainly valuable to many within the CSU community.

We’ll provide more details as soon as they become available, but hang in there in the knowledge that work is being done to ‘get this right’ rather than just throw another tool out there at you. In the meantime, the best thing that anyone can do to start off their ePortfolio is to start gathering together the kinds of artefacts that you might use as ‘evidence’ to show off who you are. All you need to do this is a good folder structure on your hard drive or in MyWorkspace within CSU Interact. Oh, and find a space where you can reflect on a regular basis about your work and professional development – check out the transferable skills wiki for some help on how to start up a blog if you don’t already have one.

If I was to single out one consistent comment that I’ve heard over the past 18 months in relation to ePortfolios, it would have to be this: ‘Yeah, it’s a great idea, and I’d love to have one, but I never get around to it’.

Well, Michelle Martin has come up with a solution for all those people who are struggling just trying to juggle work, family and social commitments, let alone trying to fit in some time to develop an ePortfolio. It’s not fancy, but it does allow you to collect together elements and write a short narrative/reflection around them.

What she’s done is create an ePortfolio using del.icio.us. If you don’t know delicious, you should get to know it – or another social bookmarking site (just google social bookmarking and you’ll find some). I was chatting to a colleague this morning who was surprised to see me talk about delicious in a presentation last week, as he hadn’t heard of anyone else at CSU using it, although he ‘couldn’t live without it’. I agree – without a place to store all the fantastic online resources that I find – from journal and newspaper articles to thought-provoking blog posts – and to tag them so I can find them easily from whatever computer I’m on – I’d be lost. But I’m sure there are many many others out there who find this tool just as delicious as I do…

Anyway, Michelle is simply bookmarking her work, her blog posts, anything that is significant, and ensuring she writes an extended tag to explain that item. Of course, the elements you upload need to be online first. And not subject to ‘link rot’, such as items within a subject site that will be archived in a few months. but if you’re the type of person who wants to keep track of your best blog postings, published work, material available through your own webspace etc, this could be for you.

Like I said, not really pretty, and not really utilising the powers of ePortfolio to their best (reflection is really limited here, as is future planning and linkages between items to help it all make sense) but if you’re looking for a way to collect together the ‘gems’ that you want to show off later, in a very time-efficient way, this could be it.

(BTW, Michelle’s site, The Bamboo Project, is one of my favourite’s in relation to ePortfolios and professional identity. I’ve added it to the blog roll.)

Originally uploaded by spleenboy

OK, so it’s not a great principle to live your life by. But when it comes to portfolios, you could be excused for wearing a shirt like this.  

No matter what their type or emphasis, portfolios are about representing yourself to an audience – even if that audience is yourself. It’s very personal, and often not all of it is meant to be shared. I like to think of it as a space to grow and learn – to develop me.

Of course, how well you represent yourself usually depends on how much ownership you feel you have over your portfolio. If I know my entire portfolio will be laid bare to the world, I’m more likely to include only ’safe’ reflections on my abilities and experiences. There’s just too many consequences otherwise. 

D’Arcy Norman, along with many others, has written about portfolios and how important it is for the user to feel a sense of ownership over their portfolio – that it’s theirs, that they have control over the structure and presentation, as well as when (and with whom) it’s shared. These are fundamental essentials to any portfolio ’space’ if you want to make it real – an honest reflection of you, not a cardboard cutout made to meet someone else’s specifications. Helen Barrett’s example  of a group of high school students who burnt their portfolios as soon as they left school is a prime example of what happens when you don’t feel ownership. Of course, the more common result is that you simply stop using it. It’s relegated to the ‘good idea, but…’ category and disappears into the abyss, never to be seen again.

I guess that’s why I called this blog ‘realfolio’. I wanted to explore different ways of creating a professional portfolio that’s a real reflection of myself, and not just something designed to tick other people’s boxes.

So how do you get that sense of ownership over your portfolio? A good place to start is to work out what you’re actually trying to achieve by it. Are you doing it to help you get a job at the end of your Masters or Doctorate or whatever, or are you doing it to learn more about yourself, your abilities and where you best ‘fit’ in this world? Or something else? Be clear on these questions, so you know where your portfolio is taking you, and who you are writing it for.

The other part that’s important for ownership is deciding how you’ll present it. Are you a social media junkie or a paper and pen fanatic – or something inbetween? What about the people you’ll be presenting to? Choose tools that work for you and your audience. While CSU isn’t offering a portfolio system as such at the moment (though this will be happening soon), there’s lots of ideas in the transferable skills wiki that will help you decide on some tools that will get you started and make sure that you don’t waste time if you decide later to use CSU’s portfolio tools.

The other part of ownership is presenting your personality. Start collecting images that typify you – whether they are of yourself, your study area, or concept images that highlight particular attributes or ideas that represent you.

You might start with guidelines about the kinds of things to include, but remember to make it your own. The objective isn’t to colour in the blanks; the portfolio is about you, so make it about you. Even if you come up with the same choices as your colleagues. This is from a CSU staff member, and postgrad student: 

Even though the product I arrive at could be standard…the process that I go through is the important part. And when that is the case I have greater ownership than starting off with a template and just filling in the areas. That sort of detaches it for me…It’s the thinking process and the ownership.

And he’s right…thinking though those initial questions, even if your answers are the same as someone elses, is paramount. That’s how you make it yours. That’s how you’ll ensure it’s a portfolio that you use and don’t just abandon after a few feeble efforts. That’s how you know it’s a real folio that represents you.

Photo from Flickr:  Its all about me

Originally uploaded by labels_30

Originally uploaded by dullhunk

Who needs another blog, right? There are zillions – from serious rants on social media and feminism to Cinderella’s birthday party  bash - so what else is there to offer? I mean, really!

Well, I guess this one will appeal to those interested in portfolios, particularly those at Charles Sturt University. We’ve been exploring the use of portfolios here at the university for about a year or so now, and have learned a lot. Do we have a complete solution yet? Not entirely. But we’re getting closer, and we’re keen to launch something that will work for our users, not just throw another ‘product’ in your face that has minimal use.

What I’m attempting to do here is to share useful resources I find, information about what’s happening in various areas of the university in relation to portfolios – including some great portfolios that I’ve seen, and tips that really work. If we can get some discussion going from that, all the better. Stay tuned…