The term e-portfolios is one of those terms used by many but depending on the circumstances can mean very different things.  There are many valid uses of e-portfolios.

Common purposes of the e-portfolio in education include:

• as an electronic storage device for students to save and backup their work samples
• for assessment where students’ progress toward specific learning goals is tracked
• for students to engage in self-reflection
• for external constituents: employers, graduate school admissions personnel, professional licensing agencies

In this blog, I will refer to the term “presentation portfolio” when discussing a web-based site that allows a student to present themselves in a professional manner to any external constituent of their choosing. Some of the common pages seen in a presentation portfolio include: a Welcome, Home or About Me page, a Goals and/or Philosophy page, a Resume/CV page and a Showcase area where students can demonstrate what they have done both in and outside the classroom, on campus and in the community. A good presentation portfolio does more than just showcase an artifact, it gives the student a chance to actually think about what they did, why they did it and the impact it has made on themselves personally and professionally.