Portfolio Tutorial - University of the Fraser Valley (UFV)

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Portfolio Tutorial

Developing a portfolio is more than just an excellent way to showcase your abilities, it is a rewarding experience in itself. By reflecting on your learning and experience, you will develop a deeper understanding of yourself, and where you have been. You will also be in the best position possible to set academic and career goals. That said, there is no specific formula.

This section will provide you with examples taken from successful portfolios written by students. These guidelines are a general introduction to portfolio writing. Before you write your own portfolio you will receive specific guidelines from the PLAR Coordinator and your faculty assessor.

What's in a portfolio?

Cover Page

Table of Contents

Goals

Reflective Narratives

Resume

Demonstration Statements

Evidence

E-Portfolios

Note that there are three main categories of portfolios:

Portfolio type	Purpose
Academic	To be considered for university credit
Showcase	Personal Showcase: Create an heirloom to pass down your family tree Professional Showcase: Establish credibility in a field, to sell your product or services
Career	To demonstrate to an employer why you are the right person for the job

Cover Page

Not to be taken for granted, this is the first thing your reader will see.

For all portfolios you should include: your full name, and a title.

Academic (for credit) Portfolios: You must also include your date of birth, student number, address, and the date the portfolio was submitted.

Click here for more tips on creating a cover page.

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Dorothy Academic	Wendy Academic	Cheryl Showcase	Donna Academic	Debra Academic	Jean Showcase
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Kulwant Showcase

Table of Contents

Not only will this section provide backbone structure to your portfolio, it will showcase your organizational skills as well. Keep in mind that when you are organizing your table of contents the assessors need to be able to find sections easily.

Click here for more tips on creating a table of contents.

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Dorothy Academic	Jean Showcase	Rilla Showcase	Debra Academic	Linda Career	Donna Academic
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Veronica Showcase	Kulwant Showcase

Goals

What is the purpose of your portfolio? To gain academic credit? To get a job? To showcase your skills? What are your goals in 5 years? Have you mapped out what you’ll need to do in the next 4 years to achieve your long term goals?

Academic (for credit) Portfolios: Your purpose is to either:
Present a convincing case that what you have learned is what students in a specific UFV course are expected to know. OR,

To present a convincing case that what you have learned is worthy of University-level credit but for which there is no equivalent UFV course.

Showcase Portfolios: To provide a summary of your reflections on what has been significant about what you have learned, and/or provide annotated samples of your work.

Career Portfolios: To provide a comprehensive compilation of your experiences and achievements as they relate to your career or employment goals.

Click here for more tips on how to write goals.

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Wendy Academic	Jean Showcase	Debra Academic	Donna Academic	Cheryl Showcase	Veronica Showcase

Reflective Narratives

Who are you? What makes you you? What life experiences have brought you to the point you are at now? What did you learn about yourself?

If you are pursuing an academic portfolio you’ll want to focus on your learning in life and work that meets course learning outcomes.

Click here for more tips on how to write a chronological history
Click here for more tips on how to write a personal or professional learning narrative
Click here for more tips on how to write an autobiography

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Wendy Academic	Jean Showcase	Linda Career	Cheryl Showcase

Resume

A summary of your expertise and skills, your resume should be a snapshot of all that you have to offer.

Click here for more tips on how to write a resume

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Dorothy Academic	Wendy Academic	Jean Showcase	Rilla Showcase	Donna Academic	So Jeon Showcase
			1 2
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Debra Academic

Demonstration Statements

Demonstration statements are included in both academic and career portfolios.

Click here for more tips on how to write academic demonstration statements
Click here for more tips on how to write career demonstration statements

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Veronica Showcase	Kulwant Showcase	Linda Career

Evidence

Organized and labeled proof of learning that relates to learning outcomes for the courses you are challenging. If the proof is in the pudding, then this is the pudding. You claim that you know and can do something, and here are the letters, certificates, work samples, and references that prove it.

Academic (for credit) Portfolios: Documented evidence of learning that demonstrates or attests to the depth and breadth of your knowledge, skills and abilities relevant to the goals, objectives, and/or learning outcomes of the UFV course.

Showcase Portfolios: Any materials that serve the purpose of this portfolio.

Career Portfolios: Direct and indirect evidence of your accomplishments.

Click here for more tips on how to demonstrate evidence


Dorothy Academic	Wendy Academic	Kulwant Showcase	Jean Showcase	Cheryl Showcase	Debra Academic
1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4	1	1 2	1 2 3 4	1 2 3
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Rilla Showcase	Linda Career	Donna Academic	So Jeon Showcase
1 2	1	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4

E-Portfolios

Have a flair for technology? Want to create a portfolio on the web, or on disk? Check out these examples from some tech-savvy portfolio stars.

Click here for more tips on how to create an e-portfolio

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Cheryl Showcase	Nick Showcase

Who's made a portfolio?

Dorothy
Dorothy successfully challenged the Child and Youth Care (CYC) practicum by demonstrating her skills and prior learning through a portfolio.

“Creating a portfolio helped me to better understand myself, my frame of reference as well as further my career.”

Cheryl
Cheryl composed a very successful e-portfolio in the form of a website.

"While there were moments when I became frustrated...I am thankful for the journey it provided."

Jean
Jean recieved 18 PLAR credits towards Adult Education (ADED) by creating a portfolio. He was pleased that it enabled him to pursue his Master's Degree far sooner than he had anticipated.

"I think that developing a portfolio and using course challenge to obtain academic credit was the best thing I’ve ever done because I was able to see my capacity and my capability."

Lorraine
Lorraine challenged two courses in her Nursing Program using a portfolio.

"I found putting together the portfolio a very interesting process. It allowed me the opportunity to fit my university work in around my job, family life and other commitments."

Donna
Donna successfully challenged the CYC practicum by creating a portfolio.

"I have had the opportunity to share my binder with my family and friends. It makes a wonderful journal of what I have done over the years."

Linda
Linda developed a career portfolio and used it in an interview to demonstrate her skills.

"Whether a person is initially thinking of a portfolio from a personal or career point of view or perhaps a reflection of their creative side, I learned how valuable it is to organize artifacts regardless of not knowing how you can use them in the future."