ePortfolio Templates

Overview

ePortfolios are a type of artifact in Student Learning and Licensure (SL&L.) ePortfolios allow students to create a single “document” that may contain many different kinds of content. ePortfolios have many uses. Most often, though, ePortfolios are used to gather and document work completed across a student’s program, along with students’ reflections and narratives.

ePortfolios can be submitted as part of SL&L activities and, as with any other submitted artifact, be assessed using rubrics. One common workflow is to have students build one portion of a portfolio and submit it for assessment. Over the course of a program, a student adds more portions to the portfolio, submitting for assessment along the way. At the end of the program, students have a completed Program portfolio, and can submit to a final, or “capstone” assessment.

ePortfolio Templates

To ensure students are building all the required components into their portfolio, SL&L Administrators can construct an ePortfolio template. An ePortfolio template provides the structure and format of a portfolio and contains “fill-in-the-blank” components. The template can then be copied by students and populated with their own content.

Creating an ePortfolio Template

ePortfolio templates are created from the Templates tab in Academics & Offices. Although the Templates tab is associated with a specific organization or program, any ePortfolio template is accessible to all students. 


To Create an ePortfolio Template

1. From the Templates tab, click the Create Template button.
2. Select ePortfolio.

3. Type in a name for the ePortfolio template.
4. Type in a description of the template.

5. Click the Create button.

The ePortfolio Template Builder Screen




The ePortfolio builder has two tabs at the top of the screen: Add Content and Settings.

The Add Content tab
The Add Content tab is where you will find the actual ePortfolio builder. It has two primary parts. The left side contains building tools for choosing what will be included in your template. The right side, called the Content Area, is where you place components, and decide their order.

The Building Tools
The left side of the ePortfolio builder contains the tools you will use to select what will be included in the template. Building Tools include two categories: Components and Pages.

Components
When the Components category is selected, you will see several components on the left side of the screen. Each component represents a unique way information can be added to a Portfolio. 

Resource Components:  These two components are a way of providing resources TO your students. Students can NOT “use” these components.

• Content – A text box. This text box can contain text (such as instructions), images, or links.
• Attachment – Provides a file that can be downloaded by students.

Student Response Components:  These components provide input tools to students. Each component takes in a different type of information.

• Text – Students can enter text (such as reflections), images, or links.
• Image – Allows students to embed an external image, or select an image from a past activity.
• Image Gallery - Allows students to embed several external images or select images from past activities. Images are displayed as thumbnails and a primary large image. Selecting a thumbnail will make it the primary image.
• File Upload – Allows students to upload an external file, or select a file from past activities.
• Video - Allows students to embed a YouTube video by providing a link or selecting a video from a past activity.
• Activities – Allows students to attach past activities (or parts of them) and display them as date-stamped “ball and stick” or as a “card”

Adding Components to a Template
To add a component to the Content Area, simply click the component. When a component is clicked, a window will appear with the component settings. Every component has the same settings.


 

• Label – This text appears with the component, and is often used to provide instructions on completing the component.
• Student can edit the label – When a student has copied the template, this checkbox determines whether a student can change the text of the Label in their copy.
• Student can remove this component - When a student has copied the template, this checkbox determines whether a student can delete the component from their copy.

NOTE: Students can always add additional components to their portfolio.

Pages
When the Pages category is selected, you can add, rename, and change the order of pages in the template. Every new ePortfolio template is created with the first page, which is titled “Blank.”


 

• To add a new page, click the Add New Page button.
• To edit a page, click the 3 dots button next to the page name, and select Edit. From Edit, you can:
  • Rename the page by typing a new name into the Name box
  • Change the order of pages by selecting an option from the Move Page to dropdown menu

The Settings tab
The Settings tab has two settings:

• Description - Add or change the ePortfolio description.
• Students can move, delete, and rename pages in the ePortfolio – When a student has copied the template, this checkbox determines whether a student can manage the pages created from the template in their copy.

NOTE: Students can always add additional pages to their portfolio.



Saving and Publishing an ePortfolio Template




Close
The Close button will close the Template Builder without saving your changes.

Save as Draft
While building an ePortfolio template, clicking the Save as Draft button will save your work, and return you to your Admin hierarchy templates tab.

Publish
For an ePortfolio template to be available to students, the template must be Published. In the Template Builder, click the Publish button to publish the template.


Managing ePortfolio Templates

Editing and Deleting ePortfolio Templates

Published templates can still be edited at any time. Changes will only be applied to future student portfolios. The changes will have no effect on student portfolios that have previously been created.

Likewise, deleting an ePortfolio Template will have no impact of student portfolios previously created.

Copy, Move and Unpublish an ePortfolio Template
Once an ePortfolio Template is created, it will appear in the Admin hierarchy Templates tab. As with other templates, additional options are available by clicking the 3 dots corresponding to the template. Options include:

• Copy – Creates a copy of a template
• Move – Moves the template to another hierarchy tier
• Unpublish – Unpublishing makes the templates no longer available to students (only available if the template is currently Published)
• Delete – Deletes the template (only available if the template is in Draft status)