Learning Portfolio Program

• A high-impact learning tool

  • A learning portfolio (also referred to as an ePortfolio) is a digital collection of a person's work, ideas, and personal expression.
  • Learning portfolios may showcase learning progression, evidence of growth, achievement, personal goals, and self-reflection. They include carefully selected artifacts in the form of essays, research reports, videos, audio recordings, images, and much more.
  • Learning Portfolios are one of the 11 high-impact teaching and learning practices identified by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).

• More than a repository

  • Learning portfolios are like a digital scrapbook. While many traditional assignments and assessments create a snapshot of a moment in time, learning portfolios provide an opportunity for storytelling and a holistic understanding of a person's learning experience. Stories told in a portfolio can exceed the boundaries of traditional assignments and assessments. 
  • While learning portfolios can function as a product (an archive of artifacts), their benefits are maximized when portfolios function as a process that supports student learning.

• Not an LMS (Learning Management System)

  • A big difference between learning portfolios created in Digication and an LMS (Sakai) can be found in ownership. Sakai is "owned" and managed by instructors. Learning portfolios are "owned" by students: they can control access, design elements, and which artifacts are added.
  • In most cases, students lose access to Sakai courses when the semester ends. Students will have full access to Digication for as long as Loyola University Chicago is contracted with Digication. This means students will continue to have ownership over their learning portfolios long after graduation.

• A tool for critical reflection

  • Critical reflection goes beyond describing a student's experience-- it is a thinking and reasoning process that makes meaning of an experience.
  • Learning portfolios allow students to curate reflections that reveal the intersections of their backgrounds, personal identities, and experiences in and out of the classroom.
  • You can learn more in the Guide to Ignatian Critical Reflection.

• A tool for assessment and accreditation

  • A learning portfolio can be a powerful tool for assessment and evaluation. By establishing a set of criteria of evidence each student is required to submit, evaluators can measure what concepts students have mastered and where they are falling short.
  • Learning portfolios can be used as formative assessments (throughout students' course of study) or as summative evaluations (at the end of the standard degree program).
  • Portfolio assessment has advantages over other modes of evaluation in that students often have the opportunity to select what they feel is their best representative work. With the ability to include multiple formats, including multimedia, learning portfolios address a variety of learning styles.

Loyola University Chicago supports four different types of Learning Portfolios. 

• Course Portfolios

  • Typically used in a single course for students to submit assignments, connect course concepts, reflect on their learning, receive peer and instructor feedback, and integrate academic and co-curricular experiences.

• Integrative Portfolios

  • Used within an entire major, minor, or academic program for students to connect content across multiple courses, create an interdisciplinary learning experience, integrate beyond-the-classroom experiences, and assess student learning.

• Assessment Portfolios

  • Used by instructors to evaluate student learning outcomes, competencies, or skills as defined by a program's standards and/or outcomes. Students upload artifacts that demonstrate attainment of the aforementioned areas.

• Professional/Showcase Portfolios 

  • Used by students, faculty and staff to share skills, competencies, or experiences with professional colleagues or prospective employers.
  • Students use the portfolio to track professional growth and make meaning of professional experiences over time.
  • Faculty may consider creating a portfolio to support their promotion and tenure processes.

Here are some great resources related to learning portfolios:

• AAC&U Field Guide to ePortfolio: Why it Matters for Learning
• ePortfolios Across the Disciplines
• American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
  • AAC&U is a long-standing advocate of ePortfolios in higher education. Each year as part of the AAC&U annual meeting, there is a sponsored ePortfolio Forum addressing research and best practices.
• The International Journal of ePortfolio (IJeP)
  • The mission of the International Journal of ePortfolio is to encourage the study of practices and pedagogies associated with ePortfolios in educational settings.
• Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL)
  • AAEEBL (pronounced "able") is a professional association and a U.S. non-profit with members in four countries. Its goal is to promote portfolio learning as a way to transform higher education.
• Digication Scholars Youtube Channel
• ePortfolios and Assessment

Here are some tips and tools that will help you make the most of learning portfolios:

• Start early! Introduce the learning portfolio early in the semester and embed it into your course. 

• Try sharing a portfolio template with your students to use as a jumping-off point. 
• Share a ready-made template. Once your students download a copy of the template, they will be able to edit it, customize it, and easily share it with you.
• General Service-Learning Template
• General Internship Template
• General Research Template
• Professional Portfolio Template (Blue)
• Professional Portfolio Template (BW)
• Course Template
• Create your own template that you can share with your students. Here is a video to help.
• Try adding some reflective activities from this Critical Reflection Toolkit to an existing portfolio template. You will find interactive activities under the “Reflection “Workbook” tab.
  • Click here to view instructions on how to edit and add the activities to your portfolio template.
• Give your students feedback throughout the semester, rather than waiting until the last week of the course.
• Make sure you use Google Chrome when working in Digication.

Contact LUC's Learning Portfolio Program Manager

• What can the Learning Portfolio Program Manager do for you?
  • Collaborate to find the most effective way for you to use learning portfolios in our program or course.
  • Provide individualized training as you learn how to use Digication.
  • Meet with your students to provide instructions or to answer questions about learning portfolios.
• Email: learningportfolio@luc.edu 

Reach out to Digication directly

• Digication has many great resources on the Digication Help Desk page.
• You may email support@digication.com at any time if you need help.