Physical or Digital?
Last updated
Last updated
There are several advantages to utilising online portfolios in comparison to traditional, offline portfolios. These online portfolios can be created and managed with various operating systems and free online tools, helping to promote digital literacy (Lorenzo and Ittelson, 2005). Their creation and management by students align with 21st-century practices, and they allow for quick and easy modifications, making them portable and transferable (Simatele, 2015).
ManageBac allows you to add portfolios and journalling functionality to any class, task or project.
Online portfolios provide more opportunities for personalisation and creativity, and they are also more environmentally friendly. Another major benefit of online portfolios is that they can be viewed by multiple users at the same time. This means that a teacher or tutor can access and review the portfolio multiple times before the final assessment and submission. Many online tools for portfolio building also have back-end functions, such as adding comments and tracking changes.
This might consist of a binder or folder, commonly used for storing physical copies of student assignments or work. This type of portfolio is usually necessary when a physical submission of the student's work is required, such as for a Personal Project Exhibition or Visual Art Project. A real portfolio also has valuable tactile and aesthetic qualities in its own right. The act of making the journal or portfolio adds to student ownership and the reflective process.
It is sometimes possible to combine both with a Physical Portfolio being copied into a digital one using photography/ video or other elements. Combining the best of both methods and generating a process of reflection.