Creation of a Portfolio

Portfolios essentially involve three steps:

1. gathering items for a portfolio (process portfolio),
2. reflecting on the contents of the portfolio, often in the form of a conference between the learner and instructor or tutor (still part of the process), and
3. organizing the portfolio to show progress in learning goals (product portfolio).

A process portfolio is developmental: items are added on an ongoing basis. A process portfolio contains work done by the learner and supporting evidence from other sources such as an instructor, educational institution, or assessments made by peers, family, or friends.

A product portfolio is summative: items are chosen for a specific purpose. A product portfolio contains items that prove a learner's attainment of a specific educational or non- educational goal. Learners choose those items from the process portfolio that suit the goal they have achieved.

While not exhaustive or comprehensive, the following list suggests items that could be included in a process portfolio:

• learner-chosen items that reflect skill development
• instructor- or tutor-chosen items that reflect skill development
• learner self-assessments
• peer assessments
• instructor assessments
• standardized tests

One type of product portfolio is created when a learner has reached a major educational goal or completed a theme. The product portfolio shows all of the learner's best work demonstrating progress toward the goal. This evidence of learning not only boosts the learner's confidence, but shows others how the learner reached the goal. This type of portfolio could contain required elements from a course of study, such as written assignments, a standardized test, a personal profile, or a videotape. The learner can also review the portfolio periodically to refresh his or her memory about the skills that have been learned.

A product portfolio may also be constructed to fulfill a learner's specific non- educational goal. For example, some learners may be preparing for future job interviews. A product portfolio could include a learner's résumé, videotaped performance of certain tasks for a desired job, letters of reference from past employers, etc. Learners may wish to review all of their process portfolios in order to choose items for this specialized type of product portfolio.

Regular times should be scheduled for individual learners to go through their process portfolios with their instructors or tutors. It may make the most sense to review and reflect on the process portfolio near the end of a unit of study, or perhaps every six to eight weeks. More frequent reviews may be more appropriate for learners are in full-time classroom situations. Goals and timelines for creating product portfolios should also be set at the time of review. Learners may wish to set separate meeting times to create non-educational product portfolios as the need arises.