Digital portfolios

Digital portfolio assignments are used in many subject areas, including fine art, law, business, IT, and health. They offer an engaging alternative to traditional essays by providing students with the opportunity to develop essential career skills. Let's explore the steps to create an effective portfolio.

Digital portfolio assignments require you to collect and arrange artefacts or items (work that demonstrates your skill) on a digital platform, and reflect on your professional growth. This enables you to review experiences, analyse successes and failures, and identify lessons learned.

You can showcase your achievements in your portfolio. However, a digital portfolio is not just about presenting a perfect final product. It's just as important to document the steps taken to create the final outcome, including successes and failures.

What will you be asked to do?

This can vary from assignment to assignment, but generally speaking, you'll be required to:

• create or collect items for your portfolio
• upload them to a digital platform and arrange them logically and/or aesthetically
• reflect, explain and/or analyse your items and the process used to create them.

What will you get out of it?

Producing a portfolio provides you with the opportunity to hone your skills and map your progress. Other benefits include:

• learning to reflect on your practice
• experience using a digital portfolio platform
• presenting your work in a logical and visually appealing way
• for art and design students, experience presenting digitised forms of your work on the web.

What the person marking your portfolio wants to see

When marking your work, evaluators often look for some or all of the following:

• professional growth
• your ability to reflect
• the work you are capable of producing
• the process you use to create your work.

Professional portfolios v assignment portfolios

Portfolios produced for assessment differ from professional portfolios in a number of ways: