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Unit 1: What is an E-Portfolio?

From KNILT


Learning Objectives

  • Participants will be able to explain what constitutes an E-portfolio and discriminate between the two primary different types.
  • Participants will be able to demonstrate their mastery of the New York State Learning Standards and how to use an E-portfolio to acquire content relating to these standards.



First, let’s define a student portfolio (since an e-portfolio is an extension of this concept).
A student portfolio is an organized collection of student’s work over an extended period of time that

  • includes various samples of their work
  • requires self-reflection and evaluation as a student assembles it
  • complies with clear requirements of needed elements
  • tells a story of what the student has accomplished


An E-portfolio is simply a student portfolio contained in a digitized form. Some possible options include:

  • burning of multiple files on a CD or flash drive
  • creation of a video file that can be viewed on youtube or other such sites
  • placing all elements in a Powerpoint, Microsoft Word or other Microsoft Office Product file
  • using other “cloud” applications as presentation/storage means

As new technologies develop, the possibilities continue to grow. Each approach has certain benefits and disadvantages that a teacher needs to consider as they develop E-portfolio guidelines for their students.

Due to confidentiality requirements for underage high school students, links can not be provided to sample portfolios from that age level. Instead, the following link will take you to several different post-secondary sample portfolios including Health Education to provide some ideas of how they are currently being used. [[1]]



There are two main types of student portfolios: A process portfolio documents the stages of learning and provides a progressive record of student growth. A product portfolio demonstrates mastery of a learning task or a set of learning objectives and contains only the best work.

For this mini-lesson, the focus is on creating a process portfolio since this approach works best with helping students to reach the New York State Learning Standards for Health:

NEW YORK STATE LEARNING STANDARDS FOR HEALTH:

Standard 1: Personal Health and Fitness Students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity, and maintain personal health.

Standard 2: A Safe and Healthy Environment. Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment.

Standard 3: Resource Management. Students will understand and be able to manage their personal and community resources.

NYS learning standards – you can see all of the sub-points listed here [[2]]

Notice that none of above objectives have a clear and definite end-point. Instead, Health educators seek to empower students with both current knowledge and skills that will enable them to be life-long learners. A process portfolio not only fits well with the growth that can happen during a typical semester, but it can be a stepping stone to additional learning as individual students face their own unique life circumstances.

Since this mini-lesson focuses on a Health Education specific e-portfolio, the New York State Learning Standards should be used as the targeted framework for content development. A teacher could even choose to have students organize their portfolio with content placed under the appropriate standard.



To see Health Education content that can be placed in an e-portfolio, please refer to Additional Resources & Suggestions for Health Teachers at any point while completing the three units.



Go to: Unit 2: Why A Google-Site based E-portfolio for the high school Health student?

Homepage: E-Portfolios for Health Education

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