Just like having people review papers you write to give you feedback, it's smart to have people review your e-portfolio. Constructive criticism is a good thing! The purpose is to help you. Your job is to listen.

If your e-portfolio is in its early stages share your first drafts with your friends, parents, and/or campus advisors.

If the purpose of your e-portfolio is to help you get a job, ALWAYS have someone look over your e-portfolio before you share it with prospective employers, even if it's just to check spelling/grammar. Look at the content - often times other people will point out things you may have missed. Feedback at this stage never hurts!

What makes an e-portfolio exemplary?

Here are criteria to consider as you make your selection of what you will put in your e-portfolio.

Evidence - This deals with the quality of the evidence in the portfolio. Is the evidence related to your purpose? Is the evidence relevant to your program of study? Is the evidence accurate? Is the evidence appropriate for sharing with the public? Think carefully about how you present sensitive issues. Could it be dangerous if you have worked on some sort project that isn't in favor with the general public? Remember, the internet is a VERY PUBLIC place. Think about it before you post personal pictures and the content these contain. What kind of message are you sending about yourself? Is socializing more important to you than your education?

Professionalism - Be sure your evidence is in the best possible form. Don't show pieces of your work that aren't completed, or look half done. The works that you display in your portfolio should be professional, not pieces of work that deal with silly or obscure topics. If you feel that a piece of work needs revising, revise it before you include it in the portfolio. Also, be sure to review the entire portfolio thoroughly to make sure there are no grammar or spelling mistakes. These little things are sometimes a deciding factor for a reviewer as they read through your e-portfolio.

Audience - This can't be stressed enough! Always critically look at the audience/advisors/faculty/employer that you are creating your e-portfolio for. Tailor your e-portfolio to meet the needs of the reviewer that will be visiting your e-portfolio. What will they need to see? What can you show them about yourself?

Learning and growth - Try and incorporate a few pieces of evidence that show some sort of growth or learning. For example, adding a description that compares one piece of evidence to another, that explains how you incorporated what you learned from creating the first piece, and applied that to how you created the second piece -- Wow! Now you are showing that you not only have evidence but understand how they fit together!

How easy is your e-Portfolio to use and understand?

Design - Good web page layout and design is critical to a successful e-portfolio. Be aware of what colors you are using on your page, the contrast, page layout, and all other design considerations.

Usability - How many clicks does it take to get to your resume? Does the reviewer need special plugins? Are there any broken links? Make it as easy as you can for the review to find the information they are looking for.

Navigation - Do you always know where you are (in what section) within the e-portfolio? Is it easy to get back to the main menu or to other sections? If your reviewer finds themselves confused or lost, or not knowing what section they are in, the e-portfolio has poor navigation.

Information Architecture - Make sure your message comes out in the design. The most important information should only be one click away from the main menu, at most, two clicks. If a professor has to click 3 or 4 levels deep into a website to find the information you posted, this is considered poor information architecture.

Use the General e-Portfolio Evaulation Worksheet to assess how strong your e-portfolio is.