Week 3, review 1

Review of Kathleen Blake Yancey, Introduction to Digitized Student Portfolios

Side note- I'm not certain this is the article Dr. Huot intended, but in the interest of completing it, I decided to go ahead and write and post this review while I await his confirmation. It introduces some interesting concepts!

Kathleen Blake Yancey's article sets out the uses and differences between standard portfolios and digital portfolios. She defines student portfolios as "collections of work selected from a larger archive of work, upon which the student has reflected. Portfolios can be created in many different contexts, serve various purposes, and speak to multiple audience" (16). She also details the types of print portfolios before moving into the types, uses and issues of electronic portfolios.

The first print portfolio Yancey discusses is the classroom portfolio. They vary as widely as classrooms themselves do, so the specifics of each portfolio really depends on the teacher and his / her students. They might be used to show how a student has improved as a writer or in a genre over the term, or it could be used to demonstrate understanding or local / global application of key concepts. Another class might use the portfolio to document experiments and the student's review of his or her success therein. Regardless, the key to the classroom portfolio is the reflection, which can take the form of a letter, an essay, etc.

Next, Yancey discusses program portfolios, where students use their portfolio to draw from multiple courses to satisfy program requirements in demonstrating their ability in their field or exploring future options. For example, students in a writing program might "create these portfolios to satisfy outside readers (typically faculty from the campus) that they are competent writers... [Another] portfolio invites each student to reflect on past learning as he or she plans courses, internships, and other academic experiences. This portfolio, then, is oriented toward the future as much as toward the past" (18).

Finally, Yancey explores the electronic portfolio. Of the six critical issues of electronic portfolios that she identifies, two I believe are shared within print portfolios: the role of aesthetic design and the timing of when faculty will read and review the portfolios. The other four issues are:
1. identifying the "place" where the portfolio will be accessed: on a disk, on the web;
2. exploiting appropriately the potential of the electronic environment, including hyperlinks, design of pathways for different purposes and audiences, and use of multiple kinds of information, such as graphics, sound, and video;
3. deciding how much technological skills will be required of students and faculty and what, if any, pedagogical changes will be entailed;
4. Defining options as to the "life cycle" of the electronic portfolio.

As I mentioned above, I'm not 100% this article is the one that Huot intended, but I think it brings up interesting ideas for a composition class, such as digital publishing in blogs. I think creating digital portfolios increases accessibility in some ways (granted, it limits it in others, especially if you work in a community where students have limited access to computers) that encourages reading / writing communities. It also can help foster a sense of real-world applicability because their work is not limited to the confines of the classroom.