The Teaching PortfolioMaking the portfolio work for you

Dr Emma Kennedy, CAPD

By the end of this workshop, you should be able to:

Identify a variety of formats and uses of the teaching portfolio

Analyse your own needs and the ways in which you might use a teaching portfolio in their current practice

Reflect on the teaching portfolio as a format for evidencing achievement & skills

Create a plan of action for your own teaching portfolio

1. Planning your portfolio

2. Creating your portfolio

3. Reflecting on your portfolio

4. Action! Make a plan

Long

term

or

shor

t te

rm?

Collecte

d

ConstructedWork-in-progress A narrative

A picture

A project

What is a portfolio?

Ask yourself:

What is it for?

Who is it for?

What do I want to tell the reader?

What evidence do

I have?

What evidence do they want?

What format will

present this best?

What is it for?(Seldin et all (1991), The Teaching Portfolio• ‘The portfolio is to teaching what lists of publications, grants and honors

are to research and scholarship’ (4)• ‘Why should a skeptical professor spend valuable time preparing a

portfolio? Because it makes good sense to document teaching activities with the same care and accuracy as he or she uses to document research and scholarship. Portfolios are a step toward a more public, professional view of teaching and reflect teaching as a scholarly activity.’ (5)

• Activity (5 mins): What is your portfolio for?

Who is it for?

Public PrivateJob

search committ

ees

Colleagues Mentors Friends Student

s

What do I want to tell the reader?

Using the handout:Take 5 minutes to come up with a single sentence that describes the message you want the reader to take away from your portfolio.

What evidence do I have?

From yourself

Statement of teaching

Teaching philosophy

Description of methods

Syllabi or materialsDescription of improvements

Short/long term goals

From students 

Student course evaluations

Student comments on changes or changed results

Student-led teaching awards

Assessment results

From others

Teaching observation records

Recognition: e.g. fellowship of the HEA

Qualifications e.g. PGCAP

References on teaching

What evidence do they want?

What do you want to

emphasise?External impact

Impact on institution

Impact on students

Impact on colleagues

Personal growth

What kind of evidence

works best?Readers’ priorities?

Numbers or words?

Narrative or

snapshots?

Which pieces are strongest?

Which should be grouped?

Is there any evidence you need but don’t have yet? Write it in the box on the handout.

What format is best?• Good for portfolios

within the institution

• Usually most space for embedding media files (e.g. videos) – QM+ Media Server

Portfolio software (QM+ Hub/Mahara)

• Free• Can embed subject to

storage restrictions• Accessible to those

outside institution• Can link easily, incl.

within other documents

Web: WordPress, Google Sites, Weebly

• Easily transferred via email or upload

• Printable

Document: word or PDF

Structuring your portfolio

• What do you want to include? Certain case studies or developments? Do you want to argue particular points?

Gather your main points and

evidence

• Do you need one section per point of the argument? One section per case study? How about themes?

Divide this into sections •This might be videos

of you teaching, pictures, quotations for student evaluations. Make sure each piece of evidence serves a purpose and that each claim is backed up by evidence.

Collect, insert or embed your

evidence where appropriate

•Do you need an introduction and conclusion, or perhaps an ‘About’ page? How will users navigate your portfolio: table of contents or guide to the portfolio?

Look at the format: what else do you

need?

My Portfolio Structure

About Me Blog ProjectsTeaching

Distance LearningMany posts

Electronic Assessment: Dealing with a new format

“Why am I here?” Teaching on a required course

The ADEPT Advent Calendar

ADEPT: a teaching and learning website

Social media & communication for the ED team

Who am I?

Career and experience

Using the handout:

Draw a possible structure for your own portfolio

Planning Your Portfolio

Short-term

Evidence to collect

Writing and creation to

do

Long term

Employment: what my future jobs

require

Development: what do I

want to focus on?

Short term

Collecting evidence• What are the opportunities to collect evidence in your

career?• How will you collect it?• When will you collect it?Creating• What do you need to do to create your portfolio? • When will you make the time to create it?

Long term

Training needs

Future directions

Career developme

nt