Getting Started
Although your final General Education competencies won't be assessed until your senior year, you need to begin to prepare for successful completion of your ePortfolio components from the moment you arrive on campus your freshman year.
The first step is to organize your files and save them in your MyCLE/Blackboard Content Collection. Several organizational schemes are possible, such as a folder for each year (freshman, sophomore, etc.) at the first level, then a folder for each term (fall 2005, spring 2006, etc.) and finally a folder for each term’s class. You may also want to add a "personal" folder to keep information on awards, extracurricular and volunteer participation, and other items that may help you provide evidence of your best work at Clemson University. You should also plan to make sure you have a backup of your work so you can ensure the safety of your documents should you experience a computer crash or virus.
Please view the "Getting Started" tutorial to assist you in using the Blackboard ePortfolio tool. A complete listing of online tutorials for Blackboard ePortfolio and other applications is available to assist you.
Gathering Documents
Each semester, as you complete your assignments, save them in the appropriate folder in the Blackboard Content Collection for the appropriate term and class. If you recognize that an assignment may show evidence of a General Education competency, add that assignment document to an ePortfolio and tag it with the appropriate competency. You will also want to write a short reflection to accompany this assignment to capture your academic ideas at the time of its creation. At various times during the semester, you will want to copy your files to a CD-ROM or other storage device as a backup. You can also download and save your Blackboard ePortfolios to a CD-ROM to share it with others like potential employers or your academic adviser.
Online tutorials are available to assist you with Blackboard and other applications.
Preparing Templates
Templates for each General Education competency are available in Blackboard and are easily added when you build your General Education ePortfolio with the ePortfolio Wizard. Each template has the objectives listed so that you can link them to a reflective writing piece created after you complete the file. Include a direct link to the file in your reflection. Remember that you can include more than one file for each objective.
The Blackboard ePortfolio tutorial shows how to add templates to your General Education ePortfolio. A number of tutorials are available for Blackboard and other applications.
Being Creative
You may wonder how you can have more creative control over your ePortfolio, or if you can add links to creative work you have completed. Although the Blackboard ePortfolio tool displays similarly for each user, you can show creative efforts by embedding in your ePortfolios html elements that you have developed. Furthermore, you can link to other Web URLs you have created that may show your Web development and design skills. In addition, it is essential that you reflect on your ePortfolio elements to demonstrate your understanding and academic growth. Reflective writings could be included as links to short documents, but you are free to include reflection in your ePortfolio in any manner you choose. It is recommended that your reflection contain a direct link to the ePortfolio element to which it relates.
Sharing ePortfolios
When you tag an ePortfolio with a General Education competency, the ePortfolio is automatically shared with your assessment team. If you need to have your ePortfolio reviewed by others (such as your major adviser), you can select to share the ePortfolio with individuals in Clemson community (faculty, staff and students) or with external users (family or prospective employers). Be careful to eliminate sensitive personal information before you share your ePortfolio.