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FAQ 
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Frequently Asked Questions What is a digital portfolio?
What is the
purpose of CTE's Digital Portfolio (DP)?
Who developed the Digital Portfolio?
What are some of
the key features of the application?
Why has CTE built two separate interfaces for the
DP application?
What are the
specific functions of the two interfaces for the DP
application?
Who benefits from
using the Digital Portfolio?
How does the Digital Portfolio differ from a traditional paper
portfolio?
How many teachers
are using the DP now?
Can my school use
the Johns Hopkins Digital Portfolio system?
What is a digital portfolio?
A digital portfolio is a collection of materials and
artifacts gathered together to demonstrate the capabilities and
achievements of community members in relation to a pre-determined
set of professional standards.
In the case of a teacher, a digital portfolio is a
collection of exemplary evidence gathered during preservice
education and ongoing professional development to demonstrate
targeted competencies, and allow multiple people to review and
give feedback on the teacher's work.
What is the purpose of CTE's Digital
Portfolio (DP)?
The DP is intended to facilitate professional assessment for
preservice teachers; help those teachers find jobs; and provide
teachers with a simple way to investigate and expand on their own
learning and professional development. Members will publish
selected artifacts, interpretations of standards, and critical
reflections, in an attractive, Web-based format with
well-organized links to related support materials.
Who developed the Digital
Portfolio?
The DP application was developed by the Johns Hopkins
Center for Technology in
Education (CTE), mirroring and extending the portfolio process
in use for a decade in the JHU Masters of Arts in Teaching
program.
What are some of the key features of the
application?
The DP's tools include the Portfolio, Message Center, Filing
Cabinet, and Journalóall designed to emphasize collaboration
amongst community members. The Portfolio serves as an organized,
annotated electronic repository of a member's work. It allows
community members to collect and display evidenceólesson plans,
student assignments, and audio or videoóin order to demonstrate
competency in relation to a pre-determined set of professional
principles or standards. The Message Center allows members to
request feedback, respond to feedback requests, and quickly and
easily communicate with other members of the community. In the
File Cabinet, members can upload and organize files, folders and
links that may eventually be added to the Portfolio. The Journal
provides community members with an electronic tool for recording
personal and/or professional observations.
Community members can take advantage of the DP
to:
- Bring together multiple sources of evidence
- Demonstrate growth over time
- Create contextual links between theory and practice
- Reflect critically on professional development
- Set future goals and track progress
Why has CTE built two separate
interfaces for the DP application?
Johns Hopkins University is committed to the principles of
reflection and collaboration as important components of teacher
education and professional development. In order to facilitate
both reflection and collaboration within the portfolio community,
without compromising individual students' freedom to experiment
with new approaches and strategies in their teaching, CTE decided
to create three separate interfaces within the DP application. The
working portfolio is accessible only to the student (with
the option of allowing peers to view parts of the unfinished
product). The presentation interface is publishable on a larger
scale, which allows students to showcase their work (and progress)
in job interviews.
What are the specific functions of the
two interfaces for the DP application?
The working portfolio is the student's starting point;
this is where the portfolio owner gathers and develops evidence of
their professional development over time. This interface also
includes a feedback component that allows student's to grant
access to their work to peers in advance of completing their
project. The presentation interface is a Web-based copy of
the student's finished portfolio-which can be called upon during a
student's portfolio defense or for interviewing and job searching.
Who benefits from using the Digital
Portfolio?
The Digital Portfolio is used by educational
institutions and organizations interested in providing program
members with a platform on which to reflect on past learning, set
and assess goals, and highlight progress towards those
goals.
How does the Digital Portfolio differ
from a traditional paper portfolio?
The Digital Portfolio serves exactly the same
purpose as a traditional paper portfolio. The only difference is
that the entire portfolio process, from gathering evidence to
writing interpretations of standards, and producing a presentation
for reviewers, is completed online.
Benefits of a digital format include:
- Accessible anywhereóby students, select peers, advisors, and
reviewers
- Easy of content entry, assessment management and revisions
- Allows clear connections between standards and portfolio
artifacts
- Develops skills in using multimedia technologies
- Eases the transition from an assessment portfolio to an
employment tool and professional development portfolio
- Promotes technology integration throughout a degree program
- Ease of use for program evaluation and
accreditation
How many teachers are using the DP
now?
Version 2.0 of the DP is being used by about 2000 teachers
across several universities, including Johns Hopkins University,
Morgan State University, and the University of Texas - Pan
American.
Can my school use the Johns Hopkins
Digital Portfolio system?
Yes, the JHU Office of Technology Transfer is
licensing the DP to interested schools, colleges, universities,
and educational organizations. See the next question for contact
information.
Professors:
Yes, the JHU Digital Portfolio and Guide can be value-packed with any Merrill Education text for only an additional $15 net over the price of the text, regularly a $25 net value. To receive this offer contact your local Merrill Education/Prentice Hall representative for a special ISBN number prior to placing your book order with the bookstore. Don't know who your local Prentice Hall/Merrill Education representative is? Click here to find out!
Students:
Yes, you can purchase the JHU Digital Portfolio and Guide on-line by clicking here. If you have purchased a used JHU Digital Portfolio and Guide booklet the one-time access code contained inside may be invalid. If this is the case you will need to purchase a new booklet containing an active one-time use access code.
Departments Of Teacher Education:
Yes, the JHU Office of Technology Transfer is licensing the DP to interested schools, colleges, universities, and educational organizations. For site license information please e-mail
portfolio@jhu.edu.
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