Release notes Portfolio 2022.08.0

RELEASE: August 24, 2022

Goals without a plan are just wishes.... This major update to Portfolio by Drieam adds many new features. For example, supporting documents are enriched with references and free texts, goals can be set by students or suggested by the program, and templates can be created for the structure of the portfolio.

Content

• Evidence
  • Mentioning Evidence
  • Free Text
• Build and Organize
  • Setting Goals
  • Templates
• Miscellaneous
  • Organisation Settings

Evidence

Mentioning Evidence

It is now possible to include a mention to a piece of evidence in all text fields (such as in feedback and in descriptions of evidence, collections and portfolios). You do this by typing '@' in the text field and then you can choose what to refer to. A reference continues a link to the piece of evidence. The name of the reference is updated when the piece of evidence is changed. Visitors can only click through to the evidence if it is accessible to them.

Application in Education

This addition makes it possible to link the pieces of evidence more strongly together in, for example, a reflection, argument, description or plea of the portfolio.

Free Text

A new type of evidence has been added: 'Free Text'. This allows the user to add new evidence consisting of text directly in the portfolio. Moreover, in free text it is also possible to use the above-mentioned 'references'. In addition, the expanded editor of free text offers more options for formatting a text, such as headings, code, colors and alignment. Version management ing is also possible here.

Application in Education

With the addition of free text, it is now easier to quickly add (short) text to the portfolio without first creating, saving and uploading a document on a separate text editor. This is useful, for example, for reflections or short reports. With the function extensions of the editor it is also possible to provide a text with a clear structure and a more personal touch. 

Build and Organize

Setting Goals

A major new addition in Portfolio is the concept of 'Goals'. Goals can be used to indicate which goals you are, have been or will be working on in the context of a collection. Evidence within Collections can be linked to those Goals. Because the same Goal can occur in multiple Collections, Goals can also provide a cross-section of activity and development in that Goal across different Collections. Goals are now part of the portfolio and are also visible to anyone with whom the portfolio is shared (except in the showcase portfolio). Goals can be created in the new Progress tab. In a Collection, you can also create new Goals directly, or add previously created goals. Once Goals are added to a Collection, evidence can also be linked to those Goals. Evidence already in a Collection can be added to one or more Goal(s) in that Collection via the menu (⋮). In the new Progress tab, an overview of all Goals in the Portfolio can be found. Clicking on a Goal will display information about that Goal. On the first tab of the Goal, a summary can be found. On the second tab, a list of all linked evidence is shown along with the Collection(s) that the evidence can be found.

Application in Education

The addition of Goals is the first step toward showing and tracking progress in the Portfolio. Through Goals, students can indicate what they want to work on and also towards which goals their evidence contributes. Goals can be used as learning outcomes, learning objectives, sub-goals or other objectives. In addition, they offer the possibility of subdividing the set of evidence within a collection.

Templates

Courses and instructors who have been granted rights to do so can create Templates that help shape the structure of a portfolio. Templates can include Sections, Collections and Goals. A student can then easily apply a template to their portfolio by importing it. The structure of an imported template is added to the student's existing portfolio and is then also editable by the student. A student can apply multiple templates. A new template can, for example, be offered per semester. Templates can also consist of only collections or goals.

Application in Education

Templates make it possible to provide scaffolding for students in structuring their portfolio. This can provide the student with a suggestion to structure their portfolio. It is also possible to offer students only the Goals from their course. The student themselves could import these Goals via a template and use them in a self-built portfolio structure.

Miscellaneous

Organisation Settings

Administrators of the LMS can now manage Portfolio's settings within Portfolio. In the new 'Admin' section (accessible in the main menu of Portfolio), the following can options are available:

• The name of the institution (which, among other things, is displayed in emails sent to external users);
• The use of a proprietary user policy for external users;
• The available roles that users can select (which is displayed in posted feedback);
• The Power users (who are able to create templates).