RLO Transcript: RLO title
This is a transcript of the Reusable Learning Object (RLO) entitled "An introduction to portfolios and their uses", online at:

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/nursing/sonet/rlos/studyskills/portfolios_intro/
What is a Portfolio?
Portfolios have been used for many years in education, and in nursing and midwifery.  Their use is now increasing in other health care professions.  There are many definitions and explanations of what a portfolio is and why they are used. What do you think a portfolio is?
Student activity
Have a look at the definitions presented here and decide which one you think best sums up your views about what a portfolio is.

Which ever definition you have selected you will see that a common theme that runs through them all is the fact that 

A portfolio is a collection of materials gathered over a period of time which provide an accurate and up to date picture of you,  your  knowledge, skills, attitudes, attributes and capabilities

You can see from this that collecting information to go  into your portfolio is similar to compiling a photograph album to send to relatives that we don’t see very often.  When you are sifting through the photos that you have, you are unlikely to select those pictures that are unflattering or embarrassing. Instead you will actively select those that present the best possible picture.   
What does a Portfolio look like?
Portfolios can take a variety of different shapes, sizes and formats. At its simplest a portfolio is a collection of materials and items related to your development, to your course, to your work experience and other activities. These materials can be stored in a lever arch file, in a ring binder or in a box file.

Many courses and institutions are now adopting electronic portfolios to support student learning. An electronic portfolio provides a store for storing materials in an electronic form and on-line, in much the same way as a lever arch file or ring binder does. This type of portfolio is usually referred to as an 'e-portfolio'.  

The kind of portfolio that you keep will depend on you and the reason why you are keeping it.   If you are computer literate and are comfortable with this way of working an e- portfolio may suit you better than a paper based one.  Alternatively, if you like to see all of your work presented in a folder then you may prefer to develop a paper based version. You may of course use a combination of the two.

Student activity
Before progressing any further, write a list of items that you think you  might keep in your portfolio to provide an accurate and up to date picture of you as a health professional

Your portfolio may contain any or all of these items and you may have generated more than this. 
Why do I need to keep a Portfolio?
Portfolios may be kept for a variety of reasons and they can be used in a range of different ways. There are four main reasons:

•	Learning & development
•	Professional Development
•	Assessment
•	Presentation
Keeping a portfolio for learning and developmental purposes.
Using a portfolio for learning and development is one of the most important reasons for keeping a portfolio. 

Building a collection of materials within your portfolio will provide you with evidence of the progress that you are making towards achievement of your learning outcomes and practice competencies and your skills development.  It will help you to track and monitor achievement of your aims and objectives and your personal development. 

Using a portfolio to record and reflect on incidents that you have observed and on your experiences whilst at work will help you to make links between these and your theoretical learning and reading. This in turn will help you to understand and to critically analyse what was taking place and why

Talking about and reflecting on some of the experiences recorded within your portfolio with your mentor, your lecturer and your colleagues will help you to consider what you have learnt from these experiences and to evaluate where you are as a practitioner and to plan where you wish to go next.
Keeping a portfolio for your professional development 
Registered nurses, members of the Health Professions Council and other professional organisations are required to maintain a portfolio to provide proof that they are keeping themselves up to date

The materials contained within their portfolio provide evidence that they are maintaining their competence and that they are delivering health care that is supported by a sound evidence base. 

Registered health care practitioners may also be required to submit their portfolio to their statutory or regulatory body in order to maintain their professional registration.
Keeping a portfolio for assessment purposes
In some programmes or courses of study the portfolio may be part of the overall assessment strategy.  This assessment may be either formative or summative.

In formative assessment no marks are awarded, but this is the feedback that you are given during your course or work. It helps you to reflect on and review your progress, strengths and weaknesses and what you need to do to strengthen these weaknesses 

Summative assessment occurs towards the end of the course or module and is the assessment which determines whether or not you have achieved the prescribed course, module, practice outcomes or performance indicators.  Summative assessment may happen in stages during the course, or all at the end.  It is used to decide whether or not you are awarded your degree or modular credits or whether you have failed.
Keeping a portfolio for presentation purposes 
A portfolio can also be used to provide a place for you to showcase evidence of your achievements, your strengths and your experiences, your skills and your abilities.

Portfolios of this kind normally include examples of your best work. They have traditionally been used by artists and architects who keep samples of their work in a portfolio to exhibit the depth, breadth, range and style of their work. 

A good show case portfolio can provide a more vivid picture of your work and capabilities than a CV, degree transcript or progress files as these tend to describe achievements that the institution is prepared to accredit.

So, it may be helpful to take your portfolio with you when you are attending a job interview or when you are seeking academic credit for accreditation of experiential learning (APL) or accreditation of prior learning (APEL).
Resources

Title/link	Description	
University of Nottingham School of Nursing portfolio page	Portfolio documents, templates, and guidelines, primarily intended for students on the School of Nursing Diploma.	
Health Professions Council: Assessing your Profile	Detailed assessment criteria for professional development used by the UK Health Professions Council. 	
Helpful reading 

Jasper M (2003) Beginning reflective practice Nelson Thornes Cheltenham

Hull, C, Redfern L, Shuttleworth (2005) Profiles and Portfolios: A guide for Health and Social Care, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke

Pearce R (2003) Profiles and Portfolios of Evidence; Foundations in Nursing and Health Care( Wigens L ed) Nelson Thornes, Cheltenham

McMullan M. Endacott R. Gray MA. Jasper M. Miller CML. Scholes J. Webb C. (2003) Portfolios and assessment of competence: a review of the literature. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 41(3): 283-94

Document updated: 19/12/2008