Online Portfolio Assessment
for
Technical Writing Programs

Creating Online Writing Portfolios

Students in technical communication create a simple website with links to their documents and upload the site to the university servers, which are open to the internet. Online portfolios are different from written portfolios not only because they are easily viewed but because they contain graphics, hypertext media and navigation systems. Since the portfolio is open to the internet, it can be viewed by family and friends (as well as professors and potential employers) and thus students care about its appearance and need little persuasion to complete it in a timely and thorough manner. By giving the students a stake in the assessment, online portfolio assessment is more easily sustainable.

Step One: Sign up for Server Space
Step Two: Set Up Server Space
Step Three: Make Website
Step Four: Upload Website to Server Space

Most of the instructors did not have any experience in creating websites or online portfolios. While testing our process, we discovered that most students need minimal instruction; they can be taught enough basic HTML in one class session to make a portfolio. After a short initial lecture, students are broken into groups and they will troubleshoot together and teach each other. No special programs are required to do this work; they need only a connection to the internet and university server space. Instructions are included in Setting Up Server Space at NJIT.

We require students to make web pages with their names and links to their procedure, proposal, and their technical marketing brochure. Thus, when we assess the portfolios, we are assessing layout, design and usability along with the writing. At the end of the semester, each instructor submits a list of URLs.