United States Distance Learning Association

Ends and Means
Developing a
Digital Portfolio
Natalie B. Milman
In a previous Ends and Means article,
Watkins (2005) discussed the importance
of online programs and students
marketing their own successes not
only to promote online programs and individuals’
achievements, but also to demonstrate
program quality. A growing number
of individuals, programs, and institutions
across the United States and abroad, with
Natalie B. Milman, Assistant Professor,
The George Washington University,
2134 G ST NW #416,
Washington, DC 20052.
Telephone: (202) 994-1884.
E-mail: milman@gwu.edu
varying purposes, are using digital portfolios
to do just this—and the numbers will
likely grow. Consider that nearly 30% of
public universities and 18% of private universities
across the [United States]” use
digital portfolios in some way (Green,
2004, as cited in Carney, 2006, p. 89) and
89% of the nation’s schools, colleges, and
departments of education are using portfolios
in some capacity, too (Salzman, Denner,
& Harris, 2002). These numbers show
an interest in using digital portfolios, as
Batson (2002) declared:
The term “electronic portfolio,” or “ePortfolio,”
is on everyone’s lips. We often hear
it associated with assessment, but also
with accreditation, reflection, student
résumés, and career tracking. It’s as if this
new tool is the answer to all the questions
we didn't realize we were asking. (para. 1)
In this article, I briefly describe what digital
portfolios are, what the digital portfolio
development process involves, which
approaches might be used for developing
one, and how some programs are using
digital portfolios, by sharing some specific
examples.
WHAT IS A DIGITAL PORTFOLIO
A portfolio is a goal-driven, organized, collection
of materials (often referred to as
Volume 4, Issue 4 Distance Learning 93