Best Practices
"Overall, we recommend a shift toward ePortfolios as a means of increasing technology integration within special education learning environments and as an assessment tool for traditional and non-traditional content areas in the areas of special education (Clancy & Gardner, 2017, p.99)."
Artifact options
Encourage students to include a variety of artifacts from academic, non-academic, and extracurricular activities.
audio recordings
video clips
reflections
drawings
self-evaluations
observations
progress reports
homework
scrapbooks
checklists
reading lists
photos
letters
test reports
rating scales
scored samples such as curriculum based assessment probes
rubrics
Scaffolding
Student self evaluations are an essential part of portfolios and will need to be scaffolded. These evaluations can be part of the portfolio. Some students will have difficulty choosing best work and evaluating their work. Teachers should scaffold the process and may use evaluation templates.
Accommodations
Assistive technology may be needed to accommodate physical and learning disabilities.
Modifications
There are a variety of platforms and complexity levels for ePortfolio. Teachers can choose what best suites their students' abilities and learning goals. Modifications may be necessary for some tasks for some students. Choosing work and self-evaluations can be modified by using question prompts, fill-in-the-blank questions, graphic organizers, or picture response.
"In using ePortfolios, we have been able to assess student development more fully and accurately in content areas both in the classroom and in the community, provide students with increased opportunities to engage in the learning process, provide parents and organizations with a lens into a student’s current functioning levels, and provide an effective structure for incorporating multimedia work into student work portfolios (Clancy & Gardner, 2017, p.99)."
Sources
Clancy, M., & Gardner, J. (2017). Using Digital Portfolios to Develop Non-Traditional Domains in Special Education Settings. International Journal of ePortfolio, 7(1), 93-100.
Glor-Scheib, S., & Telthorster, H. (2006). Activate your student IEP team member using technology: How electronic portfolios can bring the student voice to life! Teaching Exceptional Children Plus, 2(3).
Slavin, R. (2018). Educational psychology theory and practice 12th ed. New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.