comprehensive eportfolio guide contents

Last Updated 2/11/2021 1

Comprehensive ePortfolio Guide The finished ePortfolio showcases your academic work, includes your professional resume, and demonstrates how you met the program competencies in the BSN program at SNHU. The creation of an ePortfolio is an evidence-based model for best practice (Fu et al., 2016; Haverkamp et al., 2015; Laux et al., 2016; Sanchez et al., 2015). This document is a comprehensive guide to the development and sharing of the SNHU ePortfolio.

Contents Comprehensive ePortfolio Guide .................................................................................................................. 1

Preparing to Create an ePortfolio ............................................................................................................. 2

Adding Artifacts......................................................................................................................................... 3

Creating the ePortfolio ............................................................................................................................. 8

Creating Pages ..................................................................................................................................... 10

Creating Content Areas ....................................................................................................................... 13

Changing the Banner ........................................................................................................................... 24

Changing the Theme ........................................................................................................................... 24

Viewing and Editing............................................................................................................................. 26

Tips About Photos ................................................................................................................................... 28

Resizing Photos Before Adding as an Artifact ..................................................................................... 28

Resizing Photos in macOS ................................................................................................................... 34

Resizing Photos in the ePortfolio ........................................................................................................ 36

Sharing the ePortfolio ............................................................................................................................. 39

Submitting the ePortfolio as an Assignment .......................................................................................... 49

References .............................................................................................................................................. 52


Preparing to Create an ePortfolio

1. The ePortfolio must be accessed from within a course. It can be any course that you are enrolled in.

2. To get to your ePortfolio, select Tools. Then, in the drop down menu, select ePortfolio.

3. Collect the artifacts that will be included in the ePortfolio (ePortfolio introduction, professional photo, resume or CV, capstone project, etc.).

a. Specific documents and assignments should be included in the ePortfolio.

i. This depends on the program that you are enrolled in. ii. Please see the resource forum specific to your program for the list of artifacts

that should be included in your ePortfolio.

BSN ePortfolio Suggested Artifacts

MSN ePortfolio Suggested Documents o MSN Clinical Nurse Leader o MSN Generalist o MSN Nurse Educator o MSN Patient Safety & Quality

b. Have a professional photo prepared for your ePortfolio.

i. It will be uploaded as an artifact.

c. House a copy of all of your ePortfolio documents in one ePortfolio Documents folder on your computer. We suggest keeping the folder on your desktop for easy access.


Adding Artifacts Add artifacts as part of the preparation process for creating an ePortfolio. Artifacts include anything that will be added to the ePortfolio: final projects, photos, capstone projects, completed assignments, resumes or CVs, and so on. This section provides the steps to add artifacts in preparation to create the ePortfolio.

1. To add artifacts from your computer, click the My Items tab in the ePortfolio tool. Click Add and select File Upload from the drop-down menu.

a. An additional box will appear. Click Upload to find your artifact:


b. Locate the file.

2. Choose the file. Then click Add.

3. After the file is uploaded, click Next.


4. Change the name of the artifact (optional), provide a description of the artifact (also optional), then click Save.

For example, you could name your file Introduction, Capstone Project, Final Project NUR 300, Professional Photo, and so on.

5. Review the artifact, then click Save and Close.


6. Return to My Items.


7. Repeat Steps 1 through 6 for all types of artifacts (documents, photos, etc.). Your list of artifacts

will start to look similar to this:


Creating the ePortfolio Each ePortfolio is a presentation. After uploading your artifacts (see Adding Artifacts), you are ready to create the ePortfolio.

1. To create a new presentation, go back to the course homepage. Select Tools, then select ePortfolio.

2. Then, click on New Presentation while in the ePortfolio tab.

3. This will lead you to the start of creating a new presentation. There are four tabs: Properties, Content/Layout, Banner, and Theme. Start on the Properties tab by naming your presentation:


a. Click on the Properties tab. b. Use the Name area to title your ePortfolio. c. Click Save.

4. Click on the Contents/Layout tab. This is where you will add artifacts for the separate pages of your ePortfolio.

Each program has specific page titles and documents that should be included in the final product. Please see the information for the required pages and artifacts in your program-specific Resources forum.


Creating Pages

5. After you locate the required information for your ePortfolio, you will start to create the different pages. On the left-hand side of the presentation, you will see the Pages section.

6. To change the name for the page, click the down arrow for the page and select Page Properties.

7. Type in the name of the new page and click Save.

Caution: The Page link will not work outside of the Brightspace platform. To use the link, any viewer must be connected to the Brightspace platform.


8. To add more pages, click the New Page icon.

The titles of the pages will depend on your program requirements. For example, BSN ePortfolio pages may include: Welcome, Professional Development, Philosophy of Nursing, Capstone Projects, Transformative Reflection, Program Outcomes, and Associated Artifacts.

9. You will type in the title of the page in the Page Name field, then click Save.


10. Repeat Steps 8 and 9 until you have all of the required pages titled.

11. You can then move the pages into an appropriate order using the up/down icon (which is the tab to reorder pages).


Creating Content Areas After you have created your pages, you can develop the content for your pages.

12. Select a page to work on and click open Edit Page Layout.

13. There are two page layouts that you can use: 2 Content Areas and 1 Content Area.


Example of 2 Content Areas layout:

Example of 1 Content Area layout:

This guide will work with 1 Content Area.


14. Select 1 Content Area, and then click Save.

15. The Welcome page should include your professional photo and your ePortfolio introduction. These artifacts should have been added prior to the start of creating your ePortfolio (see Adding Artifacts).

16. In Content Area 1, make sure that you are working in the Welcome Page section. It will be

darker in color. Click Add Component.


17. The image below shows the options for the components that you can add to the content area.

Artifacts include document files (Word [DOC, DOCX], PDF, PPT, etc.) and photos.

Reflections are your personal reflection documentation connected to tags of assignments and their locations within a course.

Text area is used for wording to be directly visible on a page in the ePortfolio.

Information from my profile is from your Brightspace profile settings.

For the Welcome Page, Artifact and Text Area will be used.


18. Click Artifact. Then choose the Artifact/Photo (in this case, the professional photo), and click Add. Artifacts can also be documents and assignments you want to attach to a content area.

This will be the outcome:


19. Next, click Add Component again and choose Text Area. This will be your view:

20. Minimize the ePortfolio working area by selecting the minimize icon on the top right corner of your screen:

21. Open the Word document that has your ePortfolio introduction. You will do this outside of the ePortfolio program.


22. Change the font size to 16 to 20 and copy the introduction.


23. Maximize the ePortfolio workspace and paste the text into the Content box by pressing Ctrl + V on a PC or Command + V on a Mac. Add a title in the Area Name field. Then, click Save and Close.

24. Select View Presentation to see the presentation at this time.


25. You will see something like this. Notice that the photo is very large. Photos automatically default to Adjust resize to fit the content area. It will need to be adjusted. Close the pop-up viewing screen.


26. To make adjustments to the photo, click the down arrow next to the artifact name in the content area. Then, select Edit Display Options from the drop-down menu.

27. In the Display Title field, change the display title to your name and credentials. Under the Size heading, select Display at actual size. Leave Display artifact in-place on the page selected. Then, click Save.

For additional tips on Photos for the ePortfolio, see Tips About Photos.


28. Again, click View Presentation. Your changes should be applied. Close the pop-up viewing screen.


Changing the Banner

29. Click the Banner tab and type a title into the Banner Title field. (This title should be your name and credentials.) Then, click Save.

Changing the Theme

30. Click the Theme tab. Choose a theme that is appropriate for you and click Select. There are three pages of themes to choose from.


31. Confirm the theme selection by clicking Set Theme.

32. A “Saved Successfully” message will show. Then, click Close.

33. The step above will take you back to My Items, where you will see your presentation listed.


Viewing and Editing

34. After you have created your ePortfolio, you can access it in multiple ways.

View from the ePortfolio tab:

View from the My Items tab:


35. You can continue to work with your ePortfolio by clicking on the down arrow next to the presentation to view or edit.


Tips About Photos Photos are best applied in the ePortfolio if they are approximately 200 x 200 pixels.

Resizing Photos Before Adding as an Artifact

How you resize photos to meet the 200 x 200 pixel application will depend on the program that you have available on your computer. Most programs have a function that can resize a photo. You may have to research the program to see about resizing features. Paint, Photos, and Paint 3D are Microsoft programs covered in this guide. There is also a separate section for the Preview program in macOS.

1. Resizing using the Paint Program: Start by locating the photo on your computer. Then, right click on the photo file. This will provide a list of options that connect to the different program applications on your computer.

a. By selecting Edit, the photo should open in the Paint program. When it opens in the Paint program, click on Resize.


b. Select Pixels.

c. Change the pixels so that the largest number is 200, then click OK. Make sure that the Maintain aspect ratio box is checked or the picture will become distorted.

d. Then, save the photo in your ePortfolio Documents folder.

e. You will then upload the photo as an artifact for your ePortfolio. (See Adding Artifacts.)


2. Resizing using the Photos program: Start by locating the photo on your computer. Then, double click on the photo to open it in the Photos program.

a. By selecting Edit with Photos, the photo should open in the Photos program. When it opens, click on the three dots on the right-hand corner.

b. Then, select Resize from the drop-down menu.


c. A new box will pop up. Select Define custom dimensions.

d. Change the numbers in the Width and Height fields so that the largest number is 200. Make sure the Maintain aspect ratio box is checked. Then, click Save resized copy.


e. Save the photo in your ePortfolio Documents folder.

f. You will then upload the photo as an artifact for your ePortfolio. (see II. Adding Artifacts).

3. Resizing using the Paint 3D program: Start by locating the photo on your computer. Then, right

click on the photo. This will provide a list of options that connect to the different program applications on your computer.

a. By selecting Edit with Paint 3D, the photo should open in the Paint 3D program. When it opens, select Canvas from the navigation bar.


b. On the right side, change the Width and Height fields so that the largest pixel size is 200. Make sure the Lock aspect ratio, Resize image with canvas, and Pixels settings are all selected.


c. Save the photo in your ePortfolio Documents folder.

d. You will then upload the photo as an artifact for your ePortfolio. (See Adding Artifacts.)

Resizing Photos in macOS

1. Resizing using the Preview program in macOS: Start by locating the photo on your computer.

Then, two-finger click on the photo. This will provide a list of options that connect to the different program applications on your computer.

2. Select Open With from the drop-down men, then select Preview (default). The photo should open in the Preview program.


3. Open the Tools tab and select Adjust Size… .

a. Adjust the photo using pixels. Adjust the numbers in the Width and Height fields so that the largest pixel size is 200. Make sure the Scale proportionally box is checked, or the picture will become distorted. Then, click OK.

b. Save the photo in your ePortfolio Documents folder.


c. You will then upload the photo as an artifact for your ePortfolio. (See Adding Artifacts.)

Resizing Photos in the ePortfolio

1. All photos that are added as a component in a content area will automatically default to Auto

resize to fit the content area.

2. Click View Presentation to see the photo.

3. You will see something that looks similar to the picture below. Notice that the photo is very large.


4. To make adjustments to the photo, click on the down arrow next to the artifact name in the content area. Then, select Edit Display Options from the drop-down menu.


5. Enter your name and credentials in the Display Title field. Leave Display artifact in-place on the

page selected. Under the Size heading, select Display at actual size. Then, click Save. For additional tips on Photos for the ePortfolio, see Tips About Photos.

6. Again, click View Presentation. Your changes should be applied.


Sharing the ePortfolio You may be asked or required to Share your ePortfolio. To share an ePortfolio, follow these instructions below.

1. Log in to a class. Go to Tools, then click ePortfolio from the drop-down menu.

2. Click the My Items tab.

3. Find your ePortfolio presentation and click the down arrow next to it.


4. From the menu, select Share.

5. Expand the pop-up screen in the bottom right corner for easier viewing.


6. Click Add Users and Groups.


7. You can add recipients two different ways:

a. Look for your instructor by name or SNHU email in the Search box.

i. The image below shows an example of the outcome of the search.


ii. Click on the choice. iii. Check that the name and email show up under the Share to section. iv. Click Share.

Or, you can add a recipient by following these steps:

b. Scroll down to the Add External User by Email Address section, and type in an email address.


i. Click Add.

ii. Check for the email under Share to. Then, click Share.


8. After you have added your recipients, click the box next to Add Users and Groups to select your recipients.

9. Then, scroll down and click Save.


10. Saved successfully will show at the bottom of the screen.


11. Next, click Send Invite.

12. Click the box next to Send me a copy of the invitation. Then, click Send.

13. Invite Sent will appear at the bottom of the screen. Then, click Close.


14. If you used step 7 a. to search the recipient, they should receive the following message in their email.

Or, if you used step 7 b. to add the recipient’s email, they should receive the following message.


Submitting the ePortfolio as an Assignment Follow these additional steps once your ePortfolio is ready for submission to an assignment. These steps must be completed so the instructor can grade your work. Sharing the ePortfolio is not the same as submitting the assignment for grading. Both must be completed.

1. Open the module that the assignment is required in, locate the assignment, then click open the assignment.

2. Click the Choose Existing button.


3. To add a file, select ePortfolio.

4. The ePortfolio that you created should have a presentation icon beside it. Select that file.

5. Click Select Item.


6. When the upload is complete, click Submit.


References

Fu, H., Hopper, T. F., & Young L. (2016). Nursing education and ePortfolios: A thematic review of the

literature. Journal of Technologies in Knowledge Sharing, 12(2), 19–30.

https://doi.org/10.18848/2381-9235/cgp/v12i02/19-30

Haverkamp, J. J., & Vogt, M. (2015). Beyond academic evidence: Innovative uses of technology within

e- Portfolios in a doctor of nursing practice program. Journal of Professional Nursing, 31(4), 284–

289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2015.03.007

Laux, M., & Stoten, L. (2016). A statewide RN-BSN consortium use of the electronic portfolio to

demonstrate student competency. Nurse Educator, 41(6), 275–277.

https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000277

Ryan, J. A. (2018). Which resources are most helpful to support development of an ePortfolio? British

Journal of Nursing, 27(5), 266–271. https://doi-org/10.12968/bjon.2018.27.5.266

Sanchez, A. X. C., Soto, A. P. G., & Gonzalez, J. M. J. (2015). Factors influencing e-portfolio use and

Students’ approaches to learning in higher education. International Journal of Information and

Communication Technology Education, 11(3), 39. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJICTE.2015070104