Student ePortfolios Using Google Sites

An academic ePortfolio is a digital collection created by a student of their course-related work, like essays, posters, photographs, videos, and research papers. An ePortfolio is both about being a product (a digital collection of artifacts) and a process (of reflecting on those artifacts and what they represent). ePortfolios exist online and support student learning. ePortfolios “are a way to generate learning as well as document learning" (Basken, 2008). Both generating learning and documenting or recording learning are important, but the process of generating learning sometimes gets overlooked. ePortfolios generate learning because they provide an opportunity and virtual space for students to critically assess their academic work, to reflect on that work, and make connections among different courses, assignments, and other activities, such as work experience, extracurricular pursuits, and volunteering opportunities. ePortfolios are effective learning tools because they support students’ own knowledge construction, make otherwise invisible aspects of the learning process visible, and place agency in the hands of students, which fosters learners’ motivation (Syzdykova et al., 2021).

Google Sites allow the student to create a website. There are several site-builder features that make designing the ePortfolio Site intuitive by adding "gadgets," such as calendars, research papers, spreadsheets, presentations, and videos to make the Site functional. Choose a theme and customize it for a professional-looking ePortfolio site that is responsive and functions across desktop and mobile screens.

The remainder of this article will describe the individual use cases the student will need to be able to successfully complete to create a Student ePortfolio Using Google Workspace:

• Create an ePortfolio Site
• Update and Personalize Your ePortfolio
• Share the ePortfolio Site
• Preview and Publish Your ePortfolio

Create an ePortfolio Site

Create a New Google Site

When you create a new site, it is added to Drive, just like other Drive files. Sites automatically save every change you make. When you are creating your Site, keep the Google Sites Training and Help open in a separate browser tab for reference if you have questions.

Step-by-Step How To

Using instructions and requirements outlined by the degree program and course instructors, the student decides the overall design and organization of the ePortfolio Site. The steps to create your ePortfolio Site include:

1. Sign into your TWU Google Account
2. Click on the App Launcher
3. Click Sites
4. Follow the steps to Create your site
5. Follow the steps to Name your site
6. Follow the steps to Select a layout
7. Follow the steps to Select a background image, header type, and theme
8. Follow the steps to Add, reorder, and nest pages
9. Follow the steps to Set up site navigation

Update and Personalize Your ePortfolio

Learn the Basics of Creating and Editing Content for Your Site

Once the ePortfolio Site has been created you will need to create, add, and edit the content that will be included on your ePortfolio Site. An ePortfolio is a collection of work (evidence) in an electronic format that showcases learning over time. When you think about your ePortfolio and the types of evidence that it contains, it is important to think carefully about its purpose and intended audience.

An ePortfolio may contain all or some of the following:

• Files of various formats (text, pictures, video, etc.)
• Evidence related to courses taken, programs of study, etc.
• Writing samples (which might include several drafts to show development and improvement)
• Projects prepared for class or extracurricular activities
• Evidence of creativity and performance
• Evidence of extracurricular or co-curricular activities, including examples of leadership
• Evaluations, analysis and recommendations

There are several types of ePortfolios:

• Academic ePortfolios — These ePortfolios are primarily a way to demonstrate (showcase) the highlights of your academic career. 
• Learning ePortfolios — These portfolios are typically created by a student as part of a course as a way to demonstrate learning and the learning process. These portfolios are often shared with other students to elicit peer feedback. Learning portfolios support the idea of formative feedback as an essential part of the learning process.
• Assessment ePortfolios — ePortfolios can be created for summative assessments by colleges, departments and instructors. The quality of evidence students compile in their portfolios is reviewed and frequently graded to demonstrate learning competencies.

Step-by-Step How To

Using instructions and requirements outlined by the degree program and course instructors, the student decides the artifacts and information added, and who can view the ePortfolio. The steps to personalize your ePortfolio Site include (some steps may be optional):

1. Sign into your TWU Google Account
2. Click on the App Launcher
3. Click Sites
4. Follow the steps to Add content to your site
5. Follow the steps to Edit text
6. Follow the steps to Edit sections
7. Follow the steps to Edit images
8. Follow the steps to Add a banner
9. Follow the steps to Add a logo
10. Follow the steps to Add content from another website
11. Follow the steps to Move and resize content

Share the ePortfolio Site

Share and Collaborate on Sites

Based on the type of ePortfolio you are building, at any point while working on your site, you can share it with instructors and other students to collaborate or request feedback on the content.

Step-by-Step How To

Using instructions and requirements outlined by the degree program and course instructors, the student decides who can view the ePortfolio. The steps to share your ePortfolio Site include:

1. Sign into your TWU Google Account
2. Click on the App Launcher
3. Click Sites
4. Follow the steps to Share and collaborate on Sites

Preview and Publish Your ePortfolio

Preview and Publish the Site

You can preview your new ePortfolio Site before you publish. When you click Publish in your ePortfolio Site, you allow other people to view the current version of your site. You can set options to (1) allow anyone @twu.edu or anyone on the web to visit your site, and (2) allow your site to appear in search results.

Step-by-Step How To

Using instructions and requirements outlined by the degree program and course instructors, publish your ePortfolio Site. The steps include (some steps may be optional):

1. Sign into your TWU Google Account
2. Click on the App Launcher
3. Click Sites
4. Follow the steps to Preview your site
5. Follow the steps to Publish your site for the first time
6. Follow the steps to Change your site’s URL
7. Follow the steps to Unpublish your site
8. Follow the steps to Search in a site

References

• Basken, P. (2008). Electronic portfolios may answer calls for more accountability. Chronicle of Higher Education, 54(32), A30-A31.
• Syzdykova, Z., Koblandin, K., Mikhaylova, N., & Akinina, O. (2021). Assessment of E-Portfolio in Higher Education. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 16(2), 120-134.

Support Options

1. Access the Sites Cheat Sheet or reference the Google Sites Training and Help for step-by-step instructions to create, update, personalize, share, preview, and publish an ePortfolio Site.
2. Contact an Instructional Design Partner to learn more about using Google Workspace for student ePortfolios.
3. To request technical support, submit a Technology Service Desk email to start a ticket.