Blackboard Portfolios Tool
Contents
The following information provides instructions to CSU Pueblo students on how to find, create, and share portfolios through the Portfolios tool in Blackboard.
What is the Portfolios Tool?
The Portfolios tool in Blackboard is a useful way to express academic and professional development or achievements. By efficiently collecting and organizing artifacts to represent a body of work completed over time, instructors can use a portfolio to determine a learner’s formative and/or summative progress and learning.
Finding the Portfolios Tool
Under the Tools tab (1) in Ultra Base Navigation in Blackboard is where the Portfolios tool (2) is located.
After selecting Portfolios from the list of Blackboard Tools, the My Portfolios page displays and from here portfolios can be created, edited, shared, and deleted. Additionally, this is also where Artifacts can be added for future use in a portfolio and where the list of portfolios that have been shared with a user can be found.
Creating a Portfolio
Be sure to follow any instructions provided by the instructor for creating a portfolio with this tool.
To begin creating a portfolio, click the Create Portfolio button on the My Portfolios page.
Editing a Portfolio
After entering a title and submitting the portfolio, it will show up in the list of created portfolios on the My Portfolios page.
To add and organize content in the portfolio, click the Edit option in the box for the portfolio.
Portfolios are organized into Pages. Pages can be broken down into Sections. Each Page can have multiple Sections within which information and artifacts can be described and arranged.
All areas of the portfolio can be edited by clicking the pencil icon next to any editable field. Once edits to the portfolio are complete, select the Done Editing option to save any completed work.
Previewing Portfolios
The Preview and Customize option on the Edit Portfolios page provides options for viewing the portfolio as instructors and fellow classmates will see it and customizing the content layout, color, and style of the portfolio.
Viewing Portfolios
A portfolio can also be viewed by selecting the View option in the portfolio box from the My Portfolios page.
Sharing Portfolios
Once a portfolio is complete or ready to be viewed by others, it can be shared by clicking the More (1) option for the portfolio from the My Portfolios page and selecting Share (2) from the options in the drop-down list.
The sharing function for portfolios in Blackboard is referred to as a Snapshot.
When a snapshot is created for a portfolio, it shares what the portfolio looks like at that specific point in time. Additional edits can be made to the portfolio, but the snapshot that was previously shared will not be updated.
To share the latest updates to a portfolio, the “Share a Snapshot with” option will need to be selected and the portfolio shared with a user again.
Use the “Share a Snapshot with” option on the Share Portfolio page to share the portfolio with others.
Sharing Options
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Share Using Name: Use the Users option from the drop-down menu to browse for the instructor’s last name to share a snapshot of the portfolio.
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Share Using Email Address: Use the External Users option from the drop-down menu to enter the university email address of the instructor (if their profile is not available by searching with the Users option) or the classmates as required by the instructor.
"Share a Snapshot" Settings
After finding the user(s) to share the portfolio with, ensure that the following email settings are selected and updated:
- Select the ‘Send Email’ checkbox to send an email to the user the snapshot is being shared with
- Update the email subject and email message if needed to provide more details on the portfolio being shared
- Select ‘Send copy of message to self’ checkbox so that an email is sent to the portfolio creator for future reference
NOTE: For the External Users option, do not set a password or expiration date for the portfolio snapshot unless directed by the instructor. Remember, it is always possible to remove a shared snapshot of a portfolio at any time from the Share Portfolios page.
Video Tutorial for Sharing Portfolios
This video tutorial from Academic Technology describes the process of sharing a portfolio with others in more detail.
Removing a Portfolio Snapshot
To remove an old snapshot that no longer reflects a current portfolio, use one of the following options from the Share Portfolio page:
- Select the checkbox for the snapshot and click the Remove this Snapshot button
- Click the trash can icon next to the information about who the snapshot is shared with
- Open the snapshot’s drop-down menu and select the ‘Remove this Snapshot’ option at the bottom of the list
Helpful Links
The links below provide more information how to use the Portfolios tool in Blackboard. If you need more support, please submit a support ticket!
Blackboard Support Resource - Learn More About Creating and Sharing Portfolios
YouTube Resource - Video Tutorial for Sharing Portfolios