Learning log and your portfolio

Before moving on, let’s explore how you may want to capture and reflect on your learning using an online portfolio and a personal learning log.

Your online portfolio

An online portfolio helps you collect and showcase your work throughout your learning experience and is essential for formally recording your research, reflections and progress.

If you choose to continue studying with Coventry University, you may be sharing the contents of your portfolio with your lead educator and course hosts to support assessment and feedback as you learn. It may also be used to provide evidence of a body of work to accrediting bodies that require ongoing proof of study. You will be expected to add to your portfolio regularly and will be guided on work to include as you progress. As such, it’s important that you keep it organised and up to date.

This program invites you to choose a third-party tool to build your portfolio. You’ll be asked to update it at set points throughout your study, so it’s important to understand how your chosen tool works.

There are a number of free third-party options available, including Mahara, PathBrite, PortfolioGen and FolioSpaces. These offer lots of functionality, including the ability to upload a variety of file types and multimedia, so it’s easy to capture and organise information effectively.

_{By following any of the links mentioned above, you will be taken to a third-party website where you may be asked to submit some information about yourself. Please make sure that you are familiar with the terms and conditions and privacy policy of the third-party website before submitting your information.}

_{Whether you follow the links and submit your personal information or not, your course progress will not be affected.}

Your personal learning log

A learning log is a useful way of compiling your course notes, views and resources as you study. The aim is to regularly look back on what you have learned and articulate your thoughts and feelings about the experience.

Unlike the online portfolio, your learning log is informal and can be kept private. However, in the spirit of social learning, you’re encouraged to share as much of your work with your fellow learners as you feel comfortable doing.

You can record your log entries offline in a notebook or go digital with easy-to-use online tools (below) to build a more dynamic collection of resources and insight.

Build it with a blog

Blogging and journaling tools such as Blogger, Tumblr, Wix and WordPress can be updated regularly with text, images, videos, audio and more, so they’re ideal for keeping an engaging learning log.

You can usually choose to make blog posts public, keep them private or share them only with select people. It’s a great way to develop your understanding and share your work week by week.

FutureLearn has provided useful guidance on using blogging tools to support your reflective practice.

Take notes online

Online note-taking tools and apps act like digital notebooks, allowing you to edit, organise and share your notes flexibly.

They range in functionality from very simple tools, like Shrib, to those with more advanced features, like EverNote and Google Keep. If you’re a registered Coventry University student, you also have access to Microsoft OneNote as part of Office 365.

Some of these tools allow you to clip from websites, include images and collaborate with others to maintain a more comprehensive record of thoughts and information. How you use them is up to you.

Your task

• Why else do you think keeping a learning log or portfolio could be useful?
• Have you got experience of using any of the tools that are mentioned?
• Can you think of any other tools or apps that might be useful?