The Rationale for Developing Portfolios



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Quest Projects Portfolio Requirements

Congratulations on your Lawrence Tech Quest project in arts, research or leadership! Now it’s time to prepare the portfolio, a culmination of your findings and experience during the project.

TIPS FOR GETTING READY TO COMPLETE YOUR PORTFOLIO

1. Set up a timeline with due dates for each piece of the project and portfolio.

• Provide ample time for your Guide to review and comment on your progress.

• Keep your Project Log up-to-date and detailed to help you draft the reflection.

• Practice writing reflective statements for each portfolio entry.

2. Include a Table of Contents with corresponding page numbers.

3. Keep everything as you complete the Quest project, and select from those items to include in your portfolio. Don’t throw anything away!

Review the following requirements carefully and meet with your Guide if you need assistance in preparing the portfolio. There are general requirements for all portfolios, and additional specific requirements for those in the areas of arts, research, or leadership. Make sure your portfolio meets the general requirements and the project-specific guidelines.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL PORTFOLIOS

Whether it is an arts, research, or leadership project, all portfolios submitted for evaluation will contain the following:

Appearance and Format

Binding—Portfolios should be submitted in a three-ring binder with tabs

Title page—Project title, students’ names, date of the project, Guide’s name

Acknowledgements page—Lists individuals who have assisted you in your Quest project

Table of Contents—Contains section titles and page numbers (typed)

Tabbed sections—Organize the portfolio into sections and give each section a title or label

Numbered pages—Number all the pages (bottom of page, centered) that correspond with the Table of Contents

Approval to submit the portfolio from your Quest Guide

Quest Guide’s narrative of your project

Content (specific requirements are outlined on the following pages)

Problem statement or research question

Critical Introduction with Reflection Essay

Selected Artifacts

Quest forms and logs with signatures

Presentation

Professionalism—Overall presentation is neat and professional

Mechanics/Usage—Punctuation, capitalization, spelling, sentence structure, and word usage

Citations—Documented correctly where appropriate

ARTS AND LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIOS CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

Project Abstract and Problem Statement

Include a short, one-paragraph project abstract in which you identify the problem or issue that got you inspired to do this Quest project.

Critical Introduction with Reflection Essay

Your critical introduction provides an overview of the Quest project and highlights your experience. This introduction will be an analysis of your work, is reflective in tone, and summarizes the process and outcomes of the project. Additionally, the essay:

• provides an explanation of your project and why you chose to commit to this project

• includes a descriptive overview of your successes and challenges

• describes how the project evolved from the original proposal

• addresses the collaboration efforts and your individual contribution if your Quest was a group project

• explains the portfolio contents or artifacts and why you chose to include them. Consider the following:

• Include artifacts that are a representation. What will the artifacts say about me and my project?

• Insert labels for rationale of the pieces. How do I identify each artifact? Its source? What does it say about my knowledge and skills?

• Prioritize and include rationale. Why am I including these artifacts, and what purpose do they serve?

• provides a conclusion in which you attempt to provide a solution or response to the problem or issue you identified your abstract

• is 5-10 double-spaced pages (each group member writes their own introduction)

• is well-organized and meets mechanics and usage requirements

Portfolio Content or Artifacts

Artifacts are all the “pieces” that represent both the process and the outcomes of the Quest project. The artifacts should be organized into the tabbed sections of your portfolio binder. Each artifact that is included should be explained in the critical introduction. Some examples of artifacts can include:

• Presentation slides, brochures, posters, announcements

• Sample letters/emails

• Newspaper clippings, press releases

• Certificates, awards, or other recognition received for the project

• Photographs or other visuals with captions

• Drafts of written work

• Journal excerpts or other documentation of the process

Quest Forms and Logs with Signatures

Your Quest Guide needs to review your portfolio before you submit it for evaluation. Make sure you include all the Quest forms with the appropriate signatures.

Leadership and Arts Quest Portfolio Scoring Rubric

| |Excellent (5) |Good (4) |Somewhat Adequate (3) |Needs Work (2) |Unacceptable (1) |

|Organization/ |Well-organized; required components |Meets basic requirements in an | Basic requirements met; some |Somewhat organized; multiple |Portfolio is unorganized and most|

|Appearance |exceed expectations. |organized binder. |specific information may be |requirements are missing. |requirements are missing. |

| | | |missing. | | |

|Presentation |Professional presentation; appropriate |Presentation appropriate for the |Presentation appropriate for the |Presentation is inappropriate; |Portfolio presentation is not |

| |for the project; written components |project; most written components |project; professionally formatted;|major formatting and mechanical |professional or acceptable. |

| |professionally formatted; proper |professionally formatted; proper |some grammar mechanics and usage |problems. | |

| |grammatical mechanics and usage. |grammatical mechanics and usage. |problems. | | |

|Critical Introduction with |Exceptional essay; balanced reflection |Well-written essay; balanced |Acceptable essay; addresses |Lacking in reflection, |Underdeveloped; does not address |

|Reflection Essay |and experience; organized; justifies |reflection and experience; explains |reflection and experience; |experience, or discussion of |most basic requirements; doesn’t |

| |artifacts |artifacts |mentions artifacts |artifacts; doesn’t meet length |mention artifacts. |

| | | | |requirement | |

|Artifacts |Carefully selected; representative of |Includes most or all possible |Contains limited variety of |Includes very few artifacts; |Artifacts are not included; |

| |project; organized; professionally |artifacts; mostly representative of |artifacts; somewhat clear how |artifacts included are not a good|included artifacts are sloppy or |

| |presented; variety included. |project; well-presented. |artifacts represent the project; |representative of the project; |poorly presented. |

| | | |mostly clear how artifacts |unclear how artifacts contribute | |

| | | |contribute to the portfolio. |to the portfolio. | |

|Quest forms & logs |All forms included; all forms signed; |Some Quest forms and project logs |Some signatures missing; forms |Forms or signatures missing; |All forms or signatures missing; |

| |forms neatly presented, organized. |included; signatures provided; neatly|neatly presented. |forms may not be neat or |forms are messy or incomplete. |

| | |presented. | |organized. | |

RESEARCH PORTFOLIOS CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

For projects involving scientific record-keeping, students should keep a laboratory notebook that documents the research methods and findings. (Consult with your Guide to determine specific notebook requirements pertaining to your discipline of study). The notebook will be an invaluable tool in preparing your project portfolio.

Portfolio Introduction

Provide an introduction to your portfolio that gives a brief overview of the project intentions and explanation of the artifacts contained in each section. This 3-4 page introduction essay:

• describes what motivated you to do this project and how it evolved from the original proposal

• addresses the collaboration efforts and your individual contribution if your Quest was a group project

• explains the portfolio contents or artifacts and why you chose to include them. Consider the following:

• Include artifacts that are a representation. What will the artifacts say about me and my project?

• Prioritize and include rationale. Why am I including these artifacts, and what purpose do they serve?

• Includes a reflective statement about your experience with this project including what you liked or disliked about the research process, surprises along the way, and the project’s impact on your future goals

• is well-organized and meets mechanics and usage requirements

Project or Lab Report

The final report will provide a summary of your project and should be 5-10 pages in length. This manuscript should be written in the appropriate scientific format and begin with a well-constructed abstract or summary (150 word limit). Other sections of this report may vary depending on the area of study, but will typically include an introduction, materials and methods or procedures, a results section containing publication-quality figures with appropriate legends, a discussion section, and references cited.

Portfolio Content or Artifacts

Artifacts are all the “pieces” that represent both the process and the outcomes of the Quest project. The artifacts should be organized into the tabbed sections of your portfolio binder. Each artifact that is included should be explained in the portfolio introduction.

• Presentation slides, brochures, posters, announcements

• Excerpts from your laboratory notebook

• Samples of findings or progress on the research project

• Certificates, awards, or other recognition received for the project

Quest Forms and Logs with Signatures

Your Quest Guide needs to review your portfolio before you submit it for evaluation. Make sure you include all the Quest forms with the appropriate signatures.

Research Quest Portfolio Scoring Rubric

| |Excellent (5) |Good (4) |Somewhat Adequate (3) |Needs Work (2) |Unacceptable (1) |

|Organization/ |Well-organized; required components |Meets basic requirements in an |Basic requirements met; some |Somewhat organized; multiple |Portfolio is unorganized and most|

|Appearance |exceed expectations. |organized binder. |specific information may be |requirements are missing. |requirements are missing. |

| | | |missing. | | |

|Presentation |Professional presentation; appropriate |Presentation appropriate for the |Presentation appropriate for the |Presentation is inappropriate; |Portfolio presentation is not |

| |for the project; written components |project; most written components |project; professionally formatted;|major formatting and mechanical |professional or acceptable. |

| |professionally formatted; proper |professionally formatted; proper |some grammar mechanics and usage |problems. | |

| |grammatical mechanics and usage. |grammatical mechanics and usage. |problems. | | |

|Portfolio Introduction |Exceptional introduction; provides |Strong introduction essay; discusses |Good introduction essay; provides |Weak introduction; missing clear |Introduction underdeveloped; |

| |clear overview of project in “layman’s |project; provides adequate |some discussion of project; |project overview; lacking |reflection not integrated; |

| |terms”; provides detailed and |reflection; discusses artifacts; |reflection is present; artifacts |reflection; artifacts |artifacts not mentioned; poorly |

| |thoughtful reflection; clearly |well-written; well-organized; meets |are addressed; adequately written.|inadequately addressed; poorly |written or organized. |

| |discusses artifacts and why they’re |length requirement. | |written or organized. | |

| |included in the portfolio; well-written| | | | |

| |overall; well-organized; meets length | | | | |

| |requirement. | | | | |

|Project or Lab Report |Written in the appropriate scientific |Meets most of expectations of |Meets most of expectations of |Meets some expectations of |Does not meet any expectations of|

| |format with abstract; 5-10 pages; |scientific format; meets length |scientific format; may not meet |scientific format; underdeveloped|scientific format or length |

| |contains figures, data, etc. |requirements. |length requirements | |requirements |

|Artifacts |Carefully selected; representative of |Includes most or all possible |Contains limited variety of |Includes very few artifacts; |Artifacts are not included; |

| |project; organized; professionally |artifacts; mostly representative of |artifacts; somewhat clear how |artifacts included are not a good|included artifacts are sloppy or |

| |presented; variety included. |project; well-presented. |artifacts represent the project; |representative of the project; |poorly presented. |

| | | |mostly clear how artifacts |unclear how artifacts contribute | |

| | | |contribute to the portfolio. |to the portfolio. | |

|Quest forms & logs |All forms included; all forms signed; |Some Quest forms and project logs |Some signatures missing; forms |Forms or signatures missing; |All forms or signatures missing; |

| |forms neatly presented, organized. |included; signatures provided; neatly|neatly presented. |forms may not be neat or |forms are messy or incomplete. |

| | |presented. | |organized. | |

Portfolio Scoring Overview

5: Excellent Portfolio

Content, organization, depth of research (if applicable), project representation, style, grammar, and integration of artifacts all work together to produce an engaging, insightful professional portfolio that has something to say and says it well. A holistic reading of a level 5 portfolio demonstrates a clear sense of the Quest participant’s overall project, including the level of creativity, innovation, development. The balanced use of carefully selected and integrated artifacts creates a dialogue between the different sections through the overall organization and carefully discussion and reflection in the introduction. Any necessary revisions would be cosmetic and rare.

4: Good Portfolio

Content fulfills the requirements of their respective areas competently. The written components are thoughtful and generally well-presented that demonstrate various strengths in the area of the project (arts, research, leadership), but also may reveal some imbalance. A holistic reading of a level 4 portfolio indicates the Quest student’s ability to develop, organize, connect, and support the presented artifacts skillfully. The Quest student is generally (but not always) able to determine the appropriate means of making connections between the different components, especially between introduction and artifacts.

3: Somewhat Adequate Portfolio

Content may fulfill the requirements of their respective areas, at least somewhat, but at least one area (introduction, lab report, artifacts) may be seriously lacking or may contain weakness in organization, presentation, selection, and incorporation. Overall cohesion of the portfolio is weak and underdeveloped, but demonstrates potential with more guidance. A holistic reading of a level 3 portfolio indicates the Quest student may have had a clear understanding and grasp of the project, but struggled in portfolio development and understanding the purpose and function of the portfolio.

2: Portfolio Needs Work

Content only partly fulfills requirements of their respective areas, and one area (introduction, lab report, artifacts) may be seriously lacking or may contain weakness in organization, presentation, selection, and incorporation. Overall cohesion of the portfolio is incomplete or lacking. A holistic reading of a level 2 portfolio indicates the portfolio was not given much attention at all during the project or elements of the project itself may be incomplete.

1: Unacceptable Portfolio

Portfolio content does not at all address or meet the basic content and area requirements. Many or most of the different areas are lacking, underdeveloped or missing altogether. Portfolio presentation is entirely unprofessional, unorganized, and inadequate. A holistic reading of a level 1 portfolio indicates the Quest student is unaware of the portfolio requirements entirely.

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