What is a portfolio?

A portfolio is an organized collection of materials which records and verifies learning achievements and relates them to set educational, career or professional standards. For example, an individual who wishes to develop a portfolio to use as a tool in looking for a job, job promotion or career planning will compare her learning against the set standards of performance for the job or career she wants. A person using his portfolio to request academic credit for college courses will compare his learning to the learning described in the learning outcomes section of the course outlines for the courses he wishes to challenge. Most community colleges have a prior learning assessment coordinator and sample portfolios available to individuals who wish to challenge college courses. Click here to view portfolio samplers.