E-portfolios vs Traditional Portfolios

E-portfolios and traditional portfolios are both collections of work, but they have some big differences, mainly because of how they’re made and shared.

E-portfolios offer a modern, flexible, and accessible way to showcase work, skills, and achievements. They reflect the digital age, making it easier to share and update content, interact with viewers, and demonstrate digital literacy. Traditional portfolios, while more limited in scope and convenience, still have their place in certain contexts and industries.

Features

E-portfolios

Traditional portfolios

Location and Access

They’re online. This means anyone can see them from anywhere at any time if they have permission.

These are physical, like a folder or a book. You must be with someone to show them your work.

What’s Inside

They are flexible and can hold lots of different things, like videos, pictures, documents, and links.

They’re limited to stuff that can be printed out or physically put into a portfolio, like papers or photos.

Updating

Easy to update. You can add new work or change things around without much trouble.

Once something is printed and added, changing it means reprinting and replacing, which can be a hassle.

Interaction

They can be interactive. People can leave comments or feedback right on your portfolio.

Interaction is limited to the times you’re showing your portfolio to someone in person.

Skills Shown

They show off digital skills along with the actual work. Being able to make and manage an E-portfolio is a skill itself.

They focus more on the content of the work without the added layer of digital skills.

Sharing

Sharing is easy. You can send a link to anyone in the world.

You must physically give it to someone or mail it, which limits who can see it.

Storage and Durability

They don’t take up physical space and won’t get damaged over time like paper.

They can take up a lot of space and need to be carefully stored to keep them from getting damaged.