Portfolios For Professional Writers: A Reflection on Preparing Capstone Students For Professional Writing

Abstract

In this reflective practice piece, two instructors grapple with the unexpectedly disappointing results of a culminating digital portfolio in a professional writing program. Instructors had hoped students would approach the digital portfolio as a tool in the job market to showcase their writing skills and interests. Instead, we found that despite the program-wide emphasis on crafting and selecting pieces for this final capstone project, students’ portfolios did not reflect the level of professionalism we anticipated regarding the selection of work and overall design. We were concerned that students viewed this as just another assignment instead of a tool that would support them in the job market. In reflecting on the disconnect between our expectations and the student’s approach to the project, and in conversation with the theory of self-focus in the life-stage of emerging adulthood (Arnett, 2016) and the need for additional guidance on large projects such as these (Lam, 2020; Ring et al., 2017), we instituted portfolio check-ins. These one-on-one meetings with the instructor augmented the peer reviews already in the course to provide the perspective of how a possible employer might evaluate their portfolio and other considerations for strengthening their work. Future research will look to survey program graduates to get a better sense of if and how the portfolios are used post-graduation. Keywords: digital portfolios, ePortfolios, capstone, professional writing, writing, undergraduate, career readiness, emerging adulthood