What is the Progress Portfolio?

The Progress Portfolio is software that helps students conduct long-term inquiry projects on computers (e.g. visualization projects, web-based inquiry projects, explorations with CD-ROMs, simulations, digital libraries, etc.).

Like traditional paper-based portfolios, the Progress Portfolio is meant to help students document and reflect on their learning. However, rather than only documenting finished pieces, the Progress Portfolio is meant to be used throughout the process of an investigation so that students can document the progress of their reasoning and investigative activities.

The Progress Portfolio allows students to document and reflect on their work using an integrated suite of screen capture, annotation, organization, and presentation tools. In addition, teachers can guide students in their work with the Progress Portfolio through the design of prompts and templates that encourage students to think about key issues as they work.

The Progress Portfolio was developed by the Supportive Inquiry-Based Learning Project at Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy.

Overview of Features

A Suite of Tools to Work With Investigations

The Progress Portfolio is a suite of tools that help students work with investigations:

• Use other software for content, e.g. CD-ROMs, Encyclopedias, Netscape, etc.
• Use Progress Portfolio to document, organize, and record...
• Use both pieces of software simultaneously.
• Other ways of working: Digital Cameras, Scanners, etc.

There are five basic sets of Progress Portfolio tools:

Tools to Capture Work on Computers

A tool called the Data Camera allows students to easily capture the screen of any application they're working with. The Data Camera "floats" on top of the screen so that it's always available.

Tools to Annotate Your Work with Your Thinking

Sticky Notes

Students can annotate the screens they capture with "sticky notes" and arrows to point out features.

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing Tools

Students can also use drawing tools to create lines, rectangles, ovals, and polygons on the pictures to highlight features, explain relationships, etc.

 

Tools to Help Students Structure Their Work

Teachers and curriculum designers can create worksheet-like pages that help guide student work throughout their investigations with text prompts.

Tools to Organize Your Work

The Progress Portfolio provides a number of different tools for students to organize their collections of pages. For example, the "List" organizer provides folders for students to cluster together different aspects of their investigation. Alternatively, the "Table" organizer helps student to organize their work in tables.

Tools to Present Your Work

Students can easily create a "PowerPoint-like" slide show out of their captured screens and annotations for in-class oral and written reports.