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My Items

Table of Contents

Understanding My Items

My Items consolidates all of your artifacts, reflections, presentations, and collections into a single view, enabling you to view, search, and manage all of your content from one location. From the My Items page you can:

  • Add ePortfolio content by clicking the New or Upload buttons
  • Bulk add items to a presentation or collection from the action bar
  • Perform common actions on your ePortfolio items, such as view, preview (image and HTML file artifacts only), edit, copy (presentations only), delete, and share

Your ePortfolio items display in a list that you can sort by name or date edited, ascending or descending. Filters at the top of the list enable you to search and manage specific sets of content; you can filter by item type or sharing status.

Activity icons

Once you share items with others and they provide comments or rubric assessments, icons that represent this activity appear beside your items in the My Items listing.

Activity icons indicate an item's sharing and feedback count.

You can click on these icons to view details about which individuals or groups you are sharing an item with or review comments and rubric assessments made on that item.

Clicking on the sharing group icon or individual icon opens that item's Sharing Settings dialog. From here you can modify who can access your item. Clicking on the feedback icon opens an item's View page where you can review comments and rubric assessments from others. New feedback icon indicates unread feedback on an item.

Creating artifacts

ePortfolio is a repository for digital artifacts that represent your learning. You may upload or create artifacts on any number of topics and at any stage of completion. An artifact may be a document, graphic, audio file, video file, presentation, or other form of digital media. You may upload files from a personal computer or storage device; import items from a course; link to a website; create an HTML file; fill out a form created by your instructor; or record an audio file directly within ePortfolio.

Instead of viewing your artifacts as complete examples, consider them as ongoing projects and continuously revise them as you develop new skills and understandings. This way your portfolio is a true reflection of your skills and achievements.

Table of contents for Creating Artifacts

Upload a file

Upload files from your computer, personal storage device, or BeachBoard locker area that demonstrate your improvement or mastery in an area of interest.

  1. Click the Upload button on the My Items page and then click File from computer from the drop-down menu.
  2. Browse for the file you want to add.
  3. Click Upload.
  4. Confirm that you selected the correct file, and click Next.
  5. Give the file a Name and Description.
  6. Add any Tags you want the artifact to have.
  7. Click Add.

Tip: Consider compressing large media files before you upload them to save space in your portfolio. Full resolution files are not usually necessary for display on the web.

Create an HTML file

ePortfolio provides the option to create HTML artifacts using a simple HTML Editor. HTML files may contain formatted text, images, videos, audio files, and links to content in your course.

  1. Click the New button on the My Items page and then click HTML File from the drop-down menu.
  2. Enter the File name you want the file to be stored as.
  3. Use the HTML Editor to add your content.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Enter the Name you want to display for the file and a Description.
  6. Add any Tags you want the artifact to have.
  7. Click Add.

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Link to a web address

If you want to include an existing website as an artifact in your portfolio, you can reference the address (URL) for the site rather than uploading files.

  1. Click the New button on the My Items page and then click Link from the drop-down menu.
  2. Enter the Name you want the URL to be stored as.
  3. Enter the URL (web address).
  4. Enter a Description of the site or its significance.
  5. Add any Tags you want the artifact to have.
  6. Click Add.

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Import course content as an artifact

A great way to track your progress over time is to include your course work in your portfolio. You may then review your work at any point in the future and compare it to other assignments and courses.

Note: You can also add course content artifacts to your portfolio directly from your courses. Click Add to ePortfolio while viewing grades, competencies, quiz results, or dropbox folder feedback.

  1. Click the Upload button on the My Items page and then click Course results from the drop-down menu.
  2. If you have more than one role in the system, select the role you want to import course results for from the Enrolled As drop-down menu.
  3. Click the name of the course you want to import results from.
  4. Select the items you want to import, and click Next.
  5. Enter a Name and Description for each item.
  6. Add any Tags you want the artifacts to have.
  7. Click Create.

Tip: Click the Apply Tags to All Artifacts button to add a set of tags to all items on the page.

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Fill out a form

Forms are templates created by instructors that users fill out. Forms collect information using a set of question fields.

  1. Click the New button on the My Items page and then click Form Response from the drop-down menu.
  2. Click the name of the form you want to fill out.
  3. Fill out the form.
  4. In the Artifact Details area, provide a Name and Description unique to this form entry.
  5. Add any Tags you want the artifact to have.
  6. Click Create.

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Record audio

You can record audio directly within ePortfolio, rather than pre-recording audio on your computer and uploading it as a file.

  1. Click the New button on the My Items page and then click Audio Recording from the drop-down menu.
  2. Ensure your microphone is set up correctly and click Record. You can also:
    • Click Flash Settings to make adjustments to your microphone selection and volume.
    • Click Play to listen to your recording.
    • Click Clear to erase your recording.
  3. Click Next.
  4. Give the file a Name and Description.
  5. Add any Tags you want the artifact to have.
  6. Click Add.

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Creating reflections

Use reflections to discuss items in your portfolio, record your thoughts on topics that interest you, set goals, and think critically about your learning.

Add a reflection

  1. Click the New button on the My Items page and then click Reflection from the drop-down menu.
  2. Give your reflection a Title.
  3. Enter your thoughts in the Reflection field.
  4. Add any Tags you want the reflection to have.
  5. Click Save.

Associating reflections with artifacts, collections or presentations

Reflections may be independent portfolio items or associated with artifacts, collections, or presentations. Associating reflections with other items helps other users see the relationship between the items and makes it easier to revisit your goals and assumptions later.

Reflections are only visible to other users if you share them, associate them with an item, or add them to a collection or presentation.

  • When you share a reflection that is associated with an item, users can only view the name of the associated item unless that item is also shared with them.
  • Sharing an item associated with a reflection allows users to view the reflection as part of the item.
  • If you include a reflection in a collection or presentation, it inherits the permissions of that collection or presentation.
Associate a reflection with an artifact, collection or presentation
  1. Create and save a reflection or edit an existing reflection.
  2. Click the Add button in the Associated Items area that appears.
  3. Select whether you want to associate the reflection with An Artifact, A Collection or A Presentation.
  4. Select the appropriate item from the list of items that appears, and click Add.
  5. Click Save on the Edit Reflection page.

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Creating collections

Collections are groups of artifacts, reflections and presentations. They are like folders, except an item can belong to multiple collections at the same time. For example, you may add a short story you wrote to a collection called “Fiction” as well as a collection called “Creative Writing 101” and there will only be one copy of the story (artifact).

There are multiple ways of adding items to a collection: you may add items manually from the Edit Collection page; you may add multiple items at once using the Add to Collection icon Add to Collection icon in the action bar on the My Items page; or you may select the Add to Collection option from the context menu (drop-down) for an item. You may also create a list of tags on the Edit Collection page that defines which items to automatically include in a collection based on the tags that are associated with the item.

Create a collection

  1. Click the New button on the My Items page and then click Collection from the drop-down menu.
  2. Give the collection a Name and Description.
  3. Add any Tags you want the collection to have.
  4. Make sure the allow Comments and Assessments check boxes are selected if you plan to share the collection with others.

Add an item to a collection from the Edit Collection page

  1. Click the Add to Collection button.
  2. Select the Artifacts, Presentations or Reflections link.
  3. Select the items you want to add.
  4. Click Add.

Add items to one or more collections from the My Items page

  1. Select the items you want to add to the collection from the My Items listing.
  2. Click the  Add to Collection icon Add to Collection icon at the top of the list.
  3. Select the collections you want to add the items to.
  4. Click Finish.

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Add an item to a collection using an item's context menu (drop-down)

  1. Open the context menu (drop-down) for an item.
  2. Click Add to Collection.
  3. Select a collection.
  4. Click Add.

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Create a tag list that automatically populates a collection

Tag lists allow you to automatically populate a collection with portfolio items that use specific tags.

Important: All items that use the tags that you specify in the tag list are automatically added to the collection. If you share the collection with other users you automatically share all of the items.

  1. Click the Add to Collection button on the Edit Collection page.
  2. Select Artifacts, Presentations or Reflections based on Tags.
  3. Give your tag list a Name .
  4. Enter the tags you want to be included in the tag list.
  5. Click Save.

Tip: If you want to create an OR condition, where items tagged with either "x" or "y" are added to a collection, you can create multiple tag lists. For example, if you want all items tagged with the phrase "Science and Technology" and either "Green Energy" or "Solar Energy" to be added to a collection, you should create two tag lists. The first tag list should contain the phrases "Science and Technology" and "Green Energy", and the second tag list should contain "Science and Technology" and "Solar Energy."

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Creating presentations

Presentations let you compile portfolio items in a web project that showcase your achievements. Your presentations may have multiple pages and use different themes and layouts. Presentations provide a polished, professional medium to demonstrate your learning and accomplishments.

Create a new presentation

  1. Click the New button on the My Items page and then click Presentation from the drop-down menu.
  2. Give the presentation a Name and Description.
  3. Add any Tags you want the presentation to have.
  4. Make sure the allow Comments and Assessments check boxes are selected if you plan to share the presentation with others.
  5. Click Save.

Adding items to presentations

Use the Content/Layout tab to add items to your presentations. You may add items on a single page or create multiple pages.

Tip: Try and make sure each item has a unique name. If you have multiple headings or items with the same name in a single presentation it may be difficult for people using screen readers and other non-visual assistive technologies to determine which item or section they are viewing.

Add items to a presentation

  1. Click the Content/Layout tab on the Edit Presentation page.
  2. Click the Add Component button within the area of the page you want to add an item to.
  3. Select the type of item you want to add.
  4. Select the item you want to add.
  5. Click Add.

Edit the display options for artifacts in a presentation

  1. Open the context menu (drop-down) for the item.
  2. Select Edit Display Options.
  3. Change the Title or Descriptionof the item, if desired.

    Note: This will only change the title or description within the presentation.

  4. Select whether you want the artifact to display in-place or as a link.
  5. Select whether you want to auto-fit the artifact to the content area it is displayed in, or maintain its original size (if applicable).
  6. Select which reflections associated with the artifact to display in the presentation (if applicable).
  7. Select the appropriate options related to displaying comments and assessments.

    Note: The following file types may be displayed in-place: HTML, AVI, BMP, Flash and Shockwave Flash, GIF, JPG, MP3, PNG, QuickTime, RealAudio, WAV and WMV.

Edit the display options for reflections in a presentation

  1. Open the context menu (drop-down) for the item.
  2. Select Edit Display Options.
  3. Select the appropriate options related to displaying comments and assessments.
  4. Click Save.

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Modifying the layout of presentation pages

Use the Content/Layout tab to change where the navigation area appears on presentation pages and the arrangement of content.

Edit Presentation Navigation  Sets where the page naviagation appears. This is a presentation-level setting; you cannot select a different navigation position per presentation page.

Edit Page Layout  Sets the positioning of the content areas. This is a page-level setting; each page in your presentation can have different page layouts.

Item context menus enable you to move items to different content areas, change the order of items within a content area, and delete items from your presentation.

Use the Pages section of Content/Layout tab to add new pages to your presentation and reorder existing pages. If you have a larger presentation, you can hide subpages using those pages' Page Properties.

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Setting the presentation banner

A banner appears at the top of every page in a presentation. The presentation title usually appears in the banner, much like a header in a book. You can include additional text in the banner as a description.

Enter a banner title and description on the Banner tab on the Edit Presentation page.

Note: The theme of the presentation controls the style of the banner, including the background and fonts used. Use the Theme tab to modify banner styles.

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Selecting and modifying a theme

Themes are default style templates that help give your presentations a consistent look and feel. Themes are divided into styles which control one aspect of the design. For example, there are separate styles that control titles, links, dates and images.

Themes are provided by your organization, but you may be able to change some or all aspects of a theme.

Choose a theme

  1. Click the Theme tab on the Edit Presentation page.
  2. Click the Select button beside the theme you want to apply to your presentation.

Modify a theme

  1. Click the Edit Display icon Edit styles icon beside your current theme.
  2. Select the element you want to modify in the list of page elements.

    Tip: Use the Filter drop-down menu to view specific groupings of elements.

  3. Use the options that appear under the Preview window to edit the style.
  4. Repeat for remaining elements.
  5. Click Save.

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Copying presentations

On the My Items page, click Copy icon Copy from a presentation's context menu.

The following information is copied:

  • the presentation’s description, tags, and comments and assessment properties
  • the theme
  • the banner title, description and appearance
  • all pages, page layouts, page content, display options and display orders

The following information is not copied:

  • permissions
  • comments or assessments for the presentation
  • reflections associated with the presentation

Note: You can only copy presentations from your own portfolio.

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Tagging your content

Tags are keywords or descriptive labels that you add to items to help categorize them. For example, you can tag items with course codes, subjects, topics, purpose, or status. You can search both your own portfolio and others’ shared items by tags.

Add a tag

  1. Go to the edit page for an artifact, presentation, or reflection.
  2. Enter the tag in the New Tags field, and click Add Tag.
  3. Click Save.

Notes:

  • Enter multiple tags at once by separating words using spaces.
  • Use quotes " to create multi-word tags, e.g., “winter project”.
  • Use the @ symbol in front of a tag to make it a private tag only you can see, e.g., @draft.
  • The search tool matches parts of words and phrases (e.g. searching for "read" will match "reading" and "Reading Materials").

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