Telling a story
Your portfolio should tell a story. In any good story there is a clear relationship between the images and the text. Your artefacts need clear annotations and succinct explanations to provide context, demonstrate relevance and highlight importance for your viewers.
Digital writing
Remember, your portfolio lives in a digital space which impacts the way you write. Below are eight general tips for writing in the digital environment.
Click on the plus (+) icons to learn more.
Activity overview: Digital writing
An image is displayed of 7 selectable icons, as follows:
- Tip 1 (Structuring your writing) icon of a document on an iPad.
- Tip 2 (Knowing your audience) icon of a group of people.
- Tip 3 (Drafting and proofreading) icon of a document on a computer screen with highlighted text.
- Tip 4 (Being kind to readers) icon of the letter ‘T’ appears twice, the first is small and white, the second is larger and black font.
- Tip 5 (Getting to the point) icon of a webpage with 3 short sections of text and an image.
- Tip 6 (Illustrating not decorating) icon of an iPad with decorative images and graphs.
- Tip 7 (Adding links) icon of a document with a link selected on a computer screen.
The interactivity
The user can click on the icons to reveal information about each tip.
Revealed information
- Tip 1: Structuring your writing - Make sure you have a clear structure. Use meaningful headings and subheadings to make it easy to read and scan. There are templates for you to use in PebblePad to structure your writing.
- Tip 2: Knowing your audience - To write content that will connect with your audience you need to know who they are. Writing for a known audience guides the tone, structure and style.
- Tip 3: Drafting and proofreading - Write a draft in MS Word rather than directly in your portfolio. This will give you a back-up copy and make it easier to edit before uploading. Make sure you proofread before you publish.
- Tip 4: Being kind to readers - Use legible fonts (e.g., Calibri, Ariel, Open Sans) that your readers can easily read. Some fonts may be distracting or difficult to read. Use contrasting colours between the text and background and avoid bright fluorescent colours.
- Tip 5: Getting to the point - Write concisely, using short sentences and paragraphs. Chunk your text into smaller easy-to-read sections.
- Tip 6: Illustrating not decorating - Use meaningful images that relate to your purpose. Remember, the content you include needs to enhance not distract the viewer from your purpose.
- Tip 7: Adding links - Provide hyperlinks to standards and outcomes that are publicly available. Include links to relevant resources, such as documents and videos. You can also link directly to assets in your PebblePad Asset store.
Note
Don’t forget to use the spelling and grammar check in MS Word. There are also tools you can use to help improve your writing, such as Hemingway app and Grammarly. You can also use the Study Support resource on drafting and proofreading.
Writing with purpose in your portfolio
You need to adjust the way you write and the language you use to suit the purpose of your portfolio.
Think back to the different reasons you create a portfolio:
Assessments
Showcase
Job opportunity
Ongoing professional development
Writing about your artefacts
You need to adjust the way you write and the language you use to suit the purpose of your portfolio.
Think back to the different reasons you create a portfolio:
Adapting your writing
Remember you can adapt your assessments to suit the purpose of a job application demonstrating your ability to reflect on your learning and apply it to practice.
However, writing for assessment is different to writing for a prospective employer. If you are adapting an assessment to use as evidence for a job application, consider:
Activity: Writing with purpose
Now that you’ve read about the type of language to use when adapting your work, let’s check your understanding.
Your Task
Answer the question, then select Check. Use the arrow to progress to the next question.