Looking for more information about portfolios? Go to the portfolios tool overview page.

Portfolios Building Block

  • Date Released: April 30, 2014
  • Minimum Learn Version: Blackboard Learn 9.1 April 2014

Description

The new portfolio framework includes the following enhancements:

  • Backward compatibility with the legacy portfolio solution so users do not lose access to existing work or have to go through a cumbersome migration or export/import process.
  • A significant overhaul, improvement, and simplification of the portfolio authoring workflow.
  • Simplification of the design options for portfolios to assure a consistently attractive output even if the user does not have design or HTML skills.
  • Tighter integration between courses and portfolios:
    • The ability for students to convert course assignments into assignment artifacts that persist beyond the student's access to the course.
    • The ability for instructors to formally require a portfolio as a submission to an assignment in a course.

The new portfolio framework replaces the existing legacy portfolio framework (Basic and Personal Portfolios) entirely, but legacy portfolios will automatically be converted to the new framework.

If using Portfolios and upgrading Blackboard Learn with an Oracle database there is a risk on Upgrading to to the new Portfolios that will leave partially migrated Portfolios and possible duplicates of partially migrated portfolios.

Only Personal Portfolios with no name are affected.

To mitigate the risk of partially migrated portfolios prior to running the Learn upgrade you must execute the following SQL on your Oracle database: update pflio set title='.' where title is null.

Default State

Enabled

Disabling or Removing the Building Block

  • The Portfolios Building Block cannot be disabled or removed. 
  • You can disable Portfolios on the Portfolio Settings page accessed from the Administrator panel.
    • Any portfolios and artifacts that were created stay on the system and will be available when Portfolios is enabled again.
    • Assignments requiring portfolio submissions are no longer available to students.

Roles

  • All users can create and edit their individual portfolios.
  • Instructors can create assignments that require portfolio submissions.
  • Students can convert assignment submissions into portfolio artifacts.

To learn more, see Roles and Privileges.

Dependencies

  • These changes require installing the April 2014 release, Blackboard Learn 9.1 April 2014.
  • Portfolios require the content management license.