The Interfolio Blog

A recent report has brought up a new round of discussion of the prevalence of cheating in the online classroom, with comparisons being made to expected levels of cheating in traditional classroom settings, as well as ways to prevent cheating. 

We thought one interesting take was that the use of online portfolios would allow professors much greater insight into a student's style and progression through coursework, and provide a great deal of oversight to prevent cheating.

We've talked a lot about how online portfolios can help you in your job search and career development, but this is a new use that can be equally as exciting. Especially because in addition to preventing cheating in your online courses, students will finish the class with a well-organized collection of their work and achievements to share with peers and potential employers.

The basic premise is that by having each student create an online portfolio where they share their work throughout the semester, the instructor can ensure that work is done at consistent quality. The online portfolio also provides a way for professors to "track a learner's progress through the course, thus building a stronger familiarity of each students' style and proficiency."

We think this is definitely an interesting idea, and provides a much more in-depth way to measure students' work than one or two exams a semester could provide. Let us know what you think!