ADHA Access — May-June
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Special Feature
Shape Your Future with an E-Portfolio
What Is a Portfolio?
When you reach a point in your career where you are looking for opportunities for advancement or new employment, it is advantageous to showcase your strengths and accomplishments. Dental hygienists often have a wide variety of professional experience to demonstrate. A portfolio will reflect achievements from all realms of professional development and may provide an advantage over other candidates when seeking career opportunities.
A professional portfolio demonstrates evidence of your skills, achievements and professional experience.1 Portfolios include a variety of information to summarize your contributions to dental hygiene practice, professional development and qualifications, as well as presentations and publications. Examples of the categories for your portfolio can be found in Figure 1. This list is not exhaustive, but is intended to stimulate your thoughts.
There are two methods for creating a professional portfolio, traditional and electronic. The traditional version is a paper copy, while the emerging format is an electronic, or e-portfolio. Electronic portfolios can be either web-based or computer-based. Web-based portfolios are created through websites that provide the user with a web domain for an annual fee. Computer-based portfolios are a lower-cost option, as the only purchases required include computer software and a disc or flash drive. Computer-based portfolios are transferred to a disc or flash drive once completed.
Why Choose an E-portfolio?
In a 2008 study by Stevens, findings suggest that participants who created an electronic portfolio "reported a better understanding of their skills and attributes and increased self-confidence, in particular in marketing themselves to employers." 2 Individuals who compile a professional portfolio will have the ability to quickly and accurately demonstrate lifelong Learning and continued professional competence.3 With competition in the workforce, a professional portfolio provides a visual representation that sets you apart from other candidates by allowing you to express your individual strengths and unique style. It also allows a potential employer to reflect on your qualifications and accomplishments before or after the interview. Additionally, portfolios are used for developmental purposes, such as promotion and advancement, in the current field of employment.4 Mid- to late-career professionals can display their strong pOints by highlighting skills and experience not evident on a resume.4
E-portfolios preserve documentation from natural disasters and viruses if the documents are regularly backed Up.3 Each piece of information found in a portfolio is centrally located on the computer. This allows easy retrieval of information and the ability to update content regularly. E-portfolios are living documents and should evolve throughout your professional career. When all files are contained in an electronic version, this reduces the need for a cumbersome paper copy in a binder, which can be difficult to leave with a reviewer and ensure that it returns safely back to you. Electronic versions also eliminate unnecessary printing and use of paper.
Many current dental hygiene graduates develop electronic portfolios during their educational experience. Mid- to latecareer professionals need to demonstrate adaptability to technological influences in order to remain competitive in their field. E-portfolios validate your ability to embrace change and remain viable in the workforce.
How To Do It
The length of a portfolio depends on the amount of supporting documentation provided. This will vary with your level of experience in the field. A professional portfolio can be tailored to your desired position. In order to accomplish this, you will need a larger pool of documentation to choose from. Having a wide variety of showcased skills will allow you to easily compile a portfolio. Examples of practice contributions may include, but are not limited to, methods of increasing production or efficiency, incorporation of new products or techniques, thank-you letters from patients, positive employer annual reviews, and lists of products or technologies with which you have experience in clinical practice. Evidence of professional development incorporates continuing education opportunities, membership in professional associations as well as offices held in those associations, community service activities, awards, certificates and recognitions within the field of dental hygiene. Information pertaining to your qualifications may include a resume, licensures, certifications, letters of recommendation and references. Presentations and publications are an excellent way to showcase research, educational skills and community involvement. Limiting the portfolio to the 10 best items will focus the potential employer on key areas of competency and permit him or her to scan the Contents of the portfolio in a short amount of time. This brief review should engage and motivate the reviewer to explore your portfolio in greater detail. Reflective statements should summarize the value of the examples included in the portfolio and how they demonstrate your intellectual, professional and clinical growth.
With competition in the workforce, a professional portfolio provides a visual representation that sets you apart from other candidates by allowing you to express your individual strengths and unique style.
Before you create your portfolio, all supporting paper documentation should be converted into an electronic format. For example, scan photographs, licensures, certificates, employer evaluations, thankyou cards and presentation programs. Make sure to proofread all electronic documents and presentations before converting them into the final portable document format (PDF). Most software programs allow you to save electronic documents as a PDF. If you are uncertain of how to perform any functions in a particular software program, always use its help function.
The first step in creating a portfolio is to determine its purpose. This may be to position you for job advancement, a pay raise or a new position. Next, identify your target audience. It is important to verify who will be reviewing your portfolio. When applying for a clinical dental hygiene position, this might include several team members, Such as other dental hygienists, the office manager and the employing dentist.
Now you are ready to plan your strategy for selecting the items you will use in your portfolio, as the same portfolio cannot be used in all situations. This requires prior knowledge of the target organization to match your assets to their needs. Select the 10 items that best represent your skills, achievements and individuality.
After choosing the appropriate samples of evidence, you will compile these files into a single folder on your computer. You can label the folder according to the portfolio's purpose, such as "Clinical Dental Hygienist." It is necessary to develop the folder since it will be copied over to the rewritable disc that will be distributed to the reviewer. This will become the subfolder for all files that will be embedded into a PowerPoint slideshow for viewing purposes. PowerPoint is the main format the reviewer will use to look over the portfolio.
To create the PowerPoint slideshow, you will need to be familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint software. Open a new presentation and create a title slide. This will include your name, credentials, phone number, email address and, optionally, a recent professional photograph. The table of contents will be found on the next slide. Items included in your portfolio will be listed in the table of contents in the order they appear in the slideshow. Refer back to Figure 1 for a listing of headings and subheadings you may include.
Create a new slide in the presentation to showcase each heading and subheading from your table of contents. A short description of the subheading should be placed on the slide, accompanied by a visual aid. Insert your supporting electronic documents by hyperlinking descriptive text or photos on a slide to the corresponding PDF. When the reviewer clicks on the item that has the hyperlink attached to it, the supporting documentation will appear. After creating all of your content slides, proofread the presentation. Proofreading will allow you to catch mistakes before saving the presentation in "PowerPoint Show" format. This is an option you will find under the "save as type" drop down menu in the program. By saving the file as a PowerPoint Show, you will enable the viewer to automatically open and view the slide show with the hyperlinks activated. Another option is to save the presentation as a PDF. Either option will activate the hyperlinks found in the presentation. Choose a name for the show that indicates to the viewer that this is the main format for viewing your portfolio. The saved version of the show should not go into the subfolder you previously created. Instead, it will accompany the subfolder within a main file folder.
To finish the portfolio, you will need to transfer the electronic documents to a rewritable disc. Create an additional folder on your computer that will contain the PowerPoint Show as well as the subfolder you previously created with supporting documentation. The hyperlinks within the PowerPoint Show will link out to this subfolder. Name the folder to reflect ownership for your portfolio, such as Kimberly Parsons' Professional Portfolio. Transfer the folder just mentioned to a rewritable disc.
You may wish to create a disc cover insert as well as a disc label to present a polished final product. Examples of information that can appear on the insert include directions on how to use the electronic portfolio and the table of contents, as well as personal identification. Along with these final steps, your portfolio will reveal your professionalism and leave a positive lasting impression.
While compiling a portfolio may take time, the benefits will be seen over the future years. Periodic maintenance is required to keep the files current. When a career opportunity arises, tracking professional skills and accomplishments through a portfolio becomes effortless.
What Kind of Portfolio?
The word "portfolio" has different meanings in different contexts. The collection of materials discussed in this article is intended to present the dental hygienist's preparation, skill sets and experiences to potential employers.
Among the other meanings, in 2010, California passed legislation to give dental students the option of taking a schoolbased examination for initial licensure, by which they would assemble, over the course of their final year, a portfolio of completed clinical experiences and competency exams in seven subject areas for submission to the dental board. The portfolio examination is accepted only in California.
Initial licensure by portfolio is not available to dental hygienists in any state; however, Minnesota does require licensees to establish a professional portfolio to record, monitor, and retain documentation of professional development activities.
References
1. Dennison RD. What goes into your professional portfolio & what you'll get out of it. Am Nurs Today 2007; 2(1): Available at www.americannursetoday. comjArticle.aspx?id=4376&fid=4352. Accessed Aug. 30, 2011.
2. Stevens H. The impact of e-portfolio development on the employability of adults aged 45 and over. Campus-Wide Information Systems 2008; 25(4): 209-18.
3. Dion KW, Smolenski, M. Why you need an electronic professional portfolio. Am Nurs Today 2008; 3(9): 13-4.
4. Carliner S. E-portfolios: the tool that can increase your marketability and refine your skill development efforts. Training & Development 2005; 59(5): 70-6.
Kimberly M. Parsons, RDH, Med, CDA, is an assistant professor of dental assisting and dental hygiene at the University of Southern Indiana as well as the interim dental assisting program director. Her scholarly activities include research in the area of electronic textbooks and other educational technologies.
Emily R. Holt, RDH, MHA, CDA, is an assistant professor of dental hygiene and dental assisting at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana. She also practices dental hygiene at the office of Dr. Dana Morris in Newburgh, Indiana. She is a consultant member of the North East Regional Board of Dentistry.
What Is a Portfolio?
When you reach a point in your career where you are looking for opportunities for advancement or new employment, it is advantageous to showcase your strengths and accomplishments. Dental hygienists often have a wide variety of professional experience to demonstrate. A portfolio will reflect achievements from all realms of professional development and may provide an advantage over other candidates when seeking career opportunities.
A professional portfolio demonstrates evidence of your skills, achievements and professional experience.1 Portfolios include a variety of information to summarize your contributions to dental hygiene practice, professional development and qualifications, as well as presentations and publications. Examples of the categories for your portfolio can be found in Figure 1. This list is not exhaustive, but is intended to stimulate your thoughts.
There are two methods for creating a professional portfolio, traditional and electronic. The traditional version is a paper copy, while the emerging format is an electronic, or e-portfolio. Electronic portfolios can be either web-based or computer-based. Web-based portfolios are created through websites that provide the user with a web domain for an annual fee. Computer-based portfolios are a lower-cost option, as the only purchases required include computer software and a disc or flash drive. Computer-based portfolios are transferred to a disc or flash drive once completed.
Why Choose an E-portfolio?
In a 2008 study by Stevens, findings suggest that participants who created an electronic portfolio "reported a better understanding of their skills and attributes and increased self-confidence, in particular in marketing themselves to employers." 2 Individuals who compile a professional portfolio will have the ability to quickly and accurately demonstrate lifelong Learning and continued professional competence.3 With competition in the workforce, a professional portfolio provides a visual representation that sets you apart from other candidates by allowing you to express your individual strengths and unique style. It also allows a potential employer to reflect on your qualifications and accomplishments before or after the interview. Additionally, portfolios are used for developmental purposes, such as promotion and advancement, in the current field of employment.4 Mid- to late-career professionals can display their strong pOints by highlighting skills and experience not evident on a resume.4
E-portfolios preserve documentation from natural disasters and viruses if the documents are regularly backed Up.3 Each piece of information found in a portfolio is centrally located on the computer. This allows easy retrieval of information and the ability to update content regularly. E-portfolios are living documents and should evolve throughout your professional career. When all files are contained in an electronic version, this reduces the need for a cumbersome paper copy in a binder, which can be difficult to leave with a reviewer and ensure that it returns safely back to you. Electronic versions also eliminate unnecessary printing and use of paper.
Many current dental hygiene graduates develop electronic portfolios during their educational experience. Mid- to latecareer professionals need to demonstrate adaptability to technological influences in order to remain competitive in their field. E-portfolios validate your ability to embrace change and remain viable in the workforce.
How To Do It
The length of a portfolio depends on the amount of supporting documentation provided. This will vary with your level of experience in the field. A professional portfolio can be tailored to your desired position. In order to accomplish this, you will need a larger pool of documentation to choose from. Having a wide variety of showcased skills will allow you to easily compile a portfolio. Examples of practice contributions may include, but are not limited to, methods of increasing production or efficiency, incorporation of new products or techniques, thank-you letters from patients, positive employer annual reviews, and lists of products or technologies with which you have experience in clinical practice. Evidence of professional development incorporates continuing education opportunities, membership in professional associations as well as offices held in those associations, community service activities, awards, certificates and recognitions within the field of dental hygiene. Information pertaining to your qualifications may include a resume, licensures, certifications, letters of recommendation and references. Presentations and publications are an excellent way to showcase research, educational skills and community involvement. Limiting the portfolio to the 10 best items will focus the potential employer on key areas of competency and permit him or her to scan the Contents of the portfolio in a short amount of time. This brief review should engage and motivate the reviewer to explore your portfolio in greater detail. Reflective statements should summarize the value of the examples included in the portfolio and how they demonstrate your intellectual, professional and clinical growth.
With competition in the workforce, a professional portfolio provides a visual representation that sets you apart from other candidates by allowing you to express your individual strengths and unique style.
Before you create your portfolio, all supporting paper documentation should be converted into an electronic format. For example, scan photographs, licensures, certificates, employer evaluations, thankyou cards and presentation programs. Make sure to proofread all electronic documents and presentations before converting them into the final portable document format (PDF). Most software programs allow you to save electronic documents as a PDF. If you are uncertain of how to perform any functions in a particular software program, always use its help function.
The first step in creating a portfolio is to determine its purpose. This may be to position you for job advancement, a pay raise or a new position. Next, identify your target audience. It is important to verify who will be reviewing your portfolio. When applying for a clinical dental hygiene position, this might include several team members, Such as other dental hygienists, the office manager and the employing dentist.
Now you are ready to plan your strategy for selecting the items you will use in your portfolio, as the same portfolio cannot be used in all situations. This requires prior knowledge of the target organization to match your assets to their needs. Select the 10 items that best represent your skills, achievements and individuality.
After choosing the appropriate samples of evidence, you will compile these files into a single folder on your computer. You can label the folder according to the portfolio's purpose, such as "Clinical Dental Hygienist." It is necessary to develop the folder since it will be copied over to the rewritable disc that will be distributed to the reviewer. This will become the subfolder for all files that will be embedded into a PowerPoint slideshow for viewing purposes. PowerPoint is the main format the reviewer will use to look over the portfolio.
To create the PowerPoint slideshow, you will need to be familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint software. Open a new presentation and create a title slide. This will include your name, credentials, phone number, email address and, optionally, a recent professional photograph. The table of contents will be found on the next slide. Items included in your portfolio will be listed in the table of contents in the order they appear in the slideshow. Refer back to Figure 1 for a listing of headings and subheadings you may include.
Create a new slide in the presentation to showcase each heading and subheading from your table of contents. A short description of the subheading should be placed on the slide, accompanied by a visual aid. Insert your supporting electronic documents by hyperlinking descriptive text or photos on a slide to the corresponding PDF. When the reviewer clicks on the item that has the hyperlink attached to it, the supporting documentation will appear. After creating all of your content slides, proofread the presentation. Proofreading will allow you to catch mistakes before saving the presentation in "PowerPoint Show" format. This is an option you will find under the "save as type" drop down menu in the program. By saving the file as a PowerPoint Show, you will enable the viewer to automatically open and view the slide show with the hyperlinks activated. Another option is to save the presentation as a PDF. Either option will activate the hyperlinks found in the presentation. Choose a name for the show that indicates to the viewer that this is the main format for viewing your portfolio. The saved version of the show should not go into the subfolder you previously created. Instead, it will accompany the subfolder within a main file folder.
To finish the portfolio, you will need to transfer the electronic documents to a rewritable disc. Create an additional folder on your computer that will contain the PowerPoint Show as well as the subfolder you previously created with supporting documentation. The hyperlinks within the PowerPoint Show will link out to this subfolder. Name the folder to reflect ownership for your portfolio, such as Kimberly Parsons' Professional Portfolio. Transfer the folder just mentioned to a rewritable disc.
You may wish to create a disc cover insert as well as a disc label to present a polished final product. Examples of information that can appear on the insert include directions on how to use the electronic portfolio and the table of contents, as well as personal identification. Along with these final steps, your portfolio will reveal your professionalism and leave a positive lasting impression.
While compiling a portfolio may take time, the benefits will be seen over the future years. Periodic maintenance is required to keep the files current. When a career opportunity arises, tracking professional skills and accomplishments through a portfolio becomes effortless.
What Kind of Portfolio?
The word "portfolio" has different meanings in different contexts. The collection of materials discussed in this article is intended to present the dental hygienist's preparation, skill sets and experiences to potential employers.
Among the other meanings, in 2010, California passed legislation to give dental students the option of taking a schoolbased examination for initial licensure, by which they would assemble, over the course of their final year, a portfolio of completed clinical experiences and competency exams in seven subject areas for submission to the dental board. The portfolio examination is accepted only in California.
Initial licensure by portfolio is not available to dental hygienists in any state; however, Minnesota does require licensees to establish a professional portfolio to record, monitor, and retain documentation of professional development activities.
References
1. Dennison RD. What goes into your professional portfolio & what you'll get out of it. Am Nurs Today 2007; 2(1): Available at www.americannursetoday. comjArticle.aspx?id=4376&fid=4352. Accessed Aug. 30, 2011.
2. Stevens H. The impact of e-portfolio development on the employability of adults aged 45 and over. Campus-Wide Information Systems 2008; 25(4): 209-18.
3. Dion KW, Smolenski, M. Why you need an electronic professional portfolio. Am Nurs Today 2008; 3(9): 13-4.
4. Carliner S. E-portfolios: the tool that can increase your marketability and refine your skill development efforts. Training & Development 2005; 59(5): 70-6.
Kimberly M. Parsons, RDH, Med, CDA, is an assistant professor of dental assisting and dental hygiene at the University of Southern Indiana as well as the interim dental assisting program director. Her scholarly activities include research in the area of electronic textbooks and other educational technologies.
Emily R. Holt, RDH, MHA, CDA, is an assistant professor of dental hygiene and dental assisting at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana. She also practices dental hygiene at the office of Dr. Dana Morris in Newburgh, Indiana. She is a consultant member of the North East Regional Board of Dentistry.
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