Central Queensland University

We live in a time of great enthusiasm for the role that e-Portfolios can play in education and a time of exploration in which educators and researchers are investigating different approaches to using e-Portfolios to differentially support educational goals. In this paper, we focus on preparedness portfolios and portfolio studios as two key components of an approach to using portfolios in a specific educational context. The paper includes an identification of four commitments that contributed to the emergence of this particular approach, an explanation of the theoretical rationale associated with the approach, and a review of research data that substantiates enthusiasm for the approach. We close with comments on the potential for transferring this approach to other educational contexts. E-Portfolios represent a flexible and powerful innovation in education. The flexibility is evident in the growing body of work that showcases e-Portfolio use across disciplines, across student populations, and for a variety of educational purposes (Cambridge, Cambridge, & Yancey, 2009; Jafari & Kaufman, 2006)