Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2004 - 14

workshops outside of the classroom. Consequently the decision was
made to include portfolio preparation in each of the lower division design and technology classes to prepare the students for their sophomore
review as illustrated in figure 1.
All theatre majors take Graphic Expression for the Theatre as the
foundation for all the design and technology classes. The students are
taught to use both HyperSnap image capturing software and
PowerPoint as tools for organizing information and creating visual
compositions. With these tools the student can begin the process of
developing a portfolio. They are able to edit their résumé, insert visual images, and add brief explanations and conclusions about the
projects completed in class.
The process is continued in the lower division design and technology classes. In the costume design class, projects are built around
PowerPoint presentations. Stronger links are created between research,
preliminary sketches, and final renderings when all these components
are arranged in the same composition. In the technical theatre class,
HyperSnap is used to capture computer screens in order to document
the process of editing sound. These images are then arranged into stepby-step presentations to document the students' process in creating their
projects. All of these presentations are easily incorporated into the existing portfolios. By the end of the sophomore year, in time for the sophomore review, most students have clear, well-organized records of their
work from at least three classes.
Although most examples of digital portfolios are formatted in an
HTML framework, we have decided to continue using PowerPoint for two
reasons. First, "you go with what you know." We all use PowerPoint on a
regular basis in developing teaching materials for our classes. Although
we create HTML formatted documents for assignments delivered within
WebCT, on the whole we find PowerPoint more flexible and therefore,
easier to use. The second reason stems from the linear nature of a
PowerPoint presentation. Students are taught to lead the viewer page by
page through their portfolios, whether paper based or digital. "A good
digital portfolio is self-explanatory-you probably won't be there to offer
direction. Anticipate the viewer's concerns, and do your best to eliminate
any problems" (McKenna 2000, 126). The hyper-linked interactive envi-

ronment of HTML documents encourages viewers to freely jump through
the document. Although we currently have no plans to shift to an HTML
platform, Web authoring projects in scene design were introduced in the
spring of 2003, and we will continue to evaluate the pros and cons of
both platforms.

Types of Portfolios
Artists have long used the portfolio as a representative collection of one's
work. A student's portfolio, however, takes on more specific meaning
through the development process. In 1990, the Northwest Evaluation Association proposed the following definition:
"A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits
the student's effort, progress and achievements in one or more areas.
The collection must include student participation in selecting contents,
the criteria for selection; the criteria for judging merit, and evidence of
student self-reflection." (Electronic Portfolios 2002)
Helen Barrett, a leading proponent for developing digital portfolios,
states, "an electronic portfolio is not a haphazard collection of artifacts
(i.e., a digital scrapbook or a multimedia presentation) but rather a reflective tool that demonstrates growth over time" (Barrett 2000, 15). Utilizing both these ideas, The College of Arts and Media at the University of
Colorado at Denver in the ePort Digital Portfolio Project structured their
definition to address three distinct types of digital portfolios:
* Development [The beginning phase of portfolio preparation that is designed to create a personalized collection of work and to advance
student skills.]
* Assessment [This type of portfolio contains a collection of completed work and may include reflective statements. At this level,
the portfolio is designed to demonstrate competence and skill in
well-defined areas.]
* Showcase [The advanced level of portfolio development that demonstrates a broad range of competence and skills and is used to acquire
employment or entrance into programs of advanced study.] (The College of Arts and Media 2002, 1).
The incremental development of student portfolios in the Colorado
State theatre program's design/production curriculum clearly utilizes all

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Assessment Portfolio - Highlighting Skills

Showcase Portfolio - Résumé (used with permission Jill Tarket-Jackson)

(used with permission Josh Gregory)
TD & T

S P R I N G

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2004