Portfolios

Introduction to portfolio pages

Every student and member of staff has their own personal Mahara area. This can be used to store files, create a personal journal or blog, create a CV or document tasks. Placing this content onto pages within a portfolio on Mahara enables you to share this information with others. You can also share text, images, videos and audio. By default, your pages are only visible to you. However, you can choose to share your page with other Mahara users or make the pages publicly visible. Mahara pages can also be submitted as assignments in a QMplus course area.

Creating a portfolio page

Make sure you are logged in Mahara. If you do not know how to access Mahara, please see our guide on how to access Mahara

1. Navigate to the main menu which is found at the top left hand side of the dashboard. select Portfolios.

   
   
   
   
2. To create a new page, click the Create option and then select Page. (Note: if you have already created pages they will be displayed here)
   
   

   

   

3. In the page settings, you will notice the options have been divided into basic and advanced. As part of the basics option, you will see the following options:
   • Page title - add the title of your page.
   • Page description - overview of what the page is about.
   • Tags - keywords that you create to make searching for and displaying your content easier in Mahara.
   • Name display format - allows you to choose which format you would like your name to be displayed to others who view your page.
   • Anonymise - allows you to hide your name.
   • Cover image - allows you to add a image to your page.
4. Once you are ready to view the page, click Save.
   
   

Adding content to your page

Once you have clicked save on the previous tab, you will automatically enter the edit content section. This is the area where you will be building your page.  You will notice there are several options available to you on the right hand side of the page:

1. Select the Drag or select the button to add a new section button (+) to add a new content block to the portfolio page.
2. Select one of the content type icons to add content directly to the page. 
3. Select the More options button (...) to access additional page settings, including:

   • Configure – Edit page settings such as the title, description, and appearance.
   • Share – Control who can access and view your page or collection.
4. Select the Display page button to review your page to see how others, who have access to it, will see it.
5. Select the Return to portfolios button to return to the Portfolios overview page.

Adding a text block

In this example, we will be adding a text block to the page:

1. To add content to your page, drag and drop the + icon, or click on it.
2. From the drop down choose where you would like to position your block. It can either be placed at the bottom or the top of the page. Then click on the Add option.
3. From the content type, select the text option.
4. You will be taken to another tab where you can give a title to your block, add instructions if required and add the content for the block.
5. You then have the option to save it as a draft, add a tag and choose whether the block should be retractable. Then click save.
6. You will now see the text block on your page. (Note: once you have added a block to a page, you can Edit it by clicking on the pencil icon or Delete it by clicking on the bin icon)
7. There are several types of blocks that can be added to a page. More details of these block can be found here.

Embedding a video

Uploading files into Mahara

Files can be uploaded and stored in your reusable area. You can manage your files by organising them into folders and subfolders, just like you do on a computer hard drive. You can use these files in portfolio pages, assignment submissions, as well as adding them to blog entries or in your CV (which you can make available to potential employers). Files can be uploaded individually or you can upload multiple files at once. To find out how to do this, follow the instructions in this Mahara guide.

Export your portfolio

If you have spent a long time crafting your e-portfolio, you will probably want a copy of your hard work, even after you leave QMUL. It is possible to export your portfolio. To export this, click your profile on the top right hand side, and then select "Export content".

This downloads a zipped folder of content that contains two methods for students to access their portfolio: 

1. Standalone HTML website. You cannot import this again to Mahara, but it is readable in a standard web browser 
2. Leap2A XML format file.  An open standard format used specifically for importing your ePortfolio into another Mahara instance or a different Leap2A-compatible portfolio system, although note the export is hard for humans to read.

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