Preserve Your Academic Work and Build a Digital Portfolio

Wilmington University encourages students to preserve, reflect on, and share their learning experiences through an academic portfolio that highlights their work and accomplishments.

• Portfolium Retirement Notice
• Preserve Your Academic Work
• Choosing a Platform: Public vs. Private Sharing
• Why Create an Academic Portfolio?
• What to Include in an Academic Portfolio
• Best Practices for Sharing Academic Work Online
• Publishing Your Work Online
• Download Submissions from Canvas

Portfolium Retirement Notice

Portfolium will be officially retired on June 30, 2026. Students, faculty, and alumni who currently have content stored in Portfolium should export and save their materials as soon as possible. Portfolium content that is not exported before this date will no longer be accessible after June 30, 2026.

As Wilmington University transitions away from Portfolium, students are encouraged to preserve their academic work and consider publishing selected projects in a digital portfolio that can support future academic, professional, or career goals.

Recommended tools for creating a digital portfolio include Google Sites (for a customizable portfolio website) and LinkedIn (for a public-facing professional profile).

Preserve Your Academic Work

Before losing access to Canvas or any third-party tools used in your courses, it is important to download and save copies of your assignments, feedback, and course materials. These files can be valuable for future academic, professional, or portfolio use. 

Preserving your work now will make it easier to organize and publish selected materials in a digital portfolio later. This not only preserves your efforts but also enhances your professional visibility.

Choosing a Platform: Public vs. Private Sharing

When selecting a platform for your academic portfolio, it is important to consider how broadly you would like to share your work.

LinkedIn is designed for professional networking and visibility. Profiles can appear in search engines and be viewed by recruiters, employers, and others beyond your immediate network. This makes LinkedIn a strong option for students who are comfortable sharing their work publicly and want to increase their professional visibility, expand their network, and potentially attract job opportunities.

Google Sites offers more flexibility and control over privacy. You can:

• Keep your site private and only accessible to specific people you invite by email
• Share your portfolio with anyone who has the link, without making it publicly searchable
• Publish your site publicly if you decide you want broader visibility

This flexibility makes Google Sites a good option for students who prefer to control who can view their work, such as sharing only with instructors, advisors, or potential employers.

Ultimately, LinkedIn is ideal for broader professional exposure, while Google Sites is well-suited for controlled or selective sharing.

Why Create an Academic Portfolio?

• Showcase your coursework, accomplishments, and developing skills beyond a traditional résumé
• Demonstrate your academic growth over time
• Highlight career readiness with real examples of your work
• Provide concrete materials for employers, graduate programs, or other professional opportunities
• Reflect on your learning and progress throughout your academic journey
• Present your achievements in a professional, engaging, and organized format

What to Include in an Academic Portfolio

Your portfolio should include selected examples of your best and most relevant work. Consider including:

• Research papers, essays, and writing samples
• Presentations, slide decks, and class projects
• Certificates, badges, or academic awards
• Lab work, experiment results, or research activities
• Creative work such as design projects, artwork, or programming samples
• Videos, photos, or documentation of presentations, performances, or hands-on work
• Projects that demonstrate key skills related to your field of study

Focus on quality over quantity—include work that best represents your strengths, growth, and goals.

Best Practices for Sharing Academic Work Online

• Keep content professional: Ensure all materials reflect academic integrity and professional standards.
• Protect personal information: Avoid sharing sensitive details such as your home address or personal phone number.
• Curate for quality: Select work that is clear, polished, and easy to understand.
• Provide context: Include brief descriptions explaining each project, your role, and the skills demonstrated.
• Consider your audience: Choose examples that will be meaningful to employers, faculty, or other reviewers.
• Update regularly: Add new work and revise existing content over time to keep your portfolio current.

Publishing Your Work Online

Once you have saved your academic materials, you can organize and publish your work using tools such as Google Sites or LinkedIn. These platforms allow you to create a professional presence online and showcase your academic achievements beyond graduation.

Building a digital portfolio is an ongoing process. Start with a few strong examples, and continue to expand and refine your portfolio as you progress through your academic and professional journey. 

Before building your portfolio, be sure to download and save any academic work you plan to include.

Download Submissions from Canvas

Creating a Submission Export allows you to download a ZIP file of all your Canvas assignment submissions from all current and past courses. This file could be large and may take some time to generate. You can navigate away from the page and return later to complete the download.

Content export files cannot be downloaded after 30 days. Be sure to save your export promptly.

Steps to Download Your Submitted Assignments:

1. Log in to Canvas.
2. Click on Account in the Global Navigation menu.
3. Click on Settings.
4. Click the Download Submissions button in the sidebar.
5. Click Create Export.
6. Once the export is complete, click the New Export link.
7. Locate the ZIP file on your computer:
   • Mac users: Double-click to open.
   • PC users: Right-click and select Extract All.
8. Open the expanded folder to view your assignment submissions by course.

Important Considerations

• This export includes Canvas assignment submissions only.
• Submissions made through third-party tools (e.g., integrated   ed tech tools  are not included in this export). 
  • These third-party tools typically share grades only, not the actual assignment files or submissions.
  • If you used third-party tools, you’ll need to manually download your work directly from those linked services.

How To Save Your Content

• Saving Zoom Recordings
• Saving Kaltura Videos

Uploading

YouTube is a simple way to upload a project to the web in order to reach a large audience. Most editing software has YouTube export options, which are ideal to use. Once posted, YouTube links can be made public or private. Please note, you will have to use your own personal YouTube/Google account to upload videos.

Visit YouTube Help for walkthroughs on how to set up an account and upload/manage videos. Taking a few minutes now to save your work can help ensure you have access to important academic materials for years to come.