As you write and communicate with others, it is important that you consider accessibility, or the ability for diverse audiences to engage with your writing. The commitment to accessible and inclusive practice is ongoing and demands recursive critical reflection, education, and feedback, but we hope these resources get you beginning to think about diverse readers and audiences for your work. 

Materials designed by Colby Axelberd, Christopher Basgier, Katharine Brown, Amy Cicchino, and Layli Miron. 

This guide articulates University Writing's practices for accessibility and inclusivity. We use this guide for internal training within our program

• Accessibility and Inclusivity Guide from University Writing Word Document

• Accessibility and Inclusivity Guide from University Writing PDF

This handout guides discussion facilitators in enacting inclusive practices like inclusive introductions, rapport building, and strategies for encouraging conversation

• Inclusive Discussion Practices Handout Word Document

• Inclusive Discussion Practices Handout PDF

This handout helps mentors learn how to build mentor-mentee relationships that take account of meaningful differences across race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual identity, and academic major 

• Inclusive Peer Mentoring Handout Word Document

• Inclusive Peer Mentoring Handout PDF

This handout helps writers create accessible Word and PDF documents with an emphasis on visibility, audibility, and mobility  

• Creating Accessible Documents Word Document

• Creating Accessible Documents PDF

This checklist helps you evaluate the accessibility of a specific form of digital writing, ePortfolio websites, by reviewing the accessibility of your content and digital design.

• Making Your ePortfolio Accessible Checklist Word Document

• Making Your ePortfolio Accessible Checklist PDF

This document outlines ways of managing nonverbal mechanics, including the upper and lower body, with attention to accessibility for speakers with disabilities

• Nonverbal Mechanics in Public Speaking Word Document

• Nonverbal Mechanics in Public Speaking PDF

Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications like ChatGPT offer new opportunities and challenges for teachers and for students. The documents in this section offer guidance on how to respond to AI in ways that center thinking and communication.  

Materials designed by Christopher Basgier and Muhammad Umer

This document represents University Writing’s most up-to-date guidelines for faculty response to AI. It is organized according to four modes of response: prohibition, permission, pedagogy, and engagement

• AI Guidelines for Faculty Word Document

• AI Guidelines for Faculty PDF

This document represents University Writing's most up-to-date information and guidance for students on AI. It defines artificial intelligence, describes large language models like ChatGPT, and guides students in deciding when and how to use AI in their courses

• AI Guidelines for Students Word Document

• AI Guidelines for Students PDF

This handout suggests ways in which writers can practice critical thinking while using generative artificial intelligence

• Practicing Critical Thinking with Generative AI Word Document

• Practicing Critical Thinking with Generative AI PDF

This worksheet invites users to plan the elements of a successful prompt for generative artificial intelligence

• Writing Prompts for Generative AI Word Document

• Writing Prompts for Generative AI PDF

This document is a sample conversation with ChatGPT that illustrates how an iterative prompting process can be used to create lesson plans

• Sample AI-Generated Lesson Plans Word Document

• Sample AI-Generated Lesson Plans PDF

This handout helps students plan literature reviews by using selected examples of AI tools

• Facilitating Literature Reviews Using Advanced Tools Word Document

• Facilitating Literature Reviews Using Advanced Tools PDF

In order to effectively share our research findings with others, we must be able to deliver presentations clearly and impactfully. These resources include tips about oral and visual communication as well as visual design principles that will help engage and inform your audience. 

Materials designed by Colby Axelberd, Christopher Basgier, Katharine H. Brown, Amy Cicchino, Carly Cummings, Megan Haskins, Layli Miron, Annie Small, Heather Stuart, and Parker Wade 

This brief handout outlines elements of oral communication 

• Elements of Oral Communication Handout Word Document 

• Elements of Oral Communication Handout PDF 

Once you have a draft of your oral presentation, this peer review worksheet can help you self-assess or get feedback 

• Oral Communication Peer Review Word Document

• Oral Communication Peer Review PDF 

This handout will help you decide the best way to visually represent your data 

• Determining How to Visually Represent Data Handout Word Document 

• Determining How to Visually Represent Data Handout PDF 

This handout introduces you to four principles for visual design: contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity 

• Design Principles Word Document 

• Design Principles PDF 

This worksheet is meant to help you put together a presentation. It has been designed for students in aerospace engineering 

• Designing Presentations in Aerospace Engineering Worksheet Word Document 

• Designing Presentations in Aerospace Engineering Worksheet PDF 

This handout will introduce you to scientific posters and analyze example posters

• Designing Scientific Posters Word Document

• Designing Scientific Posters PDF

This worksheet will help you self-assess a draft of your scientific poster or gather feedback from a peer

• Scientific Poster Assessment Word Document

• Scientific Poster Assessment PDF

This worksheet is designed to help you articulate how you “see” visible materials and what you expect students to do with visible materials in your courses 

• How Do You See? Analyzing Visible Materials Worksheet Word Document 

• How Do You See? Analyzing Visible Materials Worksheet PDF 

This document outlines ways of managing nonverbal mechanics, including the upper and lower body, with attention to accessibility for speakers with disabilities

• Nonverbal Mechanics in Public Speaking Word Document

• Nonverbal Mechanics in Public Speaking PDF

Before you publish, use these resources to review and revise your ePortfolio. 

Materials designed by Amy Cicchino, Heather Stuart, and Savannah Harrison

Once you have completed a draft of your ePortfolio, this worksheet can help you get feedback from professors, mentors, supervisors, family members, or peers

• ePortfolio Feedback Worksheet Word Document  

• ePortfolio Feedback Worksheet PDF  

This worksheet can guide students in a peer review activity as they offer each other feedback on their ePortfolios

• ePortfolio Peer Review Word Document  

• ePortfolio Peer Review PDF  

This checklist will help you self-assess whether additional changes need to be made to your ePortfolio before it is published 

• ePortfolio Checklist Self-Assessment Worksheet Word Document  

• ePortfolio Checklist Self-Assessment Worksheet PDF 

This checklist helps you evaluate the accessibility of your ePortfolio site by reviewing your content and digital design.

• Making Your ePortfolio Accessible Checklist Word Document

• Making Your ePortfolio Accessible Checklist PDF

A literature review is an evaluation of the available literature on a given subject. In literature reviews, you are synthesizing and analyzing research to tell a story about the work done about a topic and how it relates to present and future research. Use the resources below for guidance as your write your literature review. 

Materials designed by Katharine Brown, Autumn Frederick, Layli Miron, and Muhammad Umer 

This worksheet helps you begin identifying scholarly conversations by analyzing an example literature review 

• Writing Literature Reviews Word Document 

• Writing Literature Reviews PDF 

This worksheet helps you analyze an example literature review to identify the storytelling elements being used  

• Find the Story! Worksheet Word Document 

• Find the Story! Worksheet PDF 

This worksheet parallels the moves a writer makes when creating a literature review with Freytag’s pyramid. It guides writers in outlining their own literature reviews by answering a series of brainstorming questions

• Start to Outline Your Literature Review Worksheet Word Document 

• Start to Outline Your Literature Review Worksheet PDF 

This handout helps students plan literature reviews by using selected examples of AI tools

• Facilitating Literature Reviews Using Advanced Tools Word Document

• Facilitating Literature Reviews Using Advanced Tools PDF

Artifacts show evidence of your experiences, knowledge, and skills and can be anything: videos, photos, internship experiences, study abroad experiences, research posters, and course projects. You’ll want to contextualize your artifacts with reflective writing, which can connect your specific artifacts to your larger professional goals and personal brand.  

Materials designed by Amber Simpson, Heather Stuart, and Parker Wade.

This handout offers examples of artifacts that you might potentially include in your ePortfolio. Remember, artifacts can be any kind of media  

• Artifacts Example List Handout Word Document  

• Artifacts Example List Handout PDF  

This worksheet will help you brainstorm artifacts and connect your artifacts to the skills that you are trying to showcase 

• Brainstorming Artifacts Worksheet Word Document 

• Brainstorming Artifacts Worksheet PDF 

Reflective writing allows you to articulate why an experience is important, what you learned during the process, and how you plan to apply your skills to future projects or endeavors. This handout gives you questions that you can use to begin drafting reflective writing for artifacts in your ePortfolio 

• Reflective Writing Worksheet Word Document  

• Reflective Writing Worksheet PDF 

This worksheet will guide you in drafting reflective writing for an artifacts in your ePortfolio 

• Writing a Reflection for an Artifact Activity Word Document  

• Writing a Reflection for an Artifact Activity PDF 

You can see how students at Auburn share and contextualize their artifacts by visiting our ePortfolio gallery 

Not everyone is an expert in visual design, but these resources will help you learn some core principles for an effective and accessible ePortfolio design.  

Materials designed by Heather Stuart and Parker Wade 

This handout introduces ePortfolio creators to four basic design principles: contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity

• Design Principles Handout Word Document  

• Design Principles Handout PDF 

This handout introduces ePortfolio creators to introductory concepts of accessibility like navigation, use of heading styles, color choice, alternative text, link embedding, and captions. If you would like to learn more advanced strategies for accessible design, please see our entry on Accessibility and Writing  

• Accessible ePortfolios Handout Word Document  

• Accessible ePortfolios Handout PDF 

When creating and designing your ePortfolio, you will want to respect the safety, privacy, and creative works of others. In addition to these resources, we encourage you to also visit AAEEBL’s Digital Ethics Principles for ePortfolios, which University Writing was active in creating.  

Materials designed by Toni Carter, Amy Cicchino, and Heather Stuart  

This handout walked ePortfolio creators through considerations for legal and ethical ePortfolio practices. 

• Ethical Practices Handout Word Document  

• Ethical Practices Handout PDF 

This handout introduces you to concepts like copyright and fair use. Because ePortfolios can include existing media, ePortfolio creators are at risk for copyright violation. The handout includes key terms, frequently asked questions, and some scenarios to help you apply your growing knowledge of copyright and fair use. 

• Introduction: Copyright and Fair Use Word Document 

• Introduction: Copyright and Fair Use PDF

This checklist helps you evaluate the accessibility of your ePortfolio site by reviewing your content and digital design.

• Making Your ePortfolio Accessible Checklist Word Document

• Making Your ePortfolio Accessible Checklist PDF

Below are links to ePortfolios from Auburn University students and alumni. Here you will find a variety of ePortfolios that include thoughtful reflections and relevant artifacts that showcase student learning to audiences outside the University.

Christina Alibozek

Business Administration

Christina Alibozek | Business Administration

Christina Alibozek produced her ePortfolio as part of her degree in Business Administration. Here’s what to notice:

1. The components of the ePortfolio are clearly labeled and easily used.

2. The artifacts take various forms and are well contextualized so that their presence in support of a message is clear throughout.

3. The reflective writing demonstrates a professional identity, synthesizes learning experiences, and showcases critical thinking about the meaning and application of those experiences.

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Xi Lin

Adult Education

Xi Lin | Adult Education

Xi Lin produced her ePortfolio as part of her degree in Adult Education. Here’s what to notice:

1. The artifacts that utilize video or sound are well edited and of good quality.

2. The artifacts represent a variety of skills, experiences, and learning from both inside and outside of the classroom.

3. The reflective writing demonstrates a professional identity and integrates past experiences and projects into the future.

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Brent Warr

Environmental Design

Brent Warr | Environmental Design

Brent Warr produced his ePortfolio as part of his degree in Environmental Design. Here’s what to notice:

1. The layout uses white space, alignment, and placement to organize content creatively and appropriately.

2. The design choices are consistently sophisticated and intuitive.

3. The navigation is thoughtful, supports the story being told, and is original.

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AJ Kam

Community Planning

AJ Kam | Community Planning

AJ Kam produced their ePortfolio as part of their degree in Community Planning. Here’s what to notice:

1. The reflective writing synthesizes learning experiences and constructs a sophisticated and nuanced identity.

2. The artifacts have been carefully selected and organized to support a central message and consistently function as evidence that supports the claims made in the ePortfolio.

3. The use of hyperlinks and slideshows demonstrates a thoughtful application of technical features.

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Johnathan Hampton

Horticulture, Pre-Landscape Architecture

Johnathan Hampton | Horticulture, Pre-Landscape Architecture

Johnathan Hampton produced his ePortfolio as part of his degree in Horticulture, Pre-Landscape Architecture. Here’s what to notice:

1. The navigation is thoughtful and effective while supporting the overall story.

2. The artifacts develop a central identity while also being accessible with the use of alt text and descriptive captions.

3. The attention to visual detail is creative and sophisticated.

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Cam Cavaliere

Rhetoric and Composition

Cam Cavaliere | Rhetoric and Composition

Cam Cavaliere produced her ePortfolio as part of her degree in Rhetoric and Composition. Here’s what to notice:

1. The background, text color, and icon color are aesthetically pleasing, consistent across the site, and contribute to easy scanning.

2. The reflections are insightful and work together to consistently synthesize learning experiences and demonstrate critical thinking about the meaning and application of these experiences without being overdone or repetitious.

3. The links to artifacts and socials are active, well labeled, and easily accessed.

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Gennafer Grant

Apparel Design

Gennafer Grant | Apparel Design

Gennafer Grant produced their ePortfolio as part of their degree in Apparel Design. Here’s what to notice:

1. The use of various modes of artifacts effectively conveys a complex but united professional identity.

2. The use of white space is clean and sophisticated.

3. The photographic slideshow creatively showcases a large number of photos without being overwhelming to the page.

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Naomi Pitts

Biosystems Engineering

Naomi Pitts | Biosystems Engineering

Naomi Pitts produced her ePortfolio as part of her degree in Biosystems Engineering. Here’s what to notice:

1. The entire site can be navigated, and all artifacts can be accessed in different browsers and devices.

2. The photos and graphics, particularly those including equations, are of high quality with attention paid to size, resolution, and color.

3. The artifacts provided demonstrate a variety of skills, experiences, and learning and draw from a wide range of experiences both in and out of formal courses.

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Jarelle Hooks

Social Worker

Jarelle Hooks | Social Worker

Jarelle Hooks produced her ePortfolio as part of her degree in Social Work. Here’s what to notice:

1. The reflective writing synthesizes learning experiences and constructs a sophisticated and nuanced identity.

2. The arrangement of artifacts and reflective writing consistently reinforces a central identity.

3. The background, text color, and artifact previews are aesthetically pleasing, consistent across the site, and contribute to easy scanning.

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Lucas Adelino

Adult Education

Lucas Adelino | Adult Education

Lucas Adelino produced his ePortfolio as part of his degree in Adult Education. Here’s what to notice:

1. The resume and contact information are clearly labeled and easily located.

2. The use of hyperlinks to artifacts demonstrates a thoughtful application of technical features by contextualizing them within the reflective writing.

3. The credits and acknowledgements for photographs are well‐handled throughout the ePortfolio.

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Camille Colter

Biosystems Engineering

Camille Colter | Biosystems Engineering

Camille Colter produced her ePortfolio as part of her degree in Biosystems Engineering. Here’s what to notice:

1. The navigation is simple, clean, and easy to follow.

2. The “experience” section consolidates work experience, reflections, and photos concisely while utilizing white space to its advantage.

3. The “academics” section is organized in a unique and reader-friendly fashion.

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You need a space to host and build your ePortfolio site. These resources will help you consider what questions you should ask as you are assessing different platforms regarding content, privacy, and accessibility. Then, you can learn about the benefits and drawbacks of three popular ePortfolio building platforms: Wix, Weebly, and WordPress.  

Materials designed by Lucas Adelino, Heather Stuart, and Parker Wade. 

This brief handout gives tips on helping ePortfolio creators share, protect, or enhance the privacy of their ePortfolio 

• Technical Details Handout Word Document  

• Technical Details Handout PDF 

This handout compares three popular ePortfolio platforms—Weebly, Wix, and WordPress—to discuss differences in ease of use, customization, storage, support, and settings 

• Choose a Platform: Comparing Weebly, Wix, and WordPress Handout Word Document  

• Choose a Platform: Comparing Weebly, Wix, and WordPress Handout PDF 

If you’ve chosen Weebly as your ePortfolio platform, this handout can help you get started! 

• Getting Started with Weebly Handout Word Document

• Getting Started with Weebly Handout PDF  

If you’ve chosen Wix as your ePortfolio platform, this handout can help you get started! 

• Getting Started with Wix Handout Word Document  

• Getting Started with Wix Handout PDF 

If you’ve chosen WordPress as your ePortfolio platform, this handout can help you get started!  

• Getting Started with WordPress Handout Word Document   

• Getting Started with WordPress Handout PDF 

As you begin using your ePortfolio platform, try working through this list of tasks to learn about your website builder 

• Helpful Technology Activities Word Document 

• Helpful Technology Activities PDF 

This handout introduces ePortfolio creators to introductory concepts of accessibility like navigation, use of heading styles, color choice, alternative text, link embedding, and captions. If you would like to learn more advanced strategies for accessible design, please see our entry on Accessibility and Writing

• Accessible ePortfolios Handout Word Document  

• Accessible ePortfolios Handout PDF 

Faculty interested in learning more about ePortfolios and learning should reach out to universitywriting@auburn.edu in addition to exploring the resources below. These resources can either be moved directly into your course as instructional material or will discuss teaching and feedback strategies for ePortfolios. In addition to these resources, we encourage you to visit AAEEBL’s Digital Ethics Principles for ePortfolios, which University Writing was active in creating. 

Materials designed by Christopher Basgier, Amy Cicchino, Megan Haskins, Margaret Marshall, and Heather Stuart

This sample curriculum for a 15-week course introduces students to ePortfolios and Professional Brand. It includes a syllabus, course calendar, and ePortfolio assignment sheet

• ePortfolios and Professional Brand Course Curriculum Word Document

• ePortfolios and Professional Brand Course Curriculum PDF

This handout will introduce your students to ePortfolios 

• Introduction to ePortfolios Handout Word Document 

• Introduction to ePortfolios Handout PDF 

This handout answers Frequently Asked Questions about ePortfolios your students might have 

• Frequently Asked Questions about ePortfolios Word Document  

• Frequently Asked Questions about ePortfolios PDF 

Use this quiz and analysis activity to help your students test and apply their growing knowledge of ePortfolios 

• Check Your Learning: ePortfolio Quiz and Analysis Activity Word Document  

• Check Your Learning: ePortfolio Quiz and Analysis Activity PDF 

This handout has a list of low-stakes activities that can help you develop ePortfolio thinking in your courses  

• Teaching Strategies for ePortfolios Handout Word Document  

• Teaching Strategies for ePortfolios Handout PDF 

This worksheet will help you as a teacher reflect on what students are and are not doing in their ePortfolio reflective writing and identify appropriate next steps in adapting your pedagogy  

• Teaching Reflective Writing for the ePortfolio: Reflecting on your Pedagogy Activity Word Document  

• Teaching Reflective Writing for the ePortfolio: Reflecting on your Pedagogy Activity PDF 

This scavenger hunt activity will take students through exploring an example ePortfolio and analyzing the choices the ePortfolio creator has made 

• ePortfolio Scavenger Hunt Activity Worksheet Word Document 

• ePortfolio Scavenger Hunt Activity Worksheet PDF 

This worksheet is designed to draw your students’ attention to the ways in which an ePortfolio is designed and arranged to tell a particular story to a specific audience 

• Examining ePortfolio Student Samples Worksheet Word Document  

• Examining ePortfolio Student Samples Worksheet PDF 

This worksheet can guide students in a peer review activity as they offer each other feedback on their ePortfolios

• ePortfolio Peer Review Word Document  

• ePortfolio Peer Review PDF 

This checklist guides your students in evaluating the accessibility of their ePortfolio sites by reviewing content and digital design.

• Making Your ePortfolio Accessible Checklist Word Document

• Making Your ePortfolio Accessible Checklist PDF

This worksheet helps ePortfolio creators move from peer review feedback to revision plans

• ePortfolio Workshop Action Plan Word Document  

• ePortfolio Workshop Action Plan PDF 

This formative ePortfolio rubric can be used to help students self-assess where they are in the ePortfolio process as they create and refine their ePortfolios. You can also use this rubric to give them in-process feedback 

• ePortfolio Formative Rubric Word Document  

• ePortfolio Formative Rubric PDF  

This summative ePortfolio rubric can be used or adapted to evaluate student ePortfolios at the end of the ePortfolio creation process. We encourage you consider which competency level best fits your context for teaching and learning 

• ePortfolio Summative Rubric Word Document  

• ePortfolio Summative Rubric PDF 

We encourage you to respect your students as creators and authors by not using their ePortfolios in your teaching, marketing, or assessment procedures without their explicit permission. This is the form we’ve developed to retrieve and track student permission. This is not the same as IRB approval through your institution, which you will need to conduct research on students ePortfolios. This form can be personalized to include information about your department or program and completed by students for a record of ePortfolio permission 

• Getting Permission to Use Your Students’ ePortfolios Word Document  

• Getting Permission to Use Your Students’ ePortfolios PDF 

An ePortfolio is a personal website that communicates one’s professional identity and experiences to a public audience, such as employers, graduate schools, or review committees. The resources below will help you learn about ePortfolios and introduce you to the process of developing an ePortfolio.   

Materials designed by Amy Cicchino and Heather Stuart

Learn about ePortfolios: 

View this short Introduction to ePortfolios Video  

View this longer Introduction to ePortfolios Video  

This handout will introduce you to ePortfolios 

• Introduction to ePortfolios Handout Word Document 

• Introduction to ePortfolios Handout PDF 

This handout answers Frequently Asked Questions about ePortfolios  

• Frequently Asked Questions about ePortfolios Word Document  

• Frequently Asked Questions about ePortfolios PDF 

Use this quiz and analysis activity to help your students test and apply their growing knowledge of ePortfolios 

• Check Your Learning: ePortfolio Quiz and Analysis Activity Word Document  

• Check Your Learning: ePortfolio Quiz and Analysis Activity PDF 

Tour of Example Student ePortfolio with Anna    

You can see more examples of ePortfolios by visiting our ePortfolio gallery