Can I create a custom template for students to use for my course?
Yes! If you have a specific template you want students to use, you can create the template by logging in to portfolio.uark.edu and creating a site. Once you have the template set how you want it, you can send a request to the WordPress team at wordpress@groups.uark.edu. The WordPress team will review the site for accessibility and work with you to ensure the site is accessible for students. This could take up to 6 weeks, so be sure to submit your template well in advance. Your template will then be available for all students to choose on the site creation page.
How does a student share a portfolio with me? How can I have student submit their Portfolio to me?
There are two primary ways that students can share the portfolio with you. We recommend that students add a password to their site and then they can share the URL and the password with instructors and/or others such as peers, potential employers, etc. If you are having students submit this as an assignment, we recommend creating an assignment in Blackboard where they upload the URL and the password to the site. Be sure that they submit the URL and password for EACH assignment so that you do not have to go back to the first assignment and find the password. You can them open the URL and copy and paste the password into the site to view it. This creates an organized way for you to collect submissions and enter a grade on graded work.
The second way that you can have students share their portfolio with you is to add you as a Subscriber to their site. This would give you access to view the site by visiting the URL or by logging in at portfolio.uark.edu. We mention the password option first for a few reasons. First, for the student to add you as a subscriber to their site you must login to portfolio.uark.edu FIRST to create your account in the portfolio network. If you do not do this, then they cannot find you and this can cause emails to both you and the help desk. Second, when you are added as a subscriber these portfolios show up in your profile as portfolios. If you teach many students, year after year, this list can get quite long. Third, if the student adds you as an owner or editor, there is the potential for you to accidentally delete or edit their portfolio.
It is ultimately up to you which option you choose but these are the two quickest ways for students to share their portfolios with you!
For questions on setting up assignments in blackboard you can email bbhelp@uark.edu or call the Help Desk at 479-575-2905.
Can I use portfolio.uark.edu for my personal portfolio?
Faculty should not use portfolio.uark.edu for their personal or professional sites. They should visit https://wordpressua.uark.edu/ and request a site from the University WordPress instance. Portfolio.uark.edu is meant for students to use for ePortfolios, digital humanities projects, blogs, and more.
How can students get technical support?
CampusPress and WordPress have extensive libraries of tutorials and posts available! Note: we use the block editor, not the classic editor.
In addition to vendor support, when students have questions or technical issues with creating portfolios, they can call the Help Desk at 479-575-2905 or submit a ticket at help.uark.edu.
Help Desk hours are Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to midnight and Saturday – Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.