The Teaching Portfolio: A Practical Guide to Improved Performance and Promotion/Tenure Decisions, Third Edition, Peter Seldin, Anker Publishing, 2004
Reviewed by Dick Reddy, SUNY--Fredonia

WWhenever another edition of a book comes out, even if it is an established classic in a field, the question always arises, "Will it be worth it to get a copy—or, in the case of some teaching centers, multiple copies—of the new edition?".

In the case of Peter Seldin's, The Teaching Portfolio: A Practical Guide to Improved Performance and Promotion/Tenure Decisions, now in its third edition, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!"

Of course, very few books involving faculty development issues and concerns ever do get to a second edition, let alone a third. As one might hope and  expect, much of the "tried and true" of the first two editions survives (and is cogently expanded on) in the third edition. So the first five chapters ("The Teaching Portfolio," "Preparing the Teaching Portfolio," "Choosing Items for the Teaching Portfolio," "Using the Teaching Portfolio," and "Answers to Common Questions about the Teaching Portfolio"), are now grouped into "Part I:  The Teaching Portfolio:  Purpose, Process and Product," will be familiar reading (and valued re-reading) for those who have read and used the second edition.

But the middle three of the now five parts are essentially new material.

"Part II:  Electronic Teaching Portfolios," written by Susan Kahn, is actually only one chapter long and is titled, "Making Good Work Public Through Electronic Teaching Portfolios."   It embraces the possibilities offered by electronic teaching portfolios more fully than the second edition's chapter (by Devorah Lieberman and John Rueter, "The Electronically Augmented Teaching Portfolio"). Kahn notes that "Electronic media can enhance the ability of teaching portfolios to provide rich representations of college teaching and learning."  They can "make portfolios more accessible to peers,"  "the capabilities of electronic technology dramatically expand the range of authentic work available for inclusion," and the very process of working within a web-based approach "is quite different from that of creating a linear paper document, [and] can stimulate new thinking, perspectives, and insight."  She goes on to review "the advantages—and pitfalls—of electronic teaching portfolios and strategies for developing them."  This Part may well effectively envision the portfolios of the not-too-distant future.  

"Part III:  How Portfolios Are Used in Seven Institutions," profitably goes well beyond the second edition's single, brief chapter on the institutional use of teaching portfolios (a case study of Susquehanna University). It offers a number of models for and experiences with teaching portfolios from a wide range of colleges and universities in the U.S. and offers valuable insights into the diverse ways in which institutions have tried to make portfolios a part of their campus cultures. This section will be particularly valuable to campuses considering launching substantial programs for teaching portfolios for their faculty.

"Part IV:  Keeping the Portfolio Current," by John Zubizaretta consists now of two chapters, "Strategies for Updating and Improving the Teaching Portfolio" and "Key Points on Teaching Portfolio Revisions and Updates."  Together they offer much more than his sole chapter in the second edition ("Improving Teaching Through Portfolio Revisions").

"Part V:  Sample Portfolios From Across Disciplines," contains an entirely new set of portfolios, this time 22 in all and introduces some disciplines which were not represented in the second edition (Accounting; Communication Sciences and Disorders; Classical Languages and Literatures; Design, Merchandising and Textiles; Instructional and Performance Technology; Nursing; Religion; Sociology; and Theatre Arts). Taken along with the 23 sample portfolios in the second edition, over 22 disciplines are represented in 45 different portfolios.

In sum, this new edition very effectively "moves the ball forward" on teaching portfolios, significantly expanding treatments and adding depth to treatments on a variety of topics.