The portfolio's purpose and varied audiences will determine many of the following context factors. These factors relate not only to the purpose of the portfolio, but also to other learner characteristics. We assume that different ages and audiences will lead to different portfolios and purposes and thus different formats for storage and publication. UCLA's National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing identified a preliminary list of various assessment purposes that it used for classification in a database on alternative assessment strategies. Schools often retain portfolios and related files as part of a student's permanent record up to graduation.
Storage thus requires a compact and easily transferred format.
High school students often use their portfolios as exhibitions of both academic achievement and personal characteristics for graduation, college applications, and potential employment. They thus require a format that is cross-platform and playable in many different contexts. The working portfolio is distinct from the formal one. It serves to store all artifacts of student work as they are collected. The medium selected thus should allow both easy access and reliable storage.