Why digital portfolios?

I've recently read Linchpin by Seth Godin and he stated that resumes are a thing of the past. Instead, many companies are looking for a better way to see what potential candidates are capable of producing. Through a digital portfolio, I hope to give students a chance to showcase what they are capable of doing as a result of taking a class with me. I hope that we can periodically share and discuss each other's portfolio with the dream of eventually presenting them to a "real" audience.