Dealing with electronic portfolios is complex and demanding. Especially the implementation at the educational institution and the proper integration in daily demands of ongoing teaching and learning processes poses many challenges for students and teachers alike. This paper proposes an educational taxonomy as methodological approach to overcome some of these difficulties. Theoretical foundations, construction and use of this general framework will be presented, its application for e-portfolios discussed. The goal is to develop a pattern language for electronic portfolios in higher education.