Maybe the zip file could contain an XML file of the work (format similar to the current backup file) and a couple of HTML files/stylesheets to format and display that XML in a regular browser. Then the XML would be ready for import into an eportfolio system or repository.

I'd really like to see something that the student could view on his own computer without having to install anything.

2) I like the idea of pdf files, but I do other things too-code, multimedia-and so do a lot of other people. There are a good many file types that are not going to work as pdf so they might need to remain in the uploaded format Also, I think you have to consider collaborative activities. Should one student be able to archive the whole conversation in the forums, a whole wiki, a whole lesson? I submit that we might want to start, at least initially, with a subset of items that are put in the archive. Things that are work of a single student. And, of course, the instructor or admin might need the ability to set up the defaults.

3) Students will not likely have the rights to import an xml file and data into anything, so while it would be good to have that option possible, probably the most practical is something browser readable from a local machine.

One thing that maybe isn't clear there yet, is the idea that the save button on the course page can export the whole course in (additional to IMS CC and Backup format) a zipped HTML dump for offline reading by students (this actually came out of Offline Moodle discussions here at the Brisbane moot this week)