A Three-Year Study of E-Portfoliosin a Preservice Teacher Education

Program

John Fischetti, Professor and Chair

Robert Smith, Associate Professor

Joe Feinberg, Assistant Professor

Dennis Kubasko, Assistant Professor

Angelia Reid-Griffin, Assistant Professor

Department of Specialty Studies

September 30, 2005

E-portfolios are increasing in popularity in teacher education as a means of authentic candidate assessment and program accreditation. UNCW’s experience and study using one web-based toolset shows great promise.

• Our teacher education program has been using a web-based toolset to engage our interns in lesson design and portfolio development. This presentation will share the results and examples from our study.

Why are you here?

Questions of the Audience

• Classroom Performance System

www.eInstruction.com

Does your institution currently use an e-portfolio system?

• Yes

• No

For those who said, “Yes,”do you use:

• An “in-house” designed system?

• A modified version of PowerPoint?

• Web pages that include links to artifacts?

• A web-based system that is developed by a private sector company?

• Other

What is the primary benefit of using e-portfolios?

• Having data on candidate performance for accreditation.

• Having archival evidence for program improvement.

• Having candidates build portfolio evidence online throughout their programs.

• Other

• TaskStream web-based tools enable educators to design lessons and units, map and track standards, create rubrics, develop electronic portfolios and web pages, and compile and distribute shared curriculum resource collections.

Why TaskStream?

• Support

• Innovation

• Pricing

• Ease of Use

• Educator Friendliness

• Archiving Data/Portfolios

E-portfolios are increasing in popularity in teacher education as a means of candidate assessment and program accreditation (NLII, 2003). The increase in popularity raises a number of key questions and issues for teacher education programs related to:

• How can e-portfolios be effective in generating, recording, and assessing learning? What are the pedagogical benefits?

• What should the content standards be for e-portfolios?

• How can e-portfolios contribute to both formative and summative assessment?

• How can e-portfolio be guided by what we know about how students learn?

• How do we document and assess the impact of e-portfolios on student learning?

• How can e-portfolios be used to plan and integrate lifelong learning experiences (NLII, 2003)?

History and Results of our Effort

• In fall 2002, the secondary English, social studies, and science program coordinators met with the department chair to discuss using “E-Portfolios.” We saw several advantages in using an electronic medium: Easier to share materials, both between students and

faculty, as well as among peers. In addition, supervisors could review lesson plans electronically prior to an observation.

Easier for candidates to link to other assignments in creating their portfolio.

All students’ work would be stored in one place. TaskStream would provide a common format for

lesson plans, and the appropriate national or state standards could be easily plugged in.

Methods - Study

• January, 2003 Interns were trained in the use of the online

toolset

• Spring, 2003 Interns use of the online toolset was recorded

electronically Surveyed interns at end of internship

• Summer, 2003 Analyzed data collected from the internship Recommendations and changes were made for

the introduction and implementation of an online toolset in methods class

Methods - Study

• 2004-2005 All interns use TaskStream for methods and all

prepare exit portfolio. Data analyzed and support increased for faculty

and students

• Fall 2005 Analyzed data collected from the internship All WSE courses use TaskStream as a way to

store evidence (foundations e-portfolio through internship exit portfolio)

Data

Median Scores

4 point scale

2003

N = 60

2004

N = 59

2005

N = 81

I support the use of technology in the

classroom. 3.57 3.53 3.67

A variety of technologies are important for student

learning. 3.48 3.51 3.61

Student motivation increases when

technology is integrated into the curriculum. 3.22 3.08 3.16

Attitudes Towards Technology

Student Attitudes Toward Technology

3.43.423.443.463.483.5

3.523.543.563.583.6

3.62

A Variety of Technologies AreImportant for Student

Learning

2003 (N = 60)

2004 (N = 59)

2005 (N = 81)

4 =Strongly

Agree

Attitudes Towards Technology by Discipline Area (2005)

Median Scores

4 point scale

English

N = 25

PE

N = 11

Science

N = 8

Social Studies

N = 22

I support the use of technology in the

classroom. 3.64 3.82 3.63 3.68

A variety of technologies are

important for student learning.

3.60 3.82 3.88 3.45

Student motivation increases when

technology is integrated into the

curriculum.

3.16 3.09 3.50 3.18

Median Scores

4 point scale

2003

N = 30*

2005

N = 81

WSE should continue using an electronic

toolset. 3.16 2.84

The toolset provided opportunities for the

review and modification of work.

3.44 3.12

I used the toolset frequently.

2.76 2.61

Attitudes to Electronic Toolset

*2003 scale was a five-point scale, 2005 is a four-point scale.

Attitudes Towards Technology by Discipline Area (2005)

Median Scores

4 point scale

English

N = 25

PE

N = 11

Science

N = 8

Social Studies

N = 22

Being able to have lesson plans reviewed

electronically by a supervisor prior to

teaching improved my teaching.

2.72 2.82 3.38 2.77

Having all my lesson plans in one place

benefits me greatly.3.32 3.55 3.38 3.23

2005 Demographic Data81 interns

Gender: 28% male, 72% female

Race:White 88%; 7% Hispanic American;

4% African American; 1% Asian American

Age Number %

18-22 51 62.2

22-29 22 26.8

30-39 5 6.1

over 40 4 4.9

Status Number %

Undergrad 68 82.9

MAT 1 1.2

Licensure only/not currently teaching

13 15.9

Toolset Examples, Exemplars

Online toolset

• Overview for novice users Communications

• Message center• Discussion Board

Instructional Design• Unit Builder• Lesson Builder• Rubric Wizard

Online toolset

• Overview for novice users Programs and Resources

• My Programs• Standards Manager

Web Publication• Web folio

– Directed response folios– Presentation portfolios

Examples of student work

Presentation Portfolio

• Graduate Student working on her MAT licensure in Social Studies

Presentation Portfolio

• Undergraduate student working on teacher licensure

Graduate Summer Course

• Use the online toolset to prepare three materials for grades

• Cape Fear River and Ft. Fisher Aquarium Estuarine Resource Lesson Plan Curricular Resource Full Video

EDN 303 – Instructional Technology

• Begin collecting artifacts

• Students submit an end-of-Course Portfolio

• Program portfolio across foundations courses, methods courses and internship

Electronic portfolios benefits…

For Interns

• An ability to make connections between content studied in introductory core education courses and methods courses

• The capability to perform advanced technology competencies

• The accessibility of materials developed throughout program

• An increased knowledge and skill to use an online resource tool

For Faculty, For Administrators

• The ability to use the tool in new ways to enhance teaching of course (video, unit/lesson/rubric builder, discussion board)

• The capability to demonstrate advanced technology competencies

• The accessibility of course materials for research and accreditation purposes

• The increased knowledge and skills to use online resource tool to enhance teaching practices

• Help students make connections between core education courses and methods courses

For Partnership Teachers

• The ability to use the tool in new ways to enhance teaching and supervision of intern

• The capability to demonstrate advanced technology competencies

• The increased knowledge and skills to use online resource tool to enhance teaching practices

After 3 years of use…..

Points of Concern…

• Students and faculty requested that the tool be used earlier in the education program

• Students and faculty requested more support and training especially with the use of the advanced features of the tool

• Partnership teachers requested additional support and training from the university

• Not every program was using the tool with students

Transformations

• Two faculty members assigned to provide training and support for all teacher education faculty and partnership teachers in using this tool

• Graduate students trained and hired to work in computer labs to assist in the instruction of students and faculty

• All students required to purchase an account to the tool in their introductory core education courses (instead of waiting until they are enrolled in the methods courses)

Transformations

• Students are able to place materials in electronic portfolio earlier in their programs

• Faculty have access to materials for research and accreditation purposes

• All programs in the School of Education are using tool with students and teachers (B-K; Elementary; Special Education; Middle; Secondary)

Questions

A Three-Year Study of E-Portfoliosin a Preservice Teacher Education

Programfor copies of our paper and this PowerPoint please go to www.johnfischetti.com

John Fischetti, Professor and Chair

Robert Smith, Associate Professor

Joe Feinberg, Assistant Professor

Dennis Kubasko, Assistant Professor

Angelia Reid-Griffin, Assistant Professor

Department of Specialty Studies

September 30, 2005