The Field Guide to ePortfolio: A Panel of Authors

Andrew HarverProfessor, UNC Charlotte

Gail Matthews-DeNataleAssociate Director, Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning through Research, Northeastern University

Joan Monahan WatsonDirector of Education, Digication, Inc.

Tracy Penny LightAssociate Professor, Thompson Rivers University

Gail RingDirector of Learning Partnerships, PebblePad North America

Association of American Colleges & Universities 2018 Annual Meeting9th Annual Forum on Digital Learning and ePortfolios

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Field Guide to EportfolioA Collaborative of the Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL);

the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U);the International Journal of ePortfolio (IJeP); and

Electronic Portfolio Action and Communication (EPAC) Community of Practice

Executive CommitteeTrent Batson

Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based LearningTerrel L. Rhodes

Association of American Colleges and UniversitiesC. Edward Watson

International Journal of ePortfolioAssociation of American Colleges and Universities

Helen L. ChenElectronic Portfolio Action and Communication Community of Practice

Executive EditorKathryn S. Coleman

University of MelbourneCoeditor

Andrew HarverUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8t_OY4denF1c0NLM3VoNUFhaU0/view

~Kristina Hoeppner

Chapter 2. Redesigning Learning: Eportfolios in Support of Reflective Growth

within Individuals and OrganizationsGail Matthews-DeNatale

Samantha J. Blevins-BohananVirginia Tech

Constance G. RothwellUNC Charlotte

Catherine M. WehlburgTexas Christian University

Levels of Design Questions: Course, Program, Institution, & Beyond

Design Decisions

• Portfolio type• Flexibility of structure• Required elements• Choice of artifacts• Reflection prompts• Assessment strategy

Integration Plan

• Course and/or program placement

• Student and faculty orientation

• Ongoing support• Assessment processes

OutcomesStudents• Academic, social, work

experience integration• Self-awareness & self-

direction• Improved

communication ability

Programs• Evidence-based

learning & teaching• Curricular integrity• Program improvement

& accreditation

Purpose & Goals• Value for students• Curriculum goals• Assessment goals• Opportunities and

constraints

(Poklop, 2010)

Levels of Design Questions: Course, Program, Institution, & Beyond

Design Decisions

• Portfolio type• Flexibility of structure• Required elements• Choice of artifacts• Reflection prompts• Assessment strategy

Integration Plan

• Course and/or program placement

• Student and faculty orientation

• Ongoing support• Assessment processes

OutcomesStudents• Academic, social, work

experience integration• Self-awareness & self-

direction• Improved

communication ability

Programs• Evidence-based

learning & teaching• Curricular integrity• Program improvement

& accreditation

Purpose & Goals• Value for students• Curriculum goals• Assessment goals• Opportunities and

constraints

What do we hope to gain?

What difference might eportfoliosmake in the growth of students, faculty,

and our institution?

(Poklop, 2010)

Community-sourced, Peer-reviewed, Global, and Digital

• Logistical: Where will work-in-progress live? How will the group meet? Will there be online companion materials? If so, where will those materials live?

• Interpersonal: What is the system for accountability? How does the group understand the boundaries and fluidity of leadership?

• Authorial: How will the editing be handled? Who will revise to attain integrity of tone and voice, and what are the parameters for unilateral revision? When peer-review recommendations are received, how will those be negotiated and implemented?

• Credit: Who goes first? What if there are differing disciplinary conventions for credit? (e.g., leadership vs. alphabetical order)?

Samantha Streamer Veneruso, Professor of English, Chair of General Studies, Montgomery College

Elizabeth Black, Blended Learning Projects Coordinator, Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Western Sydney University

Caryn Chaden, Associate Provost for Student Success and Accreditation, DePaul University

Geoffrey Habron, Director of Electronic Portfolio, Warren Wilson College

Kristyn Muller, Assistant Director of Residential Life, University at Albany, SUNY

Benjamin R. Stephens, Professor, Department of Psychology, Clemson University

Joan Monahan Watson, Director of Education, Digication, Inc.

Kathleen Blake Yancey, Kellogg Hunt Professor and Distinguished Research Professor, Department of English, Florida State University

Chapter 4. Promoting Student Cognitive Development: Integrative Learning, Reflection, and Metacognition

Key Concepts from Chapter 4 ePortfolios support the interdependent processes of

• Integration: practice of forging and organizing connections among and between previous knowledge, lived experiences, and new information (Huber & Hutchings, 2004)

• Reflection: an intentional awareness of the role that different experiences play in the learning equation• Metacognition: contributes to the development of self-regulation skills, whereby students recognize and use

effective learning techniques and behaviors including identifying and assessing their learning strategies, monitoring their learning, and actively engaging in their learning experiences

ePortfolios include and transcend boundaries, functioning as a space for experiential synthesis

• didactic (academic/curricular) • co-curricular / extracurricular • personal • professional

To “collect and select” is not enough; the explanation of the symbolic representation of the artifacts is how/when/where learning is revealed

Reflections on Organic ChemistryElena Fulton, University of Puget Sound

This [30-page lab report] may seem like a painstaking project to complete, however I came away from this with a better understanding of how far I am able to push myself as a student. I was uncomfortable in many ways throughout the semester, but I grew in my ability to ask for help, to be proactive in planning and learning, and most of all I grew in my confidence as an independent thinker, and I have taken that with me in every class I have been in since leaving organic chemistry.

https://pugetsound.digication.com/elena-fulton-student-portfolio/organic-chemistry

Pearls from the Collaboration• Find a good leader! Someone who has

• Good communication and organization skills• Patience• Sufficient time to commit to the project

• Disciplinary: Bring your own knowledge and experience to the table• Consider the ways that your students’ reflections illustrate deeper learning• Examples of student work and shared pedagogical models are exceptionally

valuable• Interdisciplinary: Bring an open mind to the process

• Be willing to learn from others’ experiences• Be willing to consider new/unfamiliar types of research methodologies

Chapter 6. On the Right Track: Using Eportfolios to Address Institutional Challenges

Tracy Penny Light, Associate Professor (History), Department of Philosophy, History, and Politics,

Thompson Rivers UniversityKatherine Lithgow, Senior Instructional

Developer, Integrative Learning, Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo

David Hubert, Professor and Assistant Provost of Learning Advancement,

Salt Lake Community CollegeShane Sutherland, Development Director,

PebblePad

Key Concepts from Chapter

• Documenting learning across contexts can illuminate the diverse needs/goals of 21st century learners so institutions can be more responsive

• Authentic evidence of learning provides institutions opportunities to demonstrate their success to diverse audiences in terms of:

• Accreditation• HIPs• Integrative Learning > Bridging Curricular/Co-curricular Learning

• Portfolios can provide opportunities for institutions to intentionally align their priorities and make that alignment visible

Pearls from Our Collaboration

• Opportunity to explore the topic from different perspectives (faculty, staff, senior admin, portfolio provider)

• Collaborative writing models the kind of work needed on campuses (bridging stakeholder needs rather than working in silos)

• Joint problem-solving and experience-sharing helpful to each of us in our respective roles and institutions

Chapter 10. Faculty ePortfolios: Teaching & Learning and Professional Development

Heather Caldwell, University of Alaska AnchorageGina Rae Foster, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Gail L. Ring, PebblePad

The Value of Faculty ePortfolios• Provides a bridge between the Institutional needs for assessment and

individual and peer needs for enhancing and documenting personal achievements

• Provides a mechanism for enhancing professional growth and development

• Facilitates a shared “culture of learning and reflection” with our students• Provides a fully faculty owned learning space• Provides a space for innovation and experimentation

Success and Sustainability Depends on…

• A well-defined purpose • Support from administration• Clear value for faculty i.e. re-envisioning the traditional

reward structure• Multiple opportunities for peer collaboration and

feedback• A culture of continuous learning and enrichment

What We Learned• Our chapter became a space for learning that transcended time and

place – we hope the Field Guide expands on this idea and continues to evolve and grow.

• Discovering the lack of research on faculty ePortfolios heightened our urgency to identify what is currently known and to outline questions that seem ripe for investigation.

https://aaeebl.org/2018/02/05/field-guide-to-eportfolio/