Moving Towards an Integrated Learning ePortfolio as an "Educational Passport"
Assessment InstituteOctober 25, 2010Linda Anstendig
Beth Gordon Klingner
How do you define ePortfolios?
I Integrated Learning Approach to ePortfolios
II From Pilot to University Implementation
III Building a Culture of Evidence
IV Reflective Writing as Developmental Process
V Rubric
What does integrated learning mean to you or your course, or your university?
Teaching and Learning
Assessment Career
ePortfolio
Integrated Learning
Getting Students to Make Connections
• Help them see ePortfolios as an “educational passport” for their journey through Higher Ed.• Help them to begin to think reflectively
• Utilize blogs and forums
6 Months to Start and1 Year of Progress For ePortfolios!
08.09 09.09 10.09 11.09 12.09 1.10 2.10 3.10 4.10 5.10 6.10 7.10 8.10
Advisory Board
established
Template created
Launch Pilot Program
All faculty, students and
staff get accounts
Develop webpage
Train faculty & staff
0-6 months
• Moving from scattered ePortfolio ideas to unified ePortfolio thinking
• Getting faculty support• Seeking student interest• Achieving administrator (stakeholder)
buy-in
Previous Experiences With ePortfolios
• Isolated courses using varied platforms• Technological challenges• Low faculty/student participation• Searching for the perfect platform . . .
Turning Point
• New IT leadership• Creation of University-wide template• Advisory Board: bringing together
staff/faculty across disciplines and support areas
• Grants: Making Connections and internal Thinkfinity grant
Building Pace’s “Culture of Evidence”
• Building it into the culture through teaching circles, curriculum, student leadership programs
• ePortfolio’s effects on curriculum and student life
• Coordinating with Student Life
Why • Other tools considered• How we discovered Mahara• Why Mahara is different• Advantages of Mahara
– masquerade feature– customizability– user friendly– Web 2.0 look and feel
• Challenges of Mahara– upgrading process– Template vs flexibility
Introducing ePortfolios to the Pace Community
• Spring 2010 pilot (20 Sections, 230 students)• Faculty Development Day-Trent Batson, keynote
speaker• Student focus groups• Training staff/faculty/student groups—focus on
pedagogy and reflection in addition to technology• Coordinated with Career Services on resume
section• Held student contest
ePortfolio Resources For The Pace Community
• ePortfolios– www.pace.edu/eportfolio– Tutorials, news, student samples
• ePortfolio Resource/Information Group on http://eportfolio.pace.edu
– Troubleshooting, feedback, forums– Useful files (tips, guides, news)
Keeping the Momentum• PR – Blogs, logos and promos• Increased outreach to major stakeholders• Accounts for all, link to Bb, lifelong access• Faculty/staff/student workshops• IT helpdesk support• Teaching circles for Fall 2010
What’s next
• Building a student “army”• Training Student Leaders, RAs• Co-hosting programs with Career Services• Developing Assessment plans with faculty
reviewers• Keeping up with Mahara – adding servers,
storage space and developing theme/design
• Student Showcase• Using Google Analytics
2010-2011 Timeline
September October November December January February March April May
Reach out to UNV101 classes
Train library staff and advisors Expand
Pilot Program
Redesign Theme
Create Rubrics
Student Showcase
The Reflective Process
• What pedagogical techniques best support reflection?
• How does eP web 2.0 interfaces promote student reflectiveness?
• What do students actually do with the discrete reflections that accompany course-based artifacts?
• How can faculty provide feedback on student reflection that will nudge students toward higher order thinking and integration of learning?
What is Reflective Writing?
Reflective Writing IS:
•Your response to experiences, opinions, events, new information
•A way of thinking to explore your learning
•An opportunity to gain self-knowledge and self-awareness
•A way to achieve clarity and better understanding of what you are learning
•A chance to develop and reinforce writing and thinking skills
•A way of making meaning out of what you study
Reflective Writing is NOT:
•Just conveying facts, information or an argument
•Pure description, though describing and observing are a part of any good reflection
•Straightforward decision or judgment about whether something is right or wrong
•Simple problem-solving
•A summary of course notes
•A standard university essay
• Perceptions, experiences, ideas, and observations of course and content
• What you found confusing, interesting, inspiring, and why
• Conclusions you have drawn from your observations, descriptions, and perceptions, questions you still have that need to be addressed
• Your processes of solving a problem, reaching a conclusion, finding an answer or reaching a new understanding
• Interpretations, alternative perspectives
• Comparisons and connections between what you are learning and your prior knowledge and experience, prior assumptions, and/or what you know from other courses or disciplines
What To Include in Reflective Writing:
1. Writer gives brief description – who, what, where, when questions; specific evidence and examples
2. Writer explains process of learning – through reading, research, doing, talking to others, from lectures, experimenting, making mistakes
3. Writer begins to analyze and interpret learning – by inquiring into why things happened, why choices made, what factors were significant; by making connections between theory and practice; showing confusing parts and how they have been clarified (and/or what confusions remain)
4. Writing explains consequences – answers So What questions; demonstrates what has been learned; explains new knowledge and concepts gained and how these fit in with old; what changes may occur because of new knowledge; what is major significance
5. Writing is clear, coherent and organized, correct grammar and mechanics used, strong voice that is appropriate for content and audience
Criteria For Effective Reflective Writing:
Thanks for joining us!
Beth Gordon Klingner [email protected] Linda Anstendig [email protected]
Don’t forget to visit our websites:https://eportfolio.pace.eduwww.pace.edu/eportfolio