ePortfolio Development: Determining Student Motivation and Satisfaction

PerceptionCindy P. Stevens, Ph.D.

Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT)Boston, MA

Management Department Bachelor's of Science

(BSM)

Current total BSM students: approximately 200

Three concentrations: Communication, Project Leadership, and IT Management

ePortfolio(s) required

ICABE accreditation tool

Electronic Career PortfolioAssessment Tool and Requirement Report

Core Required Items: Professional Picture Brief Student Summary Professional Resume

Design and Organization: Organized Working Links Artifacts are Identifiable

Process: Freshman Year Developed Activity Editing/Adding Content

Sophomore through Senior Year Concentration Advisor Signs off

Senior Year Advisor Signs Off Senior Year Students Issued an S or U.

Six Proficiency Areas Required: Writing and Research

Example: Newspaper, Research paper

Professional Service Example: Student

Organization, Committee Team Leadership

Example: Mentor, Conduct Meetings

Consulting, Management Skill Development Example: Plan or Design a

Project, Evaluator Career and Life Planning

Example: Resume, References, Co-op

Communication Example: Presentation,

Speech

ePortfolio for Co-op We encourage students

to submit ePortfolio(s) along with resume to Co-op employers.

WIT Co-opCooperative education (Co-op) aims to provide practical experience while applying classroom

learning at a work site; to enhance professional skills; to experience personal growth. Co-op is a

full-time work experience. Enrollment in this course maintains full time student status.

Optional Co-op#1

(Sophomore)

Mandatory Co-op#2

(Senior)

Mandatory Co-op #1(Junior)

Spring 2011 Co-op Data 559 total WIT

students out on Co-op.

Despite economy we reached an 90% employment rate.

344 employers have one Co-op student.

70 employers have more than one.

77% located in MA with the remaining in 17 other states.

1 students chose Co-op outside the US.

28% unpaid Co-ops.Average wage

$15.00 per hour. 14 BSM students

needed Co-op.100% BSM students

were employed.0% BSM students

unemployed for Co-op.

Sample BSM Co-op Employers

Akamai TechnologiesAmerican Fortune

Real Estate Corp. Boston EngineeringBoston Red SoxIntel Massachusetts,

Inc.John HancockMcGrath CompaniesMy Happy Planet

Raytheon Technical Services

Mission Hill Main Streets

Sunguard Higher Education

Trinity PropertiesUphams Corner Main

StreetWindsor Capital

Mortgage

Why Survey?From 2007 to 2009 students built static Web site

ePortfolio(s) to host on our WIT Web server.

Switched to Linkedin ePortfolio(s) summer 2009 and continued until 2010.

Switched again to WordPress.com for 2011 Seniors.

Trying to determine if we have “arrived” so to speak since we had a 96% success rate with passing ePortfolios and they look so much better.

Why Did We Switch?Poor design of static built Web site ePortfolio(s).

Not enough faculty expertise in department to help students design ePortfolio(s).

Co-op director suggested we begin using Linkedin for student ePortfolio(s).

Based on last year’s Co-op survey results, Linkedin was not a good choice.

Linkedin looks like a plain and bland; basically an expanded resume.

What I really wanted to Know!

Because they used Wordpress.com

Were students more motivated?Did they enjoy the experience more?Where they more satisfied?Did they learn anything new?

About themselves?Technical skills?Organizational skills?Time management?

Where they able to reflect back over the last four years?

Static Web Site SamplesStatic Web site Sample #1:

http://www.JodyFinch.com/Jody_Finch__Electronic_Portfolio/Jody_Finch__Who_I_AM.html

Static Web Site Sample #2: http://myweb.wit.edu/alyahyaf/

Linkedin SamplesLinkedin Sample #1:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/maguirem

Linkedin Sample #2: http://www.linkedin.com/in/vinnierodriguez

Wordpress.com SamplesWordpress.com Sample #1

http://rebeccachu.wordpress.com/

WordPress.com Sample #2http://sotobraulio.wordpress.com

Student Comments(Negative First)

Procrastinated

Ordeal

Delays

Impossible

Unhappy

Pointless

Unorganized

Lost

Failure

Frustrated

Tough

Pain

Care less

Learned nothing

Accomplished

Growth

Surprised

Found my place

Productive

Learned new things

Helped me grow

Unique opportunity

Showcase experience

Present professionally

Catered to the future

Realized technical skills

Interesting

Greater ideas

Collected under pressure

Resourceful

Reflecting

Future goals

Excited

Creative

Student Comments(Positive Last)

Realizations Template is better

Allows creativity Easier to work with Motivates students Empowers them Success is higher

We are getter better Over four years now We change to succeed Not giving up

Students will always procrastinate Need Faculty support Need more due dates Need help Need Guidance

What we are doing now Rewriting requirements

manual Preparing a helper Web

site:http://blogs.wit.edu/bsm-

eportfolio/

Your RealizationsQuestions?

stevensc@wit.eduhttp://www.wit.edu