Student Electronic Portfolios for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment

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Student Electronic Portfolios for Teaching,
Learning, and Assessment

• Susan Kahn
• Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
• 31st EAIR Forum
• Vilnius, Lithuania
• 24 August, 2009

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One students perspective

• So you get here and they start asking you,
  What do youwant to major in? what courses do
  you want to take? and you get the impression
  thats what its all about courses and majors.
  So, you take the courses. You get your card
  punched. You try a little this and a little that.
  Then comes GRADUATION. And you wake up and you
  look at this bunch of courses and then it hits
  you They dont add up to anything. Its just a
  bunch of courses. It doesnt mean a thing.

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What is an ePortfolio?

• A collection of electronic evidence assembled
  and managed by a user, usually on the WebSuch
  electronic evidence may include inputted text,
  electronic filesimages, multimedia, blog
  entries, and hyperlinks. E-portfolios are both
  demonstrations of the user's abilities and
  platforms for self-expression. (Wikipedia)
• Created by the three principal activities of
  collection, selection, and reflection, student
  portfolios can be succinctly defined as
  collections of work selected from a larger
  archive of work, upon which the student has
  reflected. (Yancey, 2001)

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Templated Career PortfolioFlorida State
University
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Guided Portfolio Experience

• A series of related portfolio activities or
  processes designed by instructor, assessment
  coordinator, or some
• Organized into a visual framework (matrix or
  outline)
• Participation is facilitated by faculty or staff
  and guidance (instructions, rationale, examples)
  is embedded in the software.

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Three uses
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Why ePortfolios?

• For students
• Track growth and development
• Develop capacities for metacognition and
  self-directed learning
• Support reflective practice
• Integrate and apply learning
• For faculty
• Create guided portfolio experiences
• Provide a focus for curriculum development and
  improvement
• For programs and institutions
• Authentic assessment for admissions, improvement
  and effectiveness, accreditation

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Advantages for Assessment

• Documenting learning in this way places the
  focus on actual achievements that are viewed
  directly, rather than on proxies of achievement
  like cumulative GPAs or test scores that are only
  indirect indicators of learning. The focus is
  also on what students can do with their knowledge
  and skills and not simply on whether knowledge
  has been acquired. (Huba Freed, 2000)

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ePort for what?

• Pre-professional portfolio (Biology)
• Focus on critical thinking (Engineering
  Technology)
• Focus on professional ethics (Dentistry)
• Focus on integrating learning (English, Visual
  Communication)
• Catalyst for curriculum revision around learning
  outcomes (Secondary Education)
• Authentic documentation of competencies for
  assessment and accreditation (Dentistry, Visual
  Communication)
• Assessment of prior learning for credit (OLS)

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Development in Reflective Thinking

• Ability to self-assess
• Awareness of how one learns
• Developing lifelong learning skills

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Implementation Issues

• How will the portfolio be designed to fulfill the
  institutions or departments purposes?
• How will the portfolio be integrated into program
  curricula? What changes will this require?
• Who will read and evaluate student portfolios?
  When?
• What are the infrastructure needs? What
  resources are needed?
• What faculty development is needed? What skills
  will students need to develop?

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Lessons Learned

• Start with small pilot projects and with
  faculty/departments that need e-portfolio for
  specific purposes
• Consult extensively with early adopters
• Be prepared to offer lots of faculty development
  and technical support
• Expect uneven levels of participation and
  interest at first

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I no longer see what I have to offer as an
English job hunter in mere terms of degree
possessed and years of experienceI look at what
I have to offer in a larger context. Beyond the
essential in my resume that I share with all
other graduates, I now see capacities in critical
thinking, communications, and multi-project
analyses. All these capacities can be supported
with the creative and scholarly material in my
matrix.