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Using Electronic Portfolios to Prepare Undergraduates For Lifelong Careers Jodi Cataline - Clinical Associate Professor Dana D’Angelo – Clinical Professor Drexel University LeBow College of Business May 2013 Electronic Portfolios Electronic Portfolios are defined not as “a scrapbook of college course assignments and memorabilia…[but as] as organized documentation of growth and achievement that provides tangible evidence of the attainment and professional knowledge, skills and dispositions.” (Campbell 2000) “A portfolio typically includes evidence drawn from practice.” (Baume, D and Yorke, M. 2002) “Although the simple act of documenting personal or group work fills an important archival need, the full impact of e-portfolios is realized when the author(s) and others reflect on the content.” (Reese, M. and Levy, R. 2009) More than Repositories, they are used for Curriculum Integration, Career Preparation and Reflection on Learning. Overview and Agenda • • • • • LeBow’s Integration of E-Portfolios Approach to E-Portfolio Use Career Planning Capstone Course Research Advice and Discussion LeBow’s Integration of E-Portfolios • • • • Mission and Strategic Plan Platform Options Curriculum Connection Resources and Support Approach to E-Portfolio Use Across and Through the Curriculum General Education Foundations Core Capstone Approach to E-Portfolio Use My LIFEfolio • Named “My LeBow Integrated Focused Experience folio” • Launched in 2006 • Highlighted as one of the colleges “best practices” by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in the 2010 re-accreditation Approach to E-Portfolio Use LeBow’s Course Specific Examples • Business Foundations (1st Year) – Financial Statement Case Study – Personal Ethics Statement – Business Plan • Accounting Principles (1st or 2nd Year) – Financial Statement Case Study • Business Law(2nd Year) – Personal Ethics • Organizational Behavior (3rd Year) – Corporate Ethics • Marketing (3rd or 4th Year) – Business Plan • Career Planning Capstone(4th or 5th year) – Personal Pitch and Career E-Portfolio Approach to E-Portfolio Use The Importance of Reflection • To avoid the “learn and purge” mentality • To be more than just document and file repositories – Curriculum Integration – Career Preparation – Reflection on Learning Image Source: John Zubizarreta Columbia College, SC USA Approach to E-Portfolio Use Reflection Examples • Think about your views of business in high school. Describe how these may have changed as a result of the classes you have taken this year? • How can the skills and knowledge acquired in [fill in the course] apply to other areas of business? • How did your problem solving abilities grow throughout the completion of these math assignments? • What strengths of your writing will help you in your co-op positions? What do you still need to work on? • What coursework were you able to use in your co-op employment? What do you still have to learn? Career Planning Capstone Course The E-Portfolio Assignment Suggested Components •Academics •Document your major, concentration(s) and minor(s) •Professional Background •Reference any internship, part-time, full-time and volunteer positions •Accomplishments •Showcase awards, initiatives and successes •Leadership Activities •Highlight leadership positions within professional organizations, clubs, athletics and relevant extracurricular activities •Differentiators •Set yourself apart with unique experiences or skills (travel, language, hobbies, etc.) •Career Goals and Plans •State your post-graduation objectives (1-5 years) Career Planning Capstone Course Example E-Portfolio Introduction The student in this example is a Marketing Major. Career Planning Capstone Course Example E-Portfolio Work Experience Career Planning Capstone Course Example Study Abroad and Travel Career Planning Capstone Course Example Competencies and Skills Career Planning Capstone Course Example Goals and Plans Research Benefits Student (Primary) Faculty Stakeholders Administration Employers Ritxhaupt, Singh,Seferth and Derick, 2008 Domains •Learning •Assessment •Employment •Visibility Research LeBow’s Question Does a student’s perception of learning increase with the use of electronic portfolios? Does a student’s perception of learning increase with the uses of both the electronic portfolios and reflective activity? Research LeBow’s Methodology The Survey Perception of Knowledge Balance Sheet Income Statement Retained Earnings Liquidity Profitability Financial Statements Dividends The Control Groups 3 Sections of Accounting Principles Financial Statement Case Study Project Section 1: Case Study Only (CS) Section 2: Case Study and E-Portfolio (CSP) Section 3: Case Study, E-Portfolio & Reflection (CSPR) Confidence in • Choice of Major • Choice of Business as a Career • Interviewing Skills The complete article can be read at http://ijbsr.org/images/archive_articles/A ugust2012/2.pdf Research LeBow’s Results Highlighted 6.2 6 5.8 5.6 5.4 5.2 5 4.8 4.6 Accounting Topic Career Selection CS only CSP CSPR Interview Skills Advice and Discussion Stakeholder Feedback “I had taken an economics course in high school, but it was mainly conceptual. I had also taken three years of calculus. Not once did I see a connection between these two subjects. My experience in this calculus-based section of microeconomics has shown me otherwise. I would never have thought to pull up previous math assignments and to find a correlation between what he had done and what we were currently learning in economics.” From a student evaluation “Our students are always so busy that they just "do" but not stop to think "why". I have had many students say that the process of building and presenting the portfolio forced them to do something that they all put off - figuring out what to do with the rest of their lives and how they plan on getting there. ” “Many students discover when preparing their career presentations and reflecting on their past academic assignments, that they really have learned valuable things in their classes. Student use their academic projects as examples of skills and industry experience they have gained and leadership roles they have assumed.” From faculty teaching Career Planning Capstone Advice and Discussion • Emphasize Cross Disciplinary Use Reflection • Have a Consistent Message for Students – Student perception is extremely important – “0% is better than 50%” • Assume s Constant Work in Progress – Continue to Learn/Adapt/Improve – Keep It Manageable – Go Slow and Steady THANK YOU!