Transcript Student Electronic Portfolios for Teaching, Learning, and

Student Electronic Portfolios for
Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
Susan Kahn
Indiana University-Purdue University
Indianapolis
31st EAIR Forum
Vilnius, Lithuania
24 August, 2009
One student’s perspective
“So you get here and they start asking you,
‘What do you…want to major in? …what
courses [do] you want to take?’ and you get
the impression that’s what it’s 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 don’t add up
to anything. It’s just a bunch of courses. It
doesn’t mean a thing.”
What is an ePortfolio?
• “A collection of electronic evidence assembled and
managed by a user, usually on the Web…Such
electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic
files…images, 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)
Templated Career Portfolio
Florida State University
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.
Three uses
Teaching &
Learning
Self-Representation &
Identity Development
Accountability
& Assessment
Why ePortfolios?
1.
For students
–
–
–
–
2.
For faculty
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3.
Track growth and development
Develop capacities for metacognition and self-directed
learning
Support reflective practice
Integrate and apply learning
Create guided portfolio experiences
Provide a focus for curriculum development and improvement
For programs and institutions
–
Authentic assessment for admissions, improvement and
effectiveness, accreditation
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)
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)
Development in Reflective Thinking
• Ability to self-assess
• Awareness of how one learns
• Developing lifelong learning skills
Implementation Issues
• How will the portfolio be designed to fulfill the
institution’s or department’s 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?
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
“I no longer see what I have to offer as an English job
hunter in mere terms of degree possessed and years of
experience…I 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.”