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Implementation Considerations

“The Anxious Type” by Flickr user JD Hancock

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Staging a rollout

Start small. Plan a slow implementation, and explain everything clearly as you go. Integrate other electronic components into a course before you introduce the concept of a portfolio.

Build towards a program-wide strategy, aiming for a new culture in assessment. This takes time. ePortfolios can transform pedagogy; you cannot implement them without real curriculum change.

Develop a strong resources plan for technical rollout. If possible, run a pilot project and spend time developing technical proficiency among the team.

Align the ePortfolio with the course learning outcomes, clearly defining the purpose of the portfolio for students and staff.

Krause, K. “ePorfolios for Graduate Students: A Discussion Paper.” University of Melbourne: Centre for the Study of Higher Education, 2006. Print.

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Staging a rollout

Make the ePortfolio a sustainable assessment tool. Use ePortfolios to track and gather resources for students from Year 1 onwards

Set up professional development and skill based workshops. Support your team initially using face-to-face meetings

Prepare the evaluation so that you support ePortfolio enhancement, the exclusion of extraneous material and content improvements early, and continue this support throughout the course

Krause, K. “ePorfolios for Graduate Students: A Discussion Paper.” University of Melbourne: Centre for the Study of Higher Education, 2006. Print.

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Platform Selection

Learning outcomes

Stakeholders

Learning activities

Assessment

ePortfolio tool vs. LMS/CMS vs. Portfolio

Evaluation of impact

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Useful Comparison Matrices

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Wrangling the “Big Data”

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Folio Thinking - Digication

Product Website https://www.digication.com/

Narrative study Boston University

Sample Implementation Boston University Showcase

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Folio Thinking - Mahara

Product Website https://mahara.org/

Narrative study Pace University

Sample Implementation Pace University Showcase

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Folio Thinking – WordPress

Product Website http://wordpress.orghttp://wordpress.com

Narrative study Macaulay Honors College at CUNY

Sample Implementation Macaulay Honors College at CUNY

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Folio Thinking – Sakai

Product Website http://sakaiproject.org/eportfolio

Narrative study Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis

Sample Implementation

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Showcase

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Folio thinking

Identify affordances you can see your self needing given the audience(s) and purpose(s) for your ePortfolio. In other words, what do you need people to be able to do with the tool you select?

Compile this information on the “Implementation” page of your mini portfolio.

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Environmental Methods

Usage logs of how often the ePortfolio tool was accessed, types of activities, and amount of time spent in the environment

Review of budgets, allocations of funds

Total number of ePortfolio accounts created

Attendance at ePortfolio training sessions and other ePortfolio community events (e.g., speakers, faculty coffees or get-togethers, both face-to-face and online)

Conference presentations, posters, and other publications Press articles and blog postings about the pilot

Light, Tracy Penny; Chen, Helen L.; Ittelson, John C. (2011-11-18). Documenting Learning with ePortfolios: A Guide for College Instructors. Wiley. Kindle Edition.

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Indirect Methods

Surveys of faculty and students on various teaching and learning-related outcomes such as engagement, intention to continue using the ePortfolio, perceptions of value and usefulness of the ePortfolio

Post-training evaluations of training sessions Measures of satisfaction, continuing interest Interviews with various stakeholders

Identification of ePortfolio advocates by students, faculty, and staff

Light, Tracy Penny; Chen, Helen L.; Ittelson, John C. (2011-11-18). Documenting Learning with ePortfolios: A Guide for College Instructors. Wiley. Kindle Edition.

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Direct Methods

Case studies created from interviews with faculty on how they introduced ePortfolios to their students, what did and didn't work

Examples of assignments created, reflective prompts

Faculty assessment results

Anecdotal stories of how ePortfolios have been used

Light, Tracy Penny; Chen, Helen L.; Ittelson, John C. (2011-11-18). Documenting Learning with ePortfolios: A Guide for College Instructors. Wiley. Kindle Edition.

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Folio thinking

How will you know your ePortfolio project is successful? Propose three methods you might use to make this determination.

Compile this information on the “Implementation” page of your mini portfolio.

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Outcomes

By the time you’ve finished this workshop you’ll be able to

Create and organize a mini-portfolio using a free drag-and-drop tool

Explain the differences between a learning portfolio and a presentation portfolio

Develop curricular maps, learning goals and outcomes, learning activities, and assessment practices that are “constructively aligned” and “portfolio friendly”

Draft a scoring guide for assessing an ePortfolio or the artifacts therein

Design the broad outlines of a course that engages students in collection, selection, reflection, and connection

List some of the affordances and constraints of several ePortfolio platforms