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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.
4
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