Using the Catalyst Model derived from the Connect-to-Learning Grant (http://c2l.mcnrc.org), I'm doing a presentation on the ePortfolio cycle for Connections 2015, Blacksburg, VA, May 2015.
1. Making Learning Visible:
EPORTFOLIOS AS A
CATALYST FOR LEARNING &
CHANGE
Dr. Marc Zaldivar (marcz@vt.edu)
Active Technologies for Engaged Learning
Connections 2015
2. Guiding Questions
• Why ePortfolios?
• Why does ePortfolio pedagogy
catalyze change?
• What might this look like in practice?
• Source material:
• http://www.aacu.org/leap/hip.cfm All
things HIP
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUxM2
OOPMMw&feature=youtu.be Reflection &
ePs
• https://atel.tlos.vt.edu/student-showcase/.
Some really amazing students doing amazing
things.
• This presentation is available at
http://tinyurl.com/ePConnections15
3. Who we are
• Comprehensive Research I Institution
• Land grant
• 60 bachelors degree programs
• 140 masters and doctoral degree programs
• ~31,000 total FTE
• ~1,700 full-time
teaching faculty
4. How we got here…
• Phase 1 (Pre-2004): On your own
• Phase 2 (2004-7): Becoming systematic
• Phase 3 (2007-12): Centralizing, department-
focused, getting grounded, tool-centered (ePortfolio
Initiatives)
• Phase 4 (2012-now): Student- and process-
centered, tools abound (Active Technologies for
6. Why is ePortfolio
Pedagogy
relevant?
Folio Thinking creates students who are
engaged with their learning and who
seek to demonstrate that learning to
relevant audiences (peers, instructors,
advisors, professional contacts)
Encourage students to integrate discrete learning
experiences
Enhance students' self-understanding
Promote students' taking responsibility for their own
learning
Support students in developing an intellectual identity
ePortfolios MAKE LEARNING VISIBLE
15. What are high impact
practices?
• George Kuh, (AACU, 2008)
• First-year Seminars and Experiences
• Common Intellectual Experiences
• Learning Communities
• Writing Intensive Courses
• Collaborative Assignments and Projects
• Undergraduate Research
• Diversity/Global Learning
• Service Learning, Community-Based Learning
• Internships
• Capstone Courses and Projects
• All demonstrated significantly increased engagement by
students in deep learning.
16. What might this look like in
practice?
• Students do amazing work, both in and out of the
classroom…
17. What might this look like in
practice?
• While they do this work, hopefully they learn
something…
Scieneering has bridged the gap between my passion for the sciences with my desire to
face the challenges of engineering… Upon coming to Virginia Tech, I initially decided to
pursue studies in the Biological Sciences. However, the challenge of the engineering
curriculum- especially one from the acclaimed university founded through a land-grant solely
to teach engineering- beckoned my academic curiosity and as a sophomore I had every
intention on switching to a degree in Chemical Engineering. However, upon taking these
engineering classes I realized my true passion remained in the sciences yet still yearned to
pursue engineering to perfect the characteristic method of organized problem solving that is
emphasized through engineering... Through the Scieneering program, I have realized that
the two disciplines, while separately are quite powerful, are a much more potent tool
for innovation and research when forged together. – Michelle Tran, ePortfolio
Undergraduate Showcase Winner, 2012.
18. What might this look like in
practice?
• And while they learn, they can hopefully make that
learning visible in order to gather feedback from
peers, mentors, and audiences of their choosing and
need…
19. Bringing it all around
• ePortfolios enable a unique set of assessment data, including direct
evidence of students’ skills and direct reflection on the attainment of
those skills by the student.
• Having a set of ePortfolios offers a varied look at your students’
responses to the curriculum, offering a variety of unique perspectives
on the attainment of key departmental/programmatic/institutional
outcomes.
Interested parties
review this work
to determine
strengths and
weaknesses in
the curriculum.
Faculty use
information
gathered
to improve
student learning.
Students do work,
gather, reflect,
curate, and
display their learning.
21. • Points to need
for better ways
to approach
inquiry.
• Data will be
used this
summer for
curricular
planning in
courses
beyond first-
year.
Data from CNRE’s
Assessment of Inquiry Outcome
22. More opportunities to TALK
• Thank you for your time and attention!
• Marc Zaldivar (marcz@vt.edu)
http://atel.tlos.vt.edu
• The Catalyst Model of ePortfolio Adoption
http://c2l.mcnrc.org
• The Association for Authentic, Experiential, and
Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL)
http://www.aaeebl.org
Notes de l'éditeur
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Welcome Screen
Introduce myself and name of group.
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Frame of the session:
Three questions give guide to messy portfolios.
Some good sources.
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"Invent the Future" is the motto.
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ePortfolio process that encourages reflective practitioners out of our students (through triangle)
Leads to three main functions (Venn)
Leads to many outputs (bullets)
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Heart of matter: Why we do it.
Folio thinking leads to more meaningful, impactful learning experiences. ePs make learning visible, to others and to ourselves, so we can grow even more.
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Research based evidence for ePs. FIPSIE setup featuring VT, the FYEs and Don Orth in CNRE
1. Three audiences
2. Five tiers of stability
3. Three encompassing qualities of ePs
4. Conclusion/Model - Catalysing change
----- Meeting Notes (2/11/15 10:55) -----
Research based evidence for ePs. FIPSIE setup featuring VT, the FYEs and Don Orth in CNRE
1. Three audiences
2. Five tiers of stability
3. Three encompassing qualities of ePs
4. Conclusion/Model - Catalysing change
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3 propositions from C2L backed up by research evidence
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Prop 1: Success through repetition and culmination
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Prop 2: Support better learning, not just more
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Prop 3: Can be scaled successfully, and when done so, another effect is reaped by institional practices.
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Model. Now we'll look at how this works in practice...
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Starts with good student work.
I like to think of things like Kuh's HIPs and how I know we do these things all the time and in a variety of ways at VT.
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Students do amazing work (and learn to document it).
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Students reflect and connect that work within their own experiences.
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Students curate and connect that work to interested audiences.
----- Meeting Notes (5/28/14 14:36) -----
This is an example of that assessment cycle for CNRE. Students submit work into the matrix. Faculty evaluators use the matrix to fill out rubrics and comment forms about the student work. That data is analyzed and used to inform the faculty's next iteration of the assignment prompting the student's work. 2/3 parts of this occur within the Sakai environment, the matrix and a corresponding data reporting tool.
Results and plans are comunicated in various different ways.
----- Meeting Notes (5/28/14 14:36) -----
Example of their results from last year's assessment cycle. They focused on student inquiry skills, rated on two different 4-pt scales. Totaled numbers showed them that 60% of students were scoring 5-pts or less, which is their target for improvement in this coming year. Here they begin to involve faculty and student peer mentors in how to support inquiry-type activities in the upcoming year.