Running head: STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
Interactive Academic Advising and Students Development
Veronica Vazquez
EDU520 Digitally-Mediated Teaching and Learning
Dr. Michele Herrera
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STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
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Introduction
Academic Advising is an integral part of any educational institution and when effective
advising takes place it can promote student success, retention and persistence by helping students
feel more connected to the institution, seeing their goals more clearly and recognizing how their
academic learning can translate into the real world (Alex Ambrose & Ambrose, 2013).
The academic advising profession can be seen as a teaching role and the right approach
would be to link academic advising with student learning throughout their college experience.
Part of the role of an academic advisor is to encourage students to reflect not only on their
educational and professional development but also in how their newly acquired knowledge has
reshaped their values and their outlook on life (Alex Ambrose & Ambrose, 2013).
My learning activity proposes to integrate an academic advising piece into a freshmen
online eight week college introductory course to foster student reflection about their personal,
academic and professional goals to help this new students design an academic plan to make those
goals achievable. A summary of what was learned via the student reflection journal entry will
be part of the course discussion boards to give students an opportunity to share what they learned
about themselves. At the end of the eight weeks students will be expected to have solid
academic advising foundation as well as to have a scheduled appointment with their academic
advisor where they can discuss their academic plans. The expectation is that by completing the
advising assignment as part of the introductory course students will engage in a more meaningful
advising meeting based on their individual perspectives, knowledge acquired throughout the
coursework in combination with personal and professional goals.
The advances in technology in recent years has made it possible for new tools to come
into play in efforts to keep students motivated and engaged throughout their college career.
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Students nowadays seek technology in every aspect of their lives, and academic advising is not
the exception. Students enrolled in the online college introductory course will be asked to build
an advising e-portfolio as part of the course content which students will later use during their
meetings with their academic advisor. The use of an e-portfolio platform to document the
student experience by uploading documents and video files as will allow them to have a set
location to track and reflect on their progress. The autonomous aspect of the advising e-portfolio
can promote student motivation and engagement in the activity as they will be given the freedom
to make it their own (Ambrose, Martin, & Page Jr., 2014).
Transformative Learning Theory
Transformative Learning is defined by Bouchard (2014) as “learning that takes place as a
person forms and reforms meaning” (p.1). Transformative Learning theory was founded by Jack
Mezirow and it aims to explain the underlying principle that individuals are able to both
recognize what their current viewpoint is, and are also capable of modifying their mindsets, their
principles and their actions (Matthew-Maich, Ploeg, Jack & Dobbins, 2010).
According to Bouchard (2014), the founder of Transformative Learning believed that
today’s students must become active participants in their own education as opposed to passively
listening to the thoughts and ideas of others. The idea behind transformative learning is that by
allowing newly acquired knowledge to shakeup the individual’s prior knowledge it will serve as
a catalyst for new concepts and perspectives to emerge (Bouchard, 2014).
Critical self-reflection is a part of transformative learning as it is necessary for
individuals to take a deeper look about their own beliefs, their preconceived expectations and
principles, forcing them to question their validity (Matthew-Maich et al., 2010). This process
can be uncomfortable, but without this change, transformative learning is not possible.
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Transformative Learning theory has been found to be highly applicable for adult learners
as by nature, they have acquired a significant amount of information and possess an organically
constructed frame of reference prior to entering the college environment (Bouchard (2014). As
stated by Raiker (2009) “as an individual develops, s/he is increasingly able to solve abstract
problems logically and to think critically of the self and others in moral, social, emotive and
judgmental terms. The individual assimilates and accommodates the reformed knowledge
gained in to new structures of thought, affecting esteem and efficacy” (p. 315).
Students experience many changes throughout their college career, and being able to
reflect on those changes and examine how their perspectives have shifted along the way makes it
possible for transformative learning to occur (Alex Ambrose & Ambrose, 2013).
Learning Activity
New students enrolled in the online course CSS101- Learning Across the Lifespan at Post
University will be introduced to the value of academic advising and the positive impact it can
have in throughout their college career during the first day of class. The online course lasts eight
weeks, and for each week students will be asked to complete a series of tasks conducive to
meeting the assignment objectives for that particular week and then document their progress in
the advising e-portfolio created via google sites. The series of weekly tasks will be outlined in
an Advising syllabus that students will receive during week 1 along with an e-portfolio rubric.
Students will also be provided with links to video tutorials and testimonies on the benefits of
owning an advising e-portfolio as well as supplemental course materials in relation to how to
create an e-portfolio to facilitate the process. Academic Advisors will also be available by phone
and email to assist students with any questions or concerns that they may have on how to create
their e-portfolio.
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During the eight weeks of the course students will be asked to demonstrate their tasks
completion each week via the e-portfolio. Students will have the liberty to upload documents,
video files, PowerPoint Presentation of a series of pictures with a paragraph explaining their
thoughts. This can be done for both the weekly task as well as the reflection piece. Students will
also be asked to share what they have learned about themselves from their reflective journal
entries on the weekly discussion boards. Participation on the discussion board will be required.
The assignments will be due on Sunday by midnight and they will be scored each week
according to the syllabus.
The Advising syllabus will contain a description of what is academic advising, the role of
their academic advisor as well as their contact information and the student expectations. The
Advising Syllabus will also list the following student outcomes:
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Develop an understanding of the academic plan, program requirements, and
expected graduation date.

Explore individual intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to pursue a college degree.

Examine individual personal, academic goals, professional goals and how they
relate to their program of choice.

Define qualities of a successful college student and recognize opportunities for
self-improvement.

Assess individual strengths and weaknesses as well as a plan to overcome their
weaknesses and take full advantage of their strengths.

Identify University student support resources.
During the first week of classes students will be asked to watch the tutorial videos and
read on the supplemental material given to become familiar with how to build an advising e-
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portfolio. They will also be required to make sure they create their google account that will
allow them to use the google sites to create their advising e-portfolio. For the reflection piece of
that week, students will be asked to reflect on their thoughts about creating an advising eportfolio, the benefits they perceived the advising assignment and challenges they anticipate.
During the second week students will be asked to create a profile and upload their
resume. For the reflection piece they will be asked to discuss how their previous college or
employment experience has influenced their life, prepared them for the college environment and
the influenced their decision to pursue a college degree.
During the third and fourth week students will be uploading their academic plan into their
advising e-portfolio. They will be given the opportunity to contact their academic advisor in
order to understand their academic plan, program requirements and expected graduation date.
For the reflection piece, students will be asked to reflect on their selected program of study and
as to discuss how they plan to achieve their graduation goals as well as any barriers that will
prevent them from meeting their expected graduation date.
The fifth week students will be asked to engage in a self-assessment exercise to explore
their motivational factors to pursuing a college education, both extrinsic and intrinsic. They will
also be asked to share what are the traits they see as being essential to student development and
success. For the reflection piece they will be asked to share their thoughts after they selfassessed their motivational factors and student success characteristics.
During the six week students will be asked to examine their personal, career and
educational goals as well as discuss how their current degree will help then attain those goals.
For the reflection piece that week students will be asked to discuss how their chosen degree
program will help them achieve those goals.
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During week seven and eight students will be asked to engage in a self-assessment
activity about their individual strengths and weaknesses. They will also be asked to list the
University student resources as well as how to access them. For the reflection piece that week
students will be asked to consider strategies they can employ to overcome their weaknesses as
well as their perceived advantages from their strengths.
At the end of week eight students will be asked to have an appointment scheduled with
their academic advisor to discuss their overall goals and academic advising knowledge acquired
as a result of the course. The student final grade for the e-portfolio will be included in their
overall course grades.
The integration of the electronic student portfolio as a course objective to the University
introductory course will serve as the informal learning component. Throughout the completion
of the activity students will be encouraged to collaborate among themselves as well as to reach
out to University staff for guidance on locating the information, opening doors for supplemental
knowledge to be exchanged. The critical self- reflection part of the activity is the one intended to
provide the greatest opportunity for informal learning. The learning is expected to occur in the
online classroom as the targeted students are enrolled in a fully online program.
Integration of Technology in the Learning Activity
There are many benefits to the use of e-portfolios in an educational setting. According to
Raiker, (2009) it is not only important to consider how technology can be integrated into the
classroom, but also how it can be integrated into the Academic Advising profession. Technology
is all around us, and as a society we have become accustomed to having some sort of technology
involved in every activity we perform. When implemented effectively, the use of technological
tools in academic advising such as the building of an e-portfolio can foster student development
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as well as strengthen the relationship between advisor and advisee by making their meetings not
only more meaningful, but also more interactive (Raiker, 2009).
Research shows that e-portfolios are an effective tool in the transformative learning
approach via student reflection practices, which can lead to personal and professional growth
essential in transformative teaching and learning methods (Raiker, 2009). As indicated by
Rickards, et al. (2008) the use of e-portfolios “provide a foundation for reflection on learning and
performance as a means to further development, construct personal expertise, and explore
identity” (p. 31). Students can reap great benefits from building an advising e-portfolio as it
allows them to collect artefacts to document their achievements, track their academic progress
and in combination with a reflective practice, it can assist them in forming their student identity
(Rickards, et al, 2008). E-portfolios can also serve as a platform for students to showcase their
skills, not only in the academic realm, but also their technological, design and creative skills
(Rickards, et al, 2008). Students will be able to assess how their skills have developed from the
moment they first began their advising e-portfolio in the freshman seminar, to their final
capstone course.
Another great benefit of utilizing e-portfolios within academic advising and the learning
from the coursework is that students will be able to have one place dedicated to their personal,
professional and academic development where they can include artifacts collected on their own
that will demonstrate how the skills learned in a particular course can transfer into a professional
environment (Ambrose, Martin & Page Jr., 2014). Additionally, e-portfolios have been found to
be a great tool to promote student engagement and motivation due to its student-owned nature,
the freedom students have to make it their own and create it as a reflection of their individual
styles, and technology aspect of it makes it attractive to students (Alex Ambrose & Ambrose,
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2013).
Conclusion
In order to promote college success, transformative learning facilitated by the proposed
learning activity will allow students to confront some of their misconceptions of the student life
in efforts to help them adopt a new perspective based on the knowledge acquired and to foster
their academic achievement.
References
Alex Ambrose, G. G., & Ambrose, L. (2013). The Blended Advising Model: Transforming
Advising with ePortfolios. International Journal Of Eportfolio, 3(1), 75.
Ambrose, G., Martin, H. E., & Page Jr., H. R. (2014). Linking Advising and E-Portfolios for
Engagement: Design, Evolution, Assessment, and University-Wide Implementation. Peer
Review, 16(1), 1-8.
Bouchard, J. (2014). Transformative Learning. Transformative Learning -- Research Starters
Education, 1.
Matthew-Maich, N., Ploeg, J., Jack, S., & Dobbins, M. (2010). Transformative learning and
research utilization in nursing practice: a missing link?. Worldviews On Evidence-Based
Nursing, 7(1), 25-35. doi:10.1111/j.1741-6787.2009.00172.x
Raiker, A. (2009). Transformational Learning and e-portfolios: A Pedagogy for Improving
Student Experience and Achievement. International Journal Of Learning, 16(8), 31.
Rickards, W. H., Diez, M. E., Ehley, L., Guilbault, L. F., Loacker, G., Hart, J., & Smith, P. C.
(2008). Learning, Reflection, and Electronic Portfolios: Stepping Toward an Assessment
Practice. JGE: The Journal Of General Education, 57(1), 31-50.