Digital Portfolios –
Alverno College’s DDP
Linda Ehley
Robert O’Brien Hokanson
John Savagian
Kelly Talley
Ann van Heerden
College of Menominee Nation
August, 2003
Digital Portfolio Questions
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What are digital portfolios?
What are the basic types of digital portfolios?
What are the trends with regard to digital portfolios?
What is Alverno’s Diagnostic Digital Portfolio?
What are some benefits and issues we have found in
using the DDP?
How are faculty using the DDP within their classes?
What are Digital Portfolios?
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Creative means of organizing, summarizing,
and sharing artifacts, information, and ideas
about teaching and/or learning
A collection of student work that is stored
on a computer, on a CD-ROM or using
some other digital technology
Characteristics of Portfolios
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Portfolios can feature multiple examples
of work
Portfolios can be context rich
Portfolios can offer opportunities for
selection and self assessment
Portfolios can offer a look at development
over time
Assessing the Portfolio: Principles for Practice, Theory and Research (1998 - Liz Hamp-Lyons)
What are the types of
Digital Portfolios?
Faculty
Institution
 Program Assessment
 Course Assessment
 Faculty Assessment
 Teaching Assessment
 Course Assessment
 Personal
Growth/Reflection
Student
 Student
Learning
 Evaluation/grading
 Showcase
What are the Trends?
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To HAVE a Digital Portfolio!
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Technology
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Public Relations
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Portfolios in other than digital format are not new
- Electronic/digital portfolios provide easy access
Better understanding of student learning in higher education
Accreditation Documentation
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Teacher Education programs
It’s not about the technology…
…it’s about learning
Alverno College
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One of about 80 US women’s colleges
Ability-based curriculum
Two time frames: Weekday, Weekend
About 2000 students with a high level of ethnic
diversity
Majors with largest enrollment:
Business and Management; Education; Nursing, Professional
Communication/ CMT; Social Sciences/Psychology/CLD
http://www.alverno.edu/for_educators/publications.html
Alverno’s Diagnostic Digital
Portfolio (DDP)
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A cumulative yet selective record of an
individual student’s academic work that is
electronically accessible and assessable.
Main purpose - to assist students in
analyzing their patterns of learning
A mirror to reflect her learning thus far and
a map to chart where she is going
Diagnostic - analyzing the cause or nature of a
situation
Digital -
readable and manipulable by
computer
Portfolio - a collection representative of a
person’s work
Why We Created the DDP
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Mountains of information on student
performance and learning
14
different locations
Not easily accessible to students and faculty
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Wanted a vehicle to enhance student
reflection on their learning across time
Implementation
 Year 1
 Began
with accounts for all new students
 Piloted key performances
 Year 2
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Expanded classroom key performances
Piloted Independent Learning Experiences
 Year 3
 Piloted
video uploads
 Mid Program Integrating Moment
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Year 4
 Set
Institutional goal for all faculty to create
and use key performances in their courses
 Began adding graduate programs
Student Reactions
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Very positive and excited
Interested in developing a “history” of her
learning
Eager to participate and add additional materials
Made her learning -- what she does at Alverno -more visible
Provides “one location” to access criteria,
advanced outcomes, learning style templates and
advising templates
Faculty Reactions
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Very positive for piloting faculty
Easy access to Communication criteria,
writing and speaking templates,
Advanced Outcomes and self assessment
framework
Time and complexity issues
Emphasized the need for technology
support
Issues
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Provide specific places where students
reflect on their learning
 Integrating
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Moments
Address the varying computer literacy
levels of students
Integrate DDP use into classroom practice
Extend understanding of uses of the DDP
Benefits
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Increase computer literacy among faculty and
students
 Actual
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“purpose” for using technology
Provide specific places in curriculum for reflecting
on prior work and setting goals
Assist students/faculty in “seeing” learning and
self assessment development
Improve quality of self assessment
Help students with learning issues
Questions - Comments?
Let’s Look at the DDP!!!
ddp.alverno.edu
References
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The How and the Why of Electronic Portfolios in
Higher Education - Marsha Leeman-Conley
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Electronic Portfolios: Students, Teachers, and Life
Long Learners Annette Lamb
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http://www.softcom.net/users/conley/papers/TechEd99.html#whatis
http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic82.htm
Electronic Portfolios: Emerging Practices in Student,
Faculty, and Institutional Learning - AAHE- 2001 Barbara
L. Cambridge, volume editor
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Alverno’s Diagnostic Digital Portfolio
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http://ddp.alverno.edu