Using ePortfolios to Improve
Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
Debra Dunlap Runshe
Instructional Development Specialist
University Information Technology Services - Learning Technologies
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
Webinar Objectives
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
• describe a variety of purposes for electronic portfolios
• explain the process of “folio” thinking.
• articulate why reflection is important to deep learning.
• understand how to use ePortfolios for assessment
purposes.
• access resources that will help them begin to use
ePortfolios to improve teaching and learning.
How are ePortfolios Used?
Teaching & Learning
Self-Representation &
Identity Development
Accountability &
Assessment
What is an ePortfolio?
“A digitized collection of artifacts, including demonstrations,
resources, and accomplishments that represent an
individual, group, or institution.”
(Reese & Levy, 2009)
“Created by the three principal activities of collection,
selection, and reflection, student portfolios can be
succinctly defined as collections of work selected from a
larger archive of work, upon which the student has
reflected. Portfolios can be created in many different
contexts, serve various purposes, and speak to multiple
audiences.”
(Yancey, 2001)
Balancing the Two Faces
(Barrett, H. 2010)
Learning or Reflection
Focused on process, students:
• learn to self assess through the reflection process.
• increase their depth of knowledge through the reflection
process.
• take control of their own learning leading to greater selfconfidence.
• develop life long learning skills.
… a series of events, the journey
(Barrett, H. 2010)
Showcase or Accountability
Focused on product, students:
• have a tool for personal development.
• create a personal learning record.
• develop a direction for career planning.
• showcase their strengths and accomplishments.
… the outcomes/results, the destination
(Barrett, H. 2010)
Student Development
• Personal development plan;
academic/career planning
• Personal academic web site
(take ownership of learning)
• Capstone (integrate learning
in expanded range of media;
through reflection, articulate
learning and
accomplishments)
• Resume-building
First Year Experience
FSU Career Portfolio Template
Professional Presentation
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•
•
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Layout
Color choice
Text readability
Text alignment
Copyright and accessibility
RESOURCE FOR E-PORTFOLIO DESIGN
Thompson, P. (2011). The web design for professional portfolios series.
[Video files]. http://www.youtube.com/user/PennyAtMSU?blend=21&ob=5
What Makes Good Web Design?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHpyES6Jbx0/
Reflective Portfolio
What is reflection?
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•
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Metacognition
Re-processing ideas to support understanding
Questioning assumptions
Seeing in multiple contexts
Self-examination
Integration
Self-assessment
Forms of Reflection
• Account/analysis of a process
• Analysis of an experience
• Analysis that connects a series
of experiences
• Analysis of an artifact
• Analysis that connects a series
of artifacts
• Review of progress
• Goal-setting
• Synthesis
Preparing for Reflection
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•
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Evaluation of sample reflections
Written and oral peer review of rough drafts
Final reflection
Importance of:
• Thoughtful, appropriate prompts
• The “right” amount of reflection to assign
A Taxonomy of Reflection
Value of Reflection
1. Reflection helps students make knowledge by
articulating connections
2. Reflection introduces students to new kinds of selfassessment that they carry into the rest of their lives
3. Reflection helps develop habits of reflective practice
4. Reflection supports deeper engagement in learning
5. Reflection provides evidence of learning not available
by other means
Some Issues To Consider
• How can we teach
students to reflect?
• What kinds of
scaffolding/support do
students need at different
levels and in different
contexts?
• When and how often
should students reflect?
• How can we assess
reflection?
Growth and Development
“Folio” Thinking
“’Folio’ thinking enables students to become
aware of, document, and track their learning
and develop an integrated, coherent picture
of their personal learning experiences from
both inside and outside of the classroom."
~Helen Chen
Integrative Learning
“Portfolios are inherently integrative, being composed of
heterogeneous artifacts, the connections between which
are explored through reflection”
(D. Cambridge, 2009)
“As students go through the process of collection,
selection, and reflection, they show the ability to identify the
larger design that informs their college experience”
(T.S. Edwards & C. Burnham, 2009)
ePortfolios for Accountability
• Catalyst for more deliberate
integration of general education
and disciplinary outcomes into
curricula
• Supports guided learning
experiences
• Develop authentic evidence for
documenting and assessing
student attainment of general
education and/or disciplinespecific outcomes
• Aggregate assessment data for
improvement and accountability
Advantages for Assessment
“Documenting learning in this way places the focus on
actual achievements that are viewed directly, rather than on
proxies of achievement like cumulative GPAs or test scores
that are only indirect indicators of learning. The focus is
also on what students can do with their knowledge and
skills and not simply on whether knowledge has been
acquired.”
(Huba & Freed, 2000)
Implementation Issues
• How will the portfolio be designed
to fulfill the institution’s or
department’s purposes?
• How will the portfolio be integrated
into program curricula? What
changes will this require?
• Who will read and evaluate
student portfolios? When?
• What are the infrastructure
needs? What resources are
needed?
• What faculty development is
needed? What skills will students
need to develop?
Typical Guided Portfolio Workflow
• Student uploads artifacts, fills out forms and/or writes
a reflection
• Student requests and receives formative feedback
from assigned or student-selected reviewers
• Student submits for evaluation
• Evaluator rates and comments on work
Sakai OSP Frameworks
Matrix
Beginner
Intermediate
Outline Wizard
Advanced
PUL 1
PUL 2
PUL 3
ETC.
Matrix Cell = Wizard  = 1 Portfolio Activity
Documenting Growth Over Time
Secondary Education Matrix
Summative Assessment of Learning
Transition to Teaching Wizard
Integrative Learning
English Capstone Matrix
Rubric for Reflective Thinking
Rubrics and ePortfolios
Rubrics have been identified as the
ideal means for portfolio
assessment
(Buzzetto-More & Alade, 2006)
Rubrics are also particularly useful
in assessing complex and
subjective skills
(Dodge & Pickette, 2001)
Advantages of Rubrics
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•
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Makes expectations clear
Prepares students to use detailed feedback
Encourages critical thinking
Facilitates communications with others
Helps students self-assess
eTOOLS FOR RUBRIC CONSTRUCTION
Rubistar http://rubistar.4teachers.org
iRubric http://www.rcampus.com/indexrubric.cfm
AAC&U’s VALUE Rubrics
Learning Outcomes for the development of VALUE Rubrics
Intellectual and Practical Skills
• Inquiry and analysis
• Critical thinking
• Creative thinking
• Written communication
• Oral communication
• Reading
• Quantitative literacy
• Information literacy
• Teamwork
• Problem solving
Personal and Social Responsibility
 Civic knowledge and engagementlocal and global
 Intercultural knowledge and
competence
 Ethical reasoning
 Foundations and skills for lifelong
learning
Integrative and Applied Learning
 Integrative and applied learning
(Retrieved from www.aacu.org/value/metarubrics.cfm October 23, 2010
Choosing ePortfolio Software
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Identify primary and secondary purposes
Who are your users and stakeholders?
What is the value proposition for each?
What are their needs and expectations?
Focus on functional needs (what they need to do), not
technical (how they need/want to do it)
• Create a needs matrix and prioritize (must have, should
have, nice to have) and use it to evaluate solutions
PUT THE USERS NEEDS FIRST!
Ward, L., 2011
Software Options
BUY: commercial packages
TaskStream, LiveText, Chalk&Wire, etc.
BORROW: open/community source
OSP, Mahara, Elgg
BUILD: develop a custom application
Career Portfolio (Florida State University)
STEPS for Assessment (CSU Chico State)
ADAPT: use and combine generic tools
Google sites, Blogs, Wikis, survey software
Ward, L., 2011
BUY: Commercial Software
Pros
Cons
Rapid development; mature
High costs for licensing and
maintenance
Feature Rich
Complex
Multipurpose
Duplication of other campus
applications and services (CMS/
LMS, admissions, advisement, etc.)
Documentation and support
(including system integration
services)
Works out of the box
Can’t easily modify/customize
Some offer vendor and local
hosting options
Some hosted by vendor only
Ward, L., 2011
TaskStream
Ward, L., 2011
PebblePad
Ward, L., 2011
BORROW: Open/Community Source
Pros
Cons
No licensing costs
May require investments in
developers, tech writers, user
support, etc.
Code can be modified
Documentation and testing may not
be as thorough
Opportunities to participate in
product direction and development
Fewer features and functions than
commercial products
Emphasis on interoperability and
open standards
No guarantees or service level
agreements
Dependence on community for
support and continued development/
maintenance of product
Ward, L., 2011
Mahara
Ward, L., 2011
Sakai Open Source Portfolio
Ward, L., 2011
BUILD: Develop Custom Application
Pros
Cons
Better fit with institutional or
programmatic needs and
processes
Development and deployment
costs are difficult to predict
Implement a completely new
vision or approach
Longer time to deployment
Control over future development
and rate of change
Complete dependence on internal
expertise
Ward, L., 2011
FSU Career Portfolio
Ward, L., 2011
Chico State STEPS for Assessment
Ward, L., 2011
ADAPT: Generic Web Authoring
or Web 2.0 Tools
Pros
Cons
Free or very low-cost (Google sites,
hosted blogs or wikis)
No support for assessment
processes or reporting
Gives portfolio owner creative
control
Uncertain future of hosted services
Available to students after
graduation
Ward, L., 2011
Blogfolios (Penn State)
Ward, L., 2011
Google Sites
Ward, L., 2011
Wikifolios
Ward, L., 2011
ePortfolio Galleries
Bowling Green State University:
http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/studentsuccess/page31296.html
Clemson University:
http://www.clemson.edu/academics/programs/eportfolio/
IUPUI Personal Development Plan:
http://pdp.uc.iupui.edu/Home.aspx/
LaGuardia Community College ePortfolio:
http://www.eportfolio.lagcc.cuny.edu/
Portland State University:
http://sites.google.com/site/eportfolioresources/Home/ePortfolioShowcase
San Francisco State University:
http://eportfolio.sfsu.edu/
University of Michigan:
http://mportfolio.umich.edu/index.html
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University:
http://eportfolio.vt.edu/
ePortfolio Associations
AAEEBL: http://www.aaeebl.org/
EPAC: http://eportfolioca.org/
EIfEL: http://www.eife-l.org/
ePortfolio Research Projects
Making Connections: http://www.laguardia.edu/connections/
Inter/National Coalitions for Electronic Portfolio Research: http://ncepr.org/
In Summary: Uses of ePortfolios
• Support/document academic and professional
development
• Increase student engagement and achievement
• Help students become more intentional, integrative
learners
• Support reflective practice
• Support curricular development
• Support authentic assessment for improvement and
accountability
• Support academic and career advising
Implications for Learners and Teachers
• Learning-centered vs. teachingcentered
• Supports active learning
pedagogies aimed at promoting
deeper learning
• Supports integrative, reflective
learning
• Supports formative and
summative assessment
• Students thrive when faculty
collaborate to develop intentional,
coherent curricula
Why Use ePortfolios?
1.For students
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Track and document own growth and development
Integrate and apply learning
Develop capacities for reflection and metacognition
Increase engagement in learning
2.For faculty
• Track development of abilities over time
• Enable assessment of broader set of abilities and skills
• Provide richer, more contextualized information to guide
curriculum/program development and improvement
3.For programs and institutions
• Support academic and career advising
• Enable authentic and psychometrically rigorous assessment for
admissions, improvement and effectiveness, accreditation
Questions?
Thank You for Your Participation!
Debra Dunlap Runshe, Instructional Development Specialist
University Information Technology Services – Learning Technologies
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Information Technology and Communications Complex (IT 342H)
535 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Phone: 317-278-0589
Email: drunshe@iupui.edu
Resources
ALTEC at University of Kansas. RubiStar. Web site:
http://rubistar.4teachers.org
Association for Authentic, Experiential, and Evidence-Based Learning.
Web site: http://www.aaeebl.org/
Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2009, Winter).
Peer review: Emerging trends and key debates in undergraduate
education, 11 (1).
Association of American Colleges & Universities: VALUE Project. Web
site: http://www.aacu.org/value/
Banta, T. W. & S. J. Hamilton. (2007). Indiana University-Purdue
University Indianapolis: General education case study. In M. J.
Bresciani (Ed.). Assessing student learning in general education:
Good practice case studies. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Banta, T.W. (Ed.). (2003). Portfolio assessment: Uses, cases, scoring,
and impact. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Resources
Barrett, H. (2010.) Balancing the Two Faces of ePortfolios. Educação,
Formação & Tecnologias, 3(1), 6-14. [Online], Available online:
http://eft.educom.pt
Barrett, H. Web site: http://electronicportfolios.org
Buzzetto-More, N. A., & Alade, A. J. (2006) Best practices in eassessment. Journal of Information Technology Education.
5:251-269.
Cambridge, B., Cambridge, D. & Yancey, K. (Eds.). (2009). Electronic
portfolios 2.0: Emergent research on implementation and impact.
Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Cambridge, B. L., Kahn, S. ,Tompkins, D. P. & Yancey, K. B. (Eds.).
(2001). Electronic portfolios: Emerging practices in student, faculty,
and institutional learning. Washington, DC: American Association for
Higher Education.
Resources
Cambridge, D. (2010). E-portfolios for lifelong learning and
assessment. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Dodge, B., & Pickett, N. (2001). Rubrics for web lessons. Retrieved
10/23/2010 from http://webquest.sdsu.edu/rubrics/weblessons.htm
Lorenzo, G, & Ittelson, J. (2005b, October). Demonstrating and
assessing student learning with eportfolios. EduCause Learning
Initiative Paper 3: 2005.
Reazon System, Inc. iRubric. Web site:
http://www.rcampus.com/indexrubric.cfm
Reese, M., and R. Levy (2009). Assessing the future: E-portfolio trends,
uses, and options in higher education. (Research Bulletin, Issue 4).
EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research. Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/ecar
Resources
Reeves, T. C. (2000). Alternative assessment approaches for online
Learning environments in higher education. Journal of Educational
Computing Research, 23, 101-111.
Stevens, D. D. & Levi, A. J. (2005). Introduction to rubrics. Sterling, VA:
Stylus.
Thompson, P. (2011). The web design for professional portfolios series.
[Video files]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/user/PennyAtMSU?blend=21&ob=5.
Yancey, K. B. (2001). Digitized Student Portfolios. In Electronic
portfolios: emerging practices in student, faculty, and institutional
learning (pp. 15-30). Washington, D.C: American Association for
Higher Education.
. Zubizaretta, J. (2009). The learning portfolio: Reflective practice for
improving student learning (2nd ed.). Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing
Company, Inc.