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Reflections

Reflections. Implementing e-Portfolios in a KPC Cross-disciplinary Preparatory Cohort Program. KPC Pilot Project: Evaluating the Impact of E-Portfolios For a semester-long Student Success Cohort. ePortfolio Pilot Project Objectives

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Reflections

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  1. Reflections Implementing e-Portfolios in a KPC Cross-disciplinary Preparatory Cohort Program

  2. KPC Pilot Project:Evaluating the Impact of E-Portfolios For a semester-long Student Success Cohort • ePortfolio Pilot Project Objectives • To examine effectiveness of the ePortfolioas an assessment tool for a cross-curricular preparatory (student success-Smart Start) community • To assess potential links between the cross-curricular approach in the Smart Start Cohort ePortfolioto a possible AA degree e-portfolio

  3. KPC Pilot Project: Student Outcomes • Intended Smart Start Program Outcomes • Articulate educational and career goals • Take responsibility for their own learning • Apply effective reading and writing strategies for success in college • Modeled after Kodiak College Preparatory Studies • Assessment Measures • Indirect Methods--Measures of satisfaction and continuing interest (MAPWorks, Assessment Surveys) • Direct Methods--Quality of examples of assignments created, reflection

  4. E-Portfolio Development: Aspirational Goals • Hypotheses: • The ePortfoliowill allow students to integrate preparatory studies across courses and into the broader curriculum of the AA degree. (student outcome) • ePortfoliowill build confidence in the AA degree and in the students’ career choices and sense of empowerment in the educational process. (student outcome) • Reflecting on the ePortfolioand making connections between courses will promote student engagement, critical thinking, self assessment, and student retention. (student outcome) • The ePortfoliocan be used to assess student development from the beginning of coursework until AA Completion. (institutional outcome)

  5. Implementation • Four courses were involved in the pilot: • GUID A150 • PRPE A107 • PRPE A086/PRPE A108 • MATH A054/A055 • The ePortfolio effort was coordinated through regular meetings and ePortfolio scaffolding discussions • Created a shared ePortfolio structure, similar to institutions using degree ePortfolios (IUPUI, LaGuardia, SUNY) • Focused on life-wide, life-long learning with key areas in mind: About me, Life Goals, Service-learning, Academic Showcase, Portfolio Learning/Final Reflections • Focused on reflection as a tool for both formative and summative assessment

  6. Findings: The Importance of reflection • Grounded in theory (Cambridge, Cambridge, & Yancey, 2009; Chen & Light, 2010) • Coordinated reflection activities • Short time frame (15 weeks) • Categorizing Reflection/Rubrics • Engagement (results that go beyond what you are asking/creativity) • Connections (reflecting across disciplines creates a broad-view and could contribute to overall program retention) • Need for DEAL (Describe, Explain, Articulate Learning)

  7. Findings: Considering Faculty Involvement and Modeling • Faculty understanding of ePortfolios • Three faculty in specific disciplines; Math not involved • Some disciplines work naturally with ePortfolios • Integration or extra-curricular • Student-directed learning practices • Faculty practice with ePortfolios • Demonstrating personal ePortfolios to/with students • Shared understanding of platform • Technology problems • Access • Enhancing professional teaching and learning/best practices

  8. Findings: Usability of Digication • Ease of use • Multimedia, tab arrangement, lots of drop and drag, point and click, copy functions • Control of information • Student control and institutional control: not intuitive like other social media; gaining access for assessment; limited student collaboration capacities • Showcase abilities • Strength of this program; coherent, clear formatting • Cost • Relatively low; provides support from Digication; can be transferred to student • Longevity • Can be downloaded and saved if not purchased

  9. Snapshots

  10. About Me page in Digication

  11. Student Observations • Storage • “The cool thing is that it’s all organized in one spot.” • “It helps you put all your ideas together in a very convenient way.” • “It’s always going to be there.” • Showcase • “Creating a portfolio will allow me to be able to see my accomplishments.” • “You can really express who you are.” • “These things are very good for job interviews.” • Learning • It gives you the opportunity to assess your work.” • It is also a great way to keep track and show your academic progression.” • Portfolios allow us to expand our ideas and meet our goals .” • “As years pass by, you can also reflect on areas you have improved.”

  12. Findings: Clear benefits • Works well in a 15-week, coordinated Smart Start cohort • We have opted to keep e-portfolios as part of this program • Benefits for GUID A150 • Benefits for PRPE A107 • Changed textbook to fit with life-long learning model • Coordinated effort that fits into an e-portfolio framework • E-portfolios help shape the learning process for new students • E-portfolios shape the teaching process

  13. The Benefits • Alternate forms of expression, not simply text-based • Place to reflect on learning outside the class (discussed in literature, demonstrated in our pilot project) • Interdisciplinary approach in both teaching and learning

  14. Findings: The Challenges • Challenges for preparatory students • Class load • Technology for e-portfolios • Service-learning • Challenges in assessing preparatory students • Would need to teach more than text-based assessment • Who “teaches” e-portfolios? Works fairly well for Smart Start, but what about the AA?

  15. The challenges • Our original goal was to look at the possibility of e-portfolios for the AA degree at KPC • Needs institutional-wide buy-in • Culture of e-portfolio assessment • The broader it gets, the less specific perceived advantage from a student perspective • Needs to be a combination of top-down, bottom-up efforts • Well understood “purpose” • Complications of distance offerings from various campuses constituting a large portion of the AA • Learning curve for faculty, both full-time and adjuncts • Adjuncts teaching GERs, transitory nature of adjunct teaching and training

  16. The Challenges • Difficult to change mindset of faculty from an individual class setting and e-portfolio assignment to consider program-wide system that requires scaffolding • Especially for faculty already using portfolios in class-based contexts • Yet necessary components for each class that need to “fit” together • Individuals in disciplines mold and shape certain perspectives • In an AA degree you’d need an entity that helps shape learning in various areas • IUPUI—Student Services help orchestrate e-portfolio efforts • Institutional E-portfolios: How are they organized

  17. Recommendations • Institutionalization • Portfolio class in year 1 (first semester) and 2 (final semester), with trainings, optional seminar in between—then not all classes need to be teaching to the e-portfolio • Start with multimedia emphasis/training in mind • Connect with student experiences • Identify the audiences for both showcasing and evaluating ePortfolios • The more diverse the ePortfolio, the more learning may take place, but the less effective this may be for narrow assessment purposes

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