Post on 16-Jul-2020
Tunxis Community College
ePortfolio Project Evaluation Report submitted by Professor Laura M. Gambino
September 30, 2011
ePortfolio Project Background and Goals
Tunxis Community College, located in Farmington, Connecticut serves approximately
4,000 degree and certificate seeking students each year and “offers its students a quality, yet
affordable education in an accessible and supportive environment, fostering the skills necessary
to succeed in an increasingly complex world.” (“Mission and Vision,” TXCC website). In 2009,
Tunxis joined the LaGuardia Community College Making Connections Mini-Grant and Seminar
Program. Out of that participation, the Tunxis ePortfolio Project was designed.
The ePortfolio Project, first and foremost, addresses the College’s primary mission of
increasing student success, recognizing that ePortfolio technology can and should augment best
practices and pedagogy. Furthermore, the ePortfolio Project is an integral part of institutional
assessment, allowing faculty, staff, and administration to collaborate and share best practices in
teaching, learning, and assessment, while addressing the needs of our external constituents. In
terms of expanding and strengthening connections with the community, ePortfolio provides
program advisory boards the opportunity to participate in capstone assessment. Since portfolios
emphasize critical thinking, communication and reflection, this project engenders the
development of skills “necessary to succeed in an increasingly complex world.”
The ePortfolio Project work is centered on four primary goals:
Develop and implement a comprehensive ePortfolio system that will include the
following:
o Showcase student work in meeting course, program, and general education
abilities
o Showcase student work in meeting career objectives
Create a vibrant teaching and learning community using ePortfolio
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Design a comprehensive faculty development plan centered on ePortfolio
Use ePortfolio as the primary tool for institutional assessment
For each of these goals, specific outcomes were developed related to faculty
development, student support, technology, and assessment and evaluation (See Appendix
A). Areas of focus for the ePortfolio Project include Liberal Arts and Sciences, First Year
Experience, and career programs.
ePortfolio Project Implementation
Implementation of the ePortfolio Project began during the summer months prior to the
Fall 2009 semester. Tunxis successfully migrated to a new ePortfolio platform, Digication, and
approximately fifty faculty and staff members attended professional development workshops to
learn the new software.
In the fall, the ePortfolio Project leaders began their first faculty professional
development ePortfolio Seminar Series. Ten faculty members from a range of Liberal Arts and
Sciences disciplines attended the seminar. The goal was for each of them to incorporate the use
of ePortfolio into one or more of their courses. The seminar consisted of four, two-hour
workshops and introduced faculty to the pedagogy of ePortfolio, reflection, and assessment.
During the fall semester, ePortfolio was used in the Computer Information Systems,
Business Office Technology, Dental Hygiene, and Early Childhood Education Programs. In
addition, all full-time faculty members in developmental English courses and the First Year
Experience course integrated ePortfolio into the curriculum.
Additionally that semester, as part of student support, student technology mentors were
hired and trained to work in the ePortfolio lab and run introductory ePortfolio workshops for
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students. The lab was open 20 hours per week. Faculty members were able to schedule visits to
the lab for their classes; open training sessions and walk-in hours were scheduled as well.
During the spring semester, ePortfolio use continued to grow at the College. A second
professional development ePortfolio Seminar Series was held in conjunction with Tunxis’ Center
for Teaching. Eighteen faculty members volunteered to attend that seminar.
At the end of the Spring 2010 semester the Business and Technology Department held
their first capstone ePortfolio student showcase. On May 5, 2010, the Computer Information
Systems (CIS) and Business Office Technology (BOT) programs held a joint advisory board
meeting and ePortfolio showcase. Students from the CIS Coop Ed/Work Experience course and
the BOT Administrative Practicum shared their showcase and assessment ePortfolios with
advisory board members and members of the Tunxis management team. Two weeks later, the
Dental Hygiene program held a similar event with their students. Both showcases provided the
opportunity for advisory board members, faculty, and Tunxis administration to observe how
students use ePortfolios to demonstrate program and general education outcomes.
During the 2010-2011 academic year, use of ePortfolio at Tunxis continued to grow. The
Business Administration program began using ePortfolio as part of its capstone course and held a
capstone showcase. A third cohort of ten faculty participated in the ePortfolio seminar series. A
new faculty professional development workshop was developed, ePortfolio: Continuing
Conversations. These workshops were designed for experienced ePortfolio faculty. Each
semester, two, two-hour workshops were offered focusing on topics such as reflection,
assessment, and ePortfolio pedagogy. The ePortfolio lab expanded its hours to thirty per week
with three student technology mentors. All First Year Experience faculty members, full-time
and adjunct, integrated ePortfolio into their courses. Tunxis also began investigating the use of
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ePortfolio for advising and transfer of Liberal Arts and Sciences and General Studies students.
In the spring, ePortfolio capstone student showcases were held in Computer Information
Systems, Business Administration, Business Office Technology, and Dental Hygiene. The Early
Childhood Education program used information from student ePortfolios as part of the NAEYC
accreditation process. The ePortfolio Project also sponsored its first college-wide student
ePortfolio competition and showcase featuring first year, Liberal Arts and Sciences and career
program ePortfolio students. The showcase was attended by approximately forty faculty and
staff.
ePortfolio Project Evaluation Plan
Several evaluation tools and data collection methods were used to evaluate the impact of
ePortfolio on faculty. Faculty who participated in the initial Digication summer training were
surveyed regarding the software and its applicability to classroom use. Faculty in the ePortfolio
Seminar Series were asked to complete a reflection narrative at the conclusion of the seminar
discussing their seminar experience. Data related to faculty use of ePortfolio in courses and
sections was collected each semester.
An ePortfolio student survey was created and administered each semester of the 2009-
2010 academic year. This survey focused on students’ initial impressions of the ePortfolio. A
capstone student survey was designed and administered to students enrolled in program capstone
courses during the Spring 2010, Fall 2010, and Spring 2011 semesters. This survey focused on
both the value of the ePortfolio as a learning and showcase tool, and on the students’ awareness
of the integration of knowledge both within courses in the major and general education courses
across a program’s curriculum. An advisory board survey was developed and used after each
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program student showcase event during those same semesters to assess the value of ePortfolio as
a tool for demonstration of knowledge and its use for employment or transfer.
Student success (C- or better) and retention (semester-to-semester) data was collected
each semester in developmental English courses, comparing ePortfolio and non-ePortfolio
sections. College-wide retention rates were examined in fall 2010, based on the number of
ePortfolio sections a student was enrolled in during the previous spring 2010 semester. In
addition, coordinators for each program provided data on the number of capstone students using
ePortfolio to successfully demonstrate program and general education outcomes.
Lastly, a continual increase each semester in the number of student ePortfolios, faculty
participation in ePortfolio seminars, and an increase in the number of courses and sections using
ePortfolio would serve as evidence of project success.
Tunxis ePortfolio Project Evaluation Plan
Goal Measure
1A. Create a vibrant teaching and learning
community using ePortfolio
1B. Design a comprehensive faculty
development plan centered on ePortfolio
Faculty Training Survey
Number of faculty using ePortfolio in
courses
Number of faculty who participate in the
ePortfolio Seminar Series
Number of faculty who participate in the
ePortfolio Continuing Conversations series
Faculty reflection narratives
2A. Student engagement with ePortfolio
2B. Increased student understanding of
ePortfolio
2C. Student awareness of integration of
knowledge within a degree program
ePortfolio student survey (2009-2010)
Capstone student survey (2009-2011)
Number of student ePortfolios created
3. Increased student success and retention Comparison of success (C- or better) rates
in ePortfolio/non-ePortfolio sections in
developmental English
Retention rate comparison in
developmental English
College-wide retention rates based on
number of ePortfolio courses
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Tunxis ePortfolio Project Evaluation Plan
Goal Measure
4. Effective use of ePortfolio for assessment Percentage of students using ePortfolio to
demonstrate program outcomes
Percentage of students using ePortfolio to
demonstrate general education outcomes
ePortfolio use in program accreditation and
review process
Advisory Board Survey
ePortfolio Project Evaluation Evidence and Analysis
Goal 1A and 1B: Faculty and staff participated in a 4-hour introductory workshop during
the summer of 2009 to learn Digication, Tunxis’ new ePortfolio software platform. Both faculty
and staff surveyed at the conclusion of the training. Twenty-one percent surveyed said they
would use ePortfolio in all their fall courses and fifty-one percent of those surveyed said they
would use ePortfolio in selected courses. Forty percent said they would use ePortfolio as a way
to demonstrate general education abilities and forty-six percent would use ePortfolio to
demonstrate program abilities. It should be noted that these numbers were most likely lowered
by the inclusion of non-teaching staff in the survey.
During the Fall 2009 semester, ten full-time faculty members voluntarily participated in
the first ePortfolio Seminar Series. This workshop series consisted of four, 2-hour sessions with
an intense ePortfolio pedagogical focus. Eighty-percent of these faculty members successfully
integrated ePortfolio into one or more of their courses during the Fall 2009 semester. A second
cohort of eighteen full-time and adjunct faculty signed up to participate in a similar series during
the spring 2010 semester. Eighty-three percent of this second cohort integrated ePortfolio into
their courses during either the spring 2010 or fall 2010 semester. A third cohort of twelve
faculty participated in the fall 2010 seminar series. In this group, six of the participants were
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newly-hired faculty who were required to attend the seminar. Seventy-percent of this cohort
integrated ePortfolio into their courses during the 2010-2011 school year.
Beginning in the Fall 2010 semester, the ePortfolio: Continuing Conversations
workshops were held twice a semester, for experienced ePortfolio faculty. Attendance was
voluntary; faculty could attend one session, or all four sessions as their schedules permitted. On
average, fifteen faculty members attended each workshop.
Faculty participants were asked to complete reflection narratives at the conclusion of the
ePortfolio Seminar Series. The ePortfolio: Continuing Conversations attendees were asked to
provide qualitative feedback at the end of each workshop. Faculty comments in these reflections
and feedback suggest that the professional development workshops are valuable teaching and
learning activities. For example:
“In January, I knew nothing about ePortfolio and online assessment. Today, I feel
more comfortable with the tools and how to apply them in the class.”
“I was intimidated by the new medium, but once I sat in front of a computer and
started noodling around the site I became more comfortable. I found that I need
individual attention at times, so Marguerite, Sally, and Laura were all
instrumental in guiding me through my learning of ePortfolios.”
“Continue to have these ePortfolio Conversations workshops. We need to talk
more about reflection.”
“The time spent working with other faculty on assignments is really valuable.”
Faculty use of ePortfolios in courses continues to grow each semester. Currently sixty-
five faculty members (full-time and adjunct) currently teach courses with an ePortfolio
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component. Sixty distinct courses and 110 sections used ePortfolio during the 2010-2011
academic year. One hundred thirty-six distinct faculty and staff ePortfolios exist in Digication.
Goal 2: A student survey was given to students enrolled in courses using ePortfolio
during the first year of the project. Survey results suggest that students’ knowledge of
ePortfolios increased and that students saw the ePortfolio as helpful to them during their
education. Eighty-nine percent of students indicated they will maintain their ePortfolio in the
upcoming semesters and fifty-nine percent said they would use an ePortfolio to showcase their
work. These results indicate that students see the value of ePortfolio as a tool for learning and
showcase. Only twenty-eight percent of students said they would use their ePortfolio to
demonstrate general education and/or program abilities. Additional work needs to be done to
emphasize the value of using ePortfolio to meet these objectives when students are first
introduced to the ePortfolio.
Capstone student survey results also support the value of ePortfolios for students. Seven
capstone courses in programs that use ePortfolio as both a learning and assessment tool and a
showcase tool administered the survey over three semesters. Cumulative results (n=79) indicate
that students have an understanding of integrative learning as related to both courses in their
program and real-world experiences. Ninety-nine percent agreed or strongly agreed that they
“understand how classes relate to their major.” Ninety-five percent agreed or strongly agreed
that they “understand how classes fit together.” Ninety-six percent of students agreed or strongly
agreed that they “use accumulated knowledge in current coursework.” Ninety-seven percent “see
meaningful connections between coursework and real-world experiences.”
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Additionally, 83% of capstone students surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that
“ePortfolio will be a valuable tool for transfer/job opportunities” and 86% agreed or strongly
agreed that “ePortfolio is a good way to showcase achievements/growth.”
During the past two years 3,064 distinct students have created ePortfolios in Digication.
One hundred sixty-eight students created “complete” or capstone showcase and/or assessment
ePortfolios during that same time period.
Goal 3: The Office of Institutional Research compiled student success and retention data
in developmental English. Student success is defined as achieving a C-(70%) or better in a
course. Retention is defined as re-enrollment at the College from one semester to the next.
Using data from the spring and fall 2010 semesters, an increase in student success rates was seen
in ePortfolio sections as compared to non-ePortfolio sections in all developmental English
courses. Students (n=422) in ENG*065 Integrated Reading/Writing I, had a success rate of
66.85% if enrolled in an ePortfolio section as compared to 63.9% in non-ePortfolio sections.
Students (n=582) enrolled in ENG*075 Integrated Reading/Writing II, had a success rate of
65.38% in ePortfolio sections as compared to 61.27% in non-ePortfolio section. Students
(n=366) enrolled in ENG*093 Introduction to College Reading and Writing, had a success rate
of 61.22% in ePortfolio sections as compared to 58.58% in non-ePortfolio sections.
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Additionally, the cumulative retention rate from Fall 2010 to Spring 2011 for students
enrolled in developmental English (ENG*065, ENG*075, ENG*093) courses was 78.1% in
ePortfolio sections as compared to 72.3% in non-ePortfolio sections.
The Office of Institutional Research also examined the retention rates of students college-
wide. Retention rates from the spring 2010 to fall 2010 semesters were calculated based on the
number of ePortfolio courses a student was enrolled in during the spring 2010 semester.
70.00%
72.00%
74.00%
76.00%
78.00%
80.00%
ePortfolio Sections non-ePortfolio Sections
Fall 2010-Spring 2011 Retention Rate Developmental English Students
Retention Rate
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Students enrolled in no ePortfolio courses had a spring to fall retention rate of 52.7%. Students
in one ePortfolio course had a retention rate of 60.9%. Students in two ePortfolio courses had a
retention rate of 66.2%. Students in three ePortfolio courses had a retention rate of 71.4%, and
students in four ePortfolio courses had a retention rate of 66.7%.
Goal 4: In degree programs that use ePortfolio in their courses, program coordinators
were asked to track the number of students who successfully used the ePortfolio to demonstrate
achievement of program outcomes and general education outcomes in the capstone course in the
program. Ninety-nine percent of students (n=170) successfully used the ePortfolio to
demonstrate achievement of program outcomes. Ninety-nine percent also used the ePortfolio to
demonstrate achievement of general education outcomes.
During the past two years, student ePortfolios were used as part of the Dental Hygiene
accreditation process for the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Early Childhood
Education program used ePortfolio information as part of its NAEYC accreditation process. The
Business Administration program will be including information from student ePortfolios as part
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of the accreditation process for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
This past spring, the use of ePortfolio was highlighted by the Computer Information Systems
Program Review Team in their evaluation report as a valuable component of the CIS program,
noting the “extent to which the CIS program (and Tunxis in general) uses ePortfolio and
Digication for the purposes of:
Providing a means for students to track their own academic progress and acquire a
sense of accomplishment.
Providing a means for faculty to assess how well students are achieving course
and program outcomes.
Providing a means for students to collect their work in a format which can be
showcased to employers.” (CIS Program Review, 2011)
In a survey given to program advisory board members (n=25) after each capstone student
showcase, 96% strongly agreed or agreed that “ePortfolio is an effective tool to demonstrate
student learning” and that “ePortfolio is an effective tool for students to showcase their work to
potential employers or four-year schools,” 84% agreed or strongly agreed that “ePortfolio is an
effective tool for programmatic assessment.” Additionally, when surveyed on student
assessment and outcomes achievement, 91.7% agreed or strongly agreed that “students
successfully demonstrated achievement of selected program abilities” and 84% agreed or
strongly agreed that “students successfully demonstrated achievement of selected general
education abilities.”
Conclusion
As a result of the ePortfolio Project, which grew out of Tunxis’ participation in the
Making Connections Mini-Grant and Seminar Program, ePortfolio pedagogy is a successful
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teaching, learning and assessment practice at Tunxis Community College. EPortfolios are a
valuable tool for students to integrate knowledge, demonstrate learning, and showcase their work
for transfer or employment. Evidence gathered to date clearly shows that ePortfolio has a
positive impact on students and their success at Tunxis Community College. There is an
increase in both student success and retention rates in developmental English. There is also an
increase in retention rates for students enrolled in ePortfolio courses. Student survey evidence
suggests that students themselves see the value in using and maintaining their ePortfolios.
The current level of participation in professional development activities and sustained
interest in faculty professional development work centered on ePortfolio indicates the value of
creating an ePortfolio-based teaching and learning community. The number of faculty members
using ePortfolio in their teaching, and the number of faculty who have created their own
ePortfolio also indicates the success of these faculty development efforts.
Capstone students in ePortfolio-based programs are able to use ePortfolio to demonstrate
achievement of program and general education outcomes. They also use ePortfolio to showcase
their work for career and/or transfer opportunities. EPortfolio work has been used successfully
in the accreditation and program review process as well. The benefit of using ePortfolio as a
student assessment tool and as an institutional assessment tool is evident. This evidence suggests
that Tunxis needs to continue with its efforts to use ePortfolio as the primary assessment tool at
the College.
Tunxis Community College
ePortfolio Project Evaluation Report submitted by Professor Laura M. Gambino
September 30, 2011
Appendix A
ePortfolio Project Timeline
Goal Tasks Person(s) Responsible
Measurable Outcome Completion Date
Faculty Development Introduce new ePortfolio platform to Mini-Grant participants from LAS, Department Chairs
Digication Training Gambino Digication staff
Completion of 4 hour training and pre and post training survey
Summer 2009
Existing ePortfolio users (full-time and adjunct) in CIS, BOT, DH, ECE, Tech/Eng migrate to new platform
Digication Training
Gambino Digication staff
Completion of 4 hour training and post training survey
Summer 2009
Meet with faculty to discuss migration implications
Program Coordinators and Gambino
Faculty feedback regarding migration issues
Summer 2009
Coordinate ePortfolio professional development for Mini-Grant participants
Coordinate and schedule 4 2-hour sessions
Yawin, Terrell, Gambino, ePortfolio faculty and students
Feedback via survey from participants Fall 2009
Plan LGCC visit for targeted training
Yawin, Terrell, Gambino
Feedback from participants Fall 2009
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Create a long-term faculty development plan for ePortfolio Project
Meet with Center for Teaching (CFT) and Academic Assessment Planner to outline and brainstorm
Dwyer, Cassidy, Terrell, Yawin, Gambino
Outline of faculty development plan December 2009
Identification of second LAS cohort
Gambino, Terrell, Yawin
10 LAS faculty identified Fall 2009
Plan and conduct an ePortfolio professional day for faculty and staff
Rooke, Dwyer, Gambino, Terrell, Yawin, Mini-Grant Participants
Completed survey
Spring 2010
Introduce new cohort of Program Coordinators (DARC, HS, CJ, FA, VFA, BA)
Schedule training sessions for use of ePortfolio as program assessment tool
Gambino, Carbone, Bencivengo
Feedback Spring 2010
Facilitate implementation planning for PCs
Gambino, Rooke Completed implementation plan for program
September 2010
Student Support Formalize plan for mentoring program for ePortfolio students
Recruit lab workers MIT, Gambino Hiring of 3-4 student lab workers September 2009
Design and implement technology training for lab workers
MIT, Gambino Completed training plan, feedback via various ePortfolio faculty and student surveys
December 2009
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Design and implement leadership/facilitation training for lab workers
? Completed training plan, feedback via various ePortfolio faculty and student surveys
December 2009
Technology Maximize technological resources to implement ePortfolio project
Develop ePortfolio website 1.0
Student lab workers, Revillini, existing ePortfolio users
Launch completed website May 2010
Develop ePortfolio tutorials 1.0
Student lab workers Launch completed tutorials May 2010
Assessment and Evaluation Develop a comprehensive set of assessment tools to measure ePortfolio project
Design one survey instrument for each component of the project
Dwyer, England
Initial survey instruments completed Broader- scale survey instruments completed
Summer 2009 Spring 2010
Add ePortfolio questions to existing survey instruments (SASE, CCSSE)
Dwyer, England Survey updated
Fall 2009
Gather baseline data and set benchmarks for future assessment
Dwyer, England Completed report Fall 2009
Other Maximize financial resource opportunities to implement ePortfolio project
Pursue grant opportunities
Gambino, Rooke, ? Acquisition of funding Spring 2010
Develop a set of ePortfolio entry points for students
Work with DC/PCs to identify appropriate entry points
Gambino Set of designated ePortfolio classes Spring 2010
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Research 3 credit/4 contact hour issue
Rooke, Gambino Response from system office regarding feasibility
Fall 2009
Showcase student work to internal and external stakeholders
Design an event (or multiple events) to showcase student work
Gambino and other PCs
Stakeholder survey Spring 2010