Introduction to Electronic Portfolios.

CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING & LEARNING,

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

Overview:

The fundamental features of electronic portfolios;

Four basic processes for the creation of an electronic portfolio;

Example: The “Leadership Portfolio” as part of your learning portfolio;

Advantages of a learning portfolio; Interactive electronic portfolios: A new medium

for learning portfolios. Bibliography: Electronic portfolios.

Two Approaches to Portfolio Creation -

Portfolios for Self-Evaluation & Development:

• The Learning Portfolio (all educators)• The Leadership Portfolio (graduate students)• The Teaching Portfolio (instructors)

The Professional Portfolio (The “job market”)

Fundamental Feature of the Learning Portfolio Created for Self-Evaluation -

A fundamental feature of the (self-evaluative) learning portfolio is the intentional focus on leadership & assessment:

• the deliberate & systematic attention is given not only to

leadership experience & research skills, but also;

• to the learner’s self-reflective, meta-cognitive appraisal of how, &

more importantly, why learning, leadership & research are being perfected.

What is Meta-cognition? Awareness of a learner’s own thought processes:

• Conscious self-awareness;• Knowledge & understanding of one’s intellectual approaches &

strategies used in learning & leadership.

Awareness of how other learners’ approaches may differ.

Level of insight that allows learners to give themselves feedback = Dialogic reflection

Hughes, H. Woodrow Dialogic Reflection: A New Face on an Old Pedagogyhttp://gsep.pepperdine.edu/~whughes/Journaling.html

MacLellan, Effie (1999). “Reflective Commentaries: What do they say about learning?” Educational Action Research, Volume 7(3): 433-449. [pdf on CET web]

Metacognition: Implications.

A highly personal process.

Involves reflective judgment & informed choices.

Focuses on the uniqueness of each individual.

Fosters individual’s ownership of his or her own learning & career development.

Benefits of Dialogic Reflection -

Increased understanding of:• How you learn & what are your learning outcomes;• What you have (& have not ) mastered;• What do you value?• Role in learning how to articulate in writing one’s thoughts &

ideas.• How others view your work.

Enhanced ability to make connections:• Among courses taken in the context of leading “without

boundaries.”• Among research experiences & research collaborations.

Increased sense of learning over time.

Sample Reflections - When one basic goal is improvement over time,

consider:• Documentation of steps (analogous to keeping a log

for lab research)• Commentaries (as for solutions to math problems)• Evolution of a leadership role, of a speech, or of a

presentation.• “Synthesis History” of one’s career.

Johnson, Bill (1996), The Performance Assessment Handbook, Vol. 1. Princeton: Eye on Education.

Four Basic Processes for the Creation of a Learning Portfolio -

Collection: A relatively short collection of materials that summarizes & highlights an individual’s activities as a leader & researcher.

Selection: Why are you creating the portfolio? Who is reading it, & why?

Reflection: Thinking critically about your total learning, leading & research experiences.

Connections: Making personally meaningful connections between -

• Your leadership roles, • Your field of research, its body of knowledge & its applications,• Your service & community experiences.

Goals of a Learning Portfolio -

Demonstrate breadth of learning, leading & research:

Range of achievements. Collecting & connecting your various accomplishments; a creative representation of your work & of you.

Evaluate achievement of intended outcomes:

Opportunity to showcase your accomplishments; your best work.

Reflect on & assess personal educational experiences:

Representative pieces; written reflections. To make connections between where you were, where you are & where you want to be

Illustrate your learning process:

Multiple drafts -- a process. To document leading & research as it evolved over time.

Share one’s expertise: Legacy of best practices in both Leading & research.

Example: The “Leadership Portfolio” as Part of your Learning Portfolio:

Why a Learninging Portfolio?

To serve as supporting materials (documented evidence, specific data) of one’s effectiveness as a leader.

To document one’s leadership roles as they evolved over time.

To obtain feedback & to share one’s expertise. (mentoring, legacy of best practices)

Seven Steps for the Creation of a Leading Portfolio -

1. Summarize leading responsibilities: Positions held, whether they are K-12 or higher

education; emergent or titular. Leadership-related activities (e.g., serving as an advisor

to student organizations, mentoring individual teachers, administrators or staff).

2. Describe your approach to leading: Reflective statement about leadership strategies,

methodologies & objectives [“Leadership Philosophy Statement”].

• The most effective reflective statements provide detailed examples of leadership practices which show how the learner’s leadership methods fit his or her aims & the context of the role.

Seven Steps for the Creation of a Learning Portfolio II -

3. Select items for the portfolio: Items which are most applicable to the learner’s leadership

responsibilities & approach to mentoring/facilitating human interaction;

Choice of items should also reflect the learner’s personal preferences, style of facilitating, academic research interests & particular roles performed.

4. Prepare statements on each item Statements on activities, initiatives & accomplishments on

each item• Do the descriptions of leadership roles coalesce around a specific

theme about your style; have you participated in programs, colloquia, or seminars designed to improve leading? Do you have a variety of measures of your leadership effectiveness? Back-up documentation & appendices are referenced as appropriate.

Seven Steps for the Creation of a Learning Portfolio III -

5. Arrange the items in order: The sequence of the accomplishments in each area is

determined by their intended use (e.g., to demonstrate leadership growth: entries that reflect that goal should be stressed -- such as participation in seminars & workshops designed to enhance leadership performance).

6. Compile the supporting data: Evidence supporting all items mentioned in the portfolio: e.g.,

original evaluations of leadership, samples of research work, invitations to contribute articles on research &/or leading in one’s areas of responsibility, colleagues’ evaluations.

• Such evidence is not part of the portfolio but is back-up material placed in the appendix or made available upon request.

Seven Steps for the Creation of a Learning Portfolio IV -

7. Incorporate the portfolio into your professional vitae:Although the portfolio may stand as a separate

document [e.g., placed on a DVD or filed electronically], a learner may choose to insert it into his/her professional vitae under the heading of “leadership”.

• The intent is to provide a formal record of leadership accomplishments so they can be accorded their proper weight along with other aspects of one’s professional role(s).

Contents of a Learning Portfolio: Research.

Table of Contents for Research Section:

1. Statement of Research Philosophy;

2. Research Methods, Strategies, Objectives;

3. Accomplishments in quantitative &/or qualitative research;

4. Significant outcomes of collaborative or inter-disciplinary research;

5. Research awards & recognition, if any;

6. Research Goals: Short-Term & Long-Term;

7. Appendices.

A Document that Evolves Over Time -

Remember: The portfolio is a living collection of documents & materials which will change over time:New items are added, others are removed.

Once each year, when the research & service section of the professional vitae is updated, the same is done for the portfolio’s leading & research sections.

Features of Portfolio Formats -

Limitations of Physical Portfolios (paper or CD) • Logistic challenges (space & time).

Advantages of Electronic Portfolios:• Information in multi-media. (text, graphics, animation;

sound, video)• Hypertext environment: e.g., menus, hyperlinks,

searchable information;• Non-linear thinking & “deep” organization.• Asynchronous access for others (for feedback &

collaboration)

Advantages of a Learning Portfolio - The Section on Leading:

• Provides the stimulus & structure for self-reflection about areas of leading (including those needing improvement)

o Concentrates on reflective analysis, action planning & assessment of personal growth.

o Provides evaluators with hard-to-ignore information on what a learner does & why he/she does it.

The Section on Research:• Provides the stimulus & structure for self-reflection about areas of

research that may lead to inter-disciplinary collaboration.• Provides colleagues with the opportunity to contribute to the portfolio’s

creation through feedback & file exchanges.

Excerpts of Portfolio can be used in successful grant applications.

Used as credentials for those seeking upward mobility.

Interactive Electronic Portfolios: A New

Approach for Leadership Portfolios.

Barrett, Helen (Univ. of Alaska, Anchorage)• Using Technology to Support Alternative Assessment &

Electronic Portfolios• http://transition.alaska.edu/www/portfolios.html

• Create Your Own Electronic Portfolios• http://www.electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/iste2k.html

Martin Kimeldorf’s Portfolio Libraryhttp://amby.com/kimeldorf/portfolio/

Mable Kinzie (An informal approach to the learning portfolio)http://kinzie.edschool.virginia.edu/

Bibliography: Electronic Portfolios• Barrett, Helen C. (2004) . “Electronic Portfolios as Digital Stories of Deep

Learning -- Emerging Digital Tools to Support Reflection in Learner-Centered Portfolios

http://electronicportfolios.org/digistory/epstory.html

• Greenberg, Gary (2004). “The Digital Convergence: Extending the Portfolio Model,” Educause Review, July-August.

http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/erm04/erm0441.asp

• Jafari, Ali (2004). “The "Sticky" ePortfolio System: Tackling Challenges and Identifying Attributes,” Educause Review July-August 2004.

http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/erm04/erm0442.asp

• Love, Douglas, Gerry McKean, and Paul Gathercoal (2004). “Portfolios to Webfolios and Beyond: Levels of Maturation,” Educause Quarterly Vol. 27(2). 2004.

(Descriptions of developmental stages offer institutions guidance about their place in the process and how to move to the next level)

http://www.educause.edu/pub/eq/eqm04/eqm0423.asp

Bibliography: Electronic Portfolios II:

• Seldin, Peter (1997). The Teaching Portfolio. Bolton, MA: Anker.

• Tomorrow's Professor Msg.#567 Answers to Common Questions about the Teaching Portfolio.

http://ctl.stanford.edu/Tomprof/postings/567.html

• Tomorrow's Professor Msg.#568 Electronic Learning Portfolios http://ctl.stanford.edu/Tomprof/postings/568.html

• Zubizaretta John, (2004). The Learning Portfolio. Bolton, MA: Anker.