Zen and the Art of Portfolio Maintenance:

Best Practices in Course Design for Supporting Long-lasting Portfolios

Spencer P. Greenhalgh, Joshua M. Rosenberg, Andrea Zellner, and Matthew J. Koehler

Michigan State University

Background

• capstone course for Master of Education and Master of Educational Technology

• digital portfolio as culminating experience

• collective experience: 3+ years, 10+ offerings

Portfolios

• Etymology

• Evolution

• Example

image courtesy of http://aaronblain.weebly.com/

Portfolios

• Etymology

• Evolution

• Example

image courtesy of http://angie4edtech.weebly.com/

Portfolios

• Etymology

• Evolution

• Example

image courtesy of http://rosinportfolio.weebly.com/

Portfolios

• Etymology

• Evolution

• Example

image courtesy of http:/http://angie4edtech.weebly.com//

Portfolios

• Etymology

• Evolution

• Example

image courtesy of http:/jessicamcvettie.wix.com/

Need

• portfolio as summative experience

• portfolio as place for ongoing development (Autrey et al., 2005; Evans & Powell, 2007; Wolf & Dietz, 1998)

• tech use portfolio use (Love, McKean, & Gathercoal, 2004; Evans & Powell, 2007)

Purpose

• best (pretty good) practices (Mishra, 2008)

PADLOCS1) Peer feedback

2) Authentic audience and assessment

3) Diverse resources

4) Learning by doing

5) Open access

6) Confidential spaces

7) Self-pacing

1) Peer feedback

• regular, structured feedback

• advantages of “critical friends” (Costa & Kallick, 1993; Reynolds, 2009)

• intended audience > instructors

• portfolios, writing, and authenticity (Love, McKean, & Gathercoal, 2004; Magnifico, 2010; Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989)

2) Authentic audience

3) Diverse resources• any and all appropriate media technologies

• values v. technologies (Veletsianos & Kimmons, 2012; Evans & Powell, 2007)

4) Learning by doing

• making portfolios > reading about portfolios

• doing = deeper learning (Koehler & Mishra, 2005)

5) Open access

• we want the wide-open Internet

• private v. public teaching (Evans & Powell, 2007; Wolf & Dietz, 1998)

6) Confidential spaces

• establish a closed space for discussion

• critical (but frustrating) friends (Costa & Kallick, 1993)

7) Self-pacing

• give feedback to people in same place

• pace: support, needs, and feedback (Wolf, 1991)

PADLOCS1) Peer Feedback

2) Authentic audience and assessment

3) Diverse resources

4) Learning by doing

5) Open access

6) Confidential spaces

7) Self-pacing

ConclusionA portfolio that “demonstrates who I am as a learner and an instructor, it has helped me to look back at my past and to look forward to my future.”

image courtesy of http://efeemster.wix.com/

ConclusionA portfolio that “demonstrates who I am as a learner and an instructor, it has helped me to look back at my past and to look forward to my future.”

image courtesy of http://efeemster.wix.com/

ConclusionA portfolio that “demonstrates who I am as a learner and an instructor, it has helped me to look back at my past and to look forward to my future.”

image courtesy of http://efeemster.wix.com/

Thank you!Spencer Greenhalgh

greenha6@msu.edu -- @spgreenhalgh

Joshua Rosenbergjrosen@msu.edu -- @jrosenberg6432

Andrea Zellnerzellnera@msu.edu -- @andreazellner

Matthew Koehlermkoehler@msu.edu -- @matthewkoehler