Category: Electronic Portfolios

At a meeting on Friday, October 8, 2004–the final meeting of the SOE E-Portfolio
Review Committee (PRC) of 2003-2004–I discovered that a new School of Education E-Portfolio
Committee would continue the work that the PRC had begun last year.

I feel that the decision to create a standing committee in the School is a
progressive and necessary move for responsible implementation of a new portfolio
system, particularly an electronic portfolio. However, I grow worried that many
of the initiatives of the PRC might be dropped or left unfinished or lost somehow
in the transition.

I wonder how it is best to share ideas on e-portfolios with my colleagues?
The issue can lead to strong or disinterested reactions. But I think most people
are concerned, since the system we use will have a profound effect on students
and faculty alike.

When we left for summer break, our committee had gone pretty far into fleshing
out a particular e-portfolio model. Our model was predicated on developing Web
literacy in students, providing students a means of control of content, growing
the portfolio artifacts out of course work, putting the responsibility of portfolio
development and maintenance on students, developing some "standards"
for documenting standards, and investigating/developing an assessment system
based on the "Baylor
model." When we left for summer vacation, I had sketched an end-of-year
agenda-brainstorm-type of list for our work to get to the next level. This was
just one-person’s take on the task ahead. But as I re-read it now, several months
later (it’s quoted, in blue, and may be read by clicking the “Read more” link below), I think
the issues might make for some good discussion.

Here’s hoping. Below I’ve pasted in the memo I wrote in May, as our committee
began to turn its attention to developing an "implementation plan":

Here’s what I wanted to suggest at today’s meeting: Maybe
we should form some sub-committees to work on various components of an implementation
plan?

Here are seven or so things I can think of that an implementation
plan might address:

1. Develop all the explanatory materials
   students will need. I think we need to develop written guides (in a printed
   and online handbook) that address the following areas:
   
   • Why are students required to develop E-Portfolios
     (possible answers: for "mirror,
     map, sonnet," student/institutional assessment, building programmatic
     coherence for students, technological fluency, reflection on growth, showcasing
     of learning, employment advantages, etc.)?
   • What is a standards-based portfolio (and perhaps
     how it is different from past portfolio models students may have heard
     about)?
   • What constitutes the meeting of an indicator?
   • How many indicators need to be met for each standard?
   • How do students find tech support?
   • How do students find online support?
   • What is a Conceptual Framework and why is it
     important (and what is our CF)?
   • From where will artifacts for the E-Portfolio
     come?
   • Why is the required E-Portfolio considered a
     "minimum threshold" document (additional requirements may come
     from the major, individual instructors in SOE or disciplinary courses,
     or students themselves)?
   • What are the acceptable (and encouraged) use
     policies for Web accounts (the primary use is to support the E-Portfolio;
     but an important use is to form a digital archive of materials that might
     be of use later; students need to be taught to SAVE EVERYTHING).
   • E-Portfolio as a Web site–what are the issues,
     concerns, resources, possibilities, limitations?

I would be happy to work on these documents this summer–preferably
with others, so the approach is comprehensive and balanced.

2. Develop a specific portfolio assessment
   strategy (what else besides having the artifacts assessed in
   the context of courses? Will the "Baylor
   model" assessment system be enough for tracking successful completion
   of the E-Portfolio?)
3. Should there be a specific "Conceptual
   Framework" assignment? (Who grades it? Advisor?) Should
   this assignment serve are the "Reflective Introduction" to the E-Portfolio?
   Should the CF assignment be a kind of "exit" assignment made in
   the POT course–to be assessed at a later time?
4. What do we need to do with faculty this summer and
   fall to build support for the new portfolio?
5. What is the Advisor’s role?
6. How can we develop a strategic plan for Getting
   the Word Out in Fall, 2004. (I think there are all kinds of
   inventive ways we might pilot and promote the new E-Portfolio.
7. Other practical details:
   
   • Set-up of the student support office
     (room, equipment, student workers, budget, etc.).
   • Recruitment of student tutors.
   • Software license permission
     to copy and distribute Netscape and SmartFTP.
   • Recruitment of faculty to teach
     POT 200/400.

In sum, there’s nothing really new here…but I’m beginning
to think we need to hit the ground a bit with the practical matters. I think
we need the summer, though….

So that’s where we were at the end of spring. We decided in May that we all
needed some time away from the intensities. So we stepped aside briefly; fall
came; and now the passing of the torch to the new committee. I wish the committee
all the best, but I do wish to share with them and others a concern that I would
be disingenuous not to mention. For I have heard rumors the the PRC’s
Web literacy model of e-portfolio may be replaced by a proprietary assessment
system–LiveText, in particular. I definitely think LiveText will bring some
advantages–but at a cost–a double cost to students. I think Helen Barrett
excellently articulates the financial costs, but she only indirectly suggests
the "literacy cost" that a "paste-in" or database-driven
system would have. But I think her review is well worth reading by all SOE faculty
who are contemplating using the system (click
here to read her review).

Anyway, I hope there might be some interested discussion in the SOE on this
topic, and I hope I might partake in some of that. If you who are reading this
entry wants to respond, you can do so by filling out the "Comment" form
directly below. Join on in….