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=ePortfolio - Day of Dialogue=

(Feb. 25, 2009, San Francisco State University)
The day began with two orientation sessions from which one could select the introductory or intermediate/advanced perspectives. Paul and I attended the inter./adv. session where an overview of using eportfolios in various capacities was presented.

[|ePortfolios Intermediate/Advanced]
(J. Ittleson, CSUMB, K. Kelly, SFSU)
 * How does personal identity relate to the institution. Portfolios can be key to establishing a univ. or individual identity.
 * Student to institutional portfolios (WASC)
 * Positive perspective - portfolios provide authentic assessment, rich feedback
 * Negative - not seamless, no transfer between institutions
 * How do we align course objectives to institutional goals? One can map department objectives to institutional goals.
 * Small scale efforts can influence larger ones within an organization. Begin small!

The remainder of the day was broken into three concurrent tracks - **Assessment**, **Teaching and Learning**, and **Workforce/Professional Development**. Paul and I attended a variety of sessions throughout the day. The following are highlights.

[|Teaching and Learning Panel]:
How can we use ePortfolios to help students reflect upon and improve their learning? (H. Chen, Stanford Univ., G. Johnson, Penn State Univ., D. Cambridge, George Mason Univ. )
 * Digital artifacts can be evidence of learning and presented as a conversation.
 * How do we manage scaling portfolios? Too much feedback? Rubrics?
 * Portfolios can form habits of thinking. ([|Habits of Minds, St. Olaf College])
 * Emphasis should be on a learning perspective.
 * Penn State uses customized blog software to create their portfolios -[|"The Blogs at Penn State"]
 * Each major entry in the blog is "tagged" for the ability to easily search for key words.
 * Tags can be aggregated for university assessment (WASC) purposes.
 * Many tools can be used to create eportfolios, examples: [|Weebly], [|Google Site Creator]

Break Out Dialog Session - "Getting Institutional Buy-In"

 * [|La Guardia CC] and [|Portland State Univ] are known for their successful university-wide eportfolio implementations.
 * [|L.G.] mixed their implementation strategy of early adopters (hot spots of pedagogical change, capstone courses, and tagged on to them). Started small and built on success. Created a culture of professional development.
 * Hired eportfolio consultants (high performing students) trained to help faculty get started. The key is to provide lots of support.
 * ePort. consultants paired with classes guiding in the technology and the reflective pieces, as well. Some students received units and some were paid providing them a professional role for their resume. (50 Student Technology Mentors, 15-20 ePortfolio consultants). Make sure support strategies for faculty are considered.
 * ePortfolios tap into all corners of the university, i.e. Writing across the Curriculum, capstone courses, Univ 100
 * Have students speak about their eportfolio experiences and the "why" is powerful showcases.
 * ePortfolios have to work for students and faculty. Encourage faculty and student portfolios.
 * [|Florida State Univ]. another heavy user of portfolios with corporate sponsorship.
 * Data collected (over a period of time) can indicate the impact on student learning outcomes. Data can be tied to pass rates, retention, Sessy, and Nessy (sp?).
 * ePortfolios can fit into funding initiatives and adapt for institutional change.

[|Assessment]
From the Summit to the Grasslands: Mapping National and Institutional Strategic Planning Goals to Student Artifacts through ePortfolio Assessment. (M. Beers, L. Buckley, G. Evans, SFSU)
 * SFSU outlined their stragegic plan for eportfolios. Excellent presentation on aligning course objectives with the department, the colleges and the institution's objectives.
 * [|They referred to the AAC&U's Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP)] – [|four outcomes.]
 * SFSU task force for general education developed six baccalaureate learning goals. These goals w/objectives are attached to their outcomes.
 * How do SFSU's goals map to LEAP? The CSU has expectations built around the LEAP goals, so the CSU has developed the linkage to the goals. Their general education outcomes are defined with LEAP in mind.
 * Each of these goals maps to learning outcomes – LEAP outcomes. So there is an alignment between all these areas.
 * Portfolio is a tool and teaching methodology. [|ePortfolio.sfsu.edu]
 * Academic, professional, lived experience = eportfolio environment.
 * Knowledge representation in non-traditional forms.
 * [|AAC&U] – call for students to become intentional learners.
 * Artifacts demonstrate meeting course, program, institution, CSU and national outcomes.
 * Instructor and student portfolios are effective.

**Quick Reflection:**

 * A future OAT/ITSS project could be to explore how a university program i.e. UNIV100 could implement eportfolios to be aligned with the university or LEAP outcomes or both.