Teaching portfolio

1
Teaching portfolio

• University teacher training course, Aalborg
  2007-09
• Lone Krogh

2
Teaching portfolio
3
The word portfolio

• Portefølje
• French portefeuille
• Porter (latin portare)
• feuille a piece of paper (Latin Folium)
• A portfolio is a collection of documents

4
Different types og portfolios

• Teaching portfolio
• Learning portfolio
• Assessment portfolio
• (Private portfolio - Public portfolio)
• Teaching portfolio as transfer of credits in the
  scientific career system

5
A teaching portfolio?

• Its a collection of materials documenting
  your strenghts and accomplishments as a
  teacherThe portfolio is to teaching what lists
  of publications, grants and honors are to
  research and scholarship As such a teaching
  portfolio is an important asset while you are on
  the job market. But more importantly, the
  teaching portfolio is an invaluable tool for
  on-going professional self-development.
• (Peter Seldin in materials from Stanford
  University, Standford CA, Center for Teaching and
  Learning)

6
The Teaching portfolio (continued)

• .a portfolio is a growing changing creation, a
  well indexed collection of ressources, a database
  that links claims to achievements with a store of
  evidence. (Baume D. 2001)

7
How is it used generally?

• A tool for supporting the reflection,
  development and documenation of a
  qualificationprocess
• A tool for evaluation
• For many years used by designers, architects and
  artists
• At universities abroad and in DK it is used more
  and more as an officiel documentation of
  teaching-qualifications

8
The portfolio methology represents

• New understandings of teaching and learning
  (learning as construction and NUZO (i.e. the zone
  of proximal development))
• Collection and current evaluation of and
  reflection on teaching and learning (the
  reflective practitioner)
• Modern evaluation- and assessment forms
• A new way to present ones abilities, products and
  development as a professional practitioner
  (artists and architects).
• The physical appearance can be a computer file or
  an internet library/folder, containing the
  documents.

9
Model and working processes
10
Suggestions for the reflection process
11
Operationel definition of Teaching philosophy

• A teaching philosophy statement is a systematic
  and critical rationale that focuses on the
  important components, defining effective teaching
  and learning in a particular discipline and
  institutional context (Schönwetter D.J. et al
  2002)

12
A teaching philosophy statement

• Is systematic, connecting the writers thoughts
  on teaching and learning in a logical fashion.
• Its a complex process of gathering,
  assimilating, analysing, reflecting upon,
  evaluating - and adapting thoughts on effective
  teaching and learning
• Its centre is a critical rationale a
  destinctive set of aims, values, beliefs and
  convictions, that provide an organizing vision of
  the teachers direction and a rationale towards
  which his or her efforts are geared.
• Must have different theoretical perspectives on
  teaching and students learning, including
  personal teaching competences- and style,
  teaching mehods, content structure, institutional
  context, students learning styles and assessment.
• Needs to be sensitive to contextual factors such
  as the particular discipline in which the
  teaching and learning takes place and the
  organizational necessities, students
  experiences/motivation and political climates,
  that characterize the institution. (Schönwetter
  D.J. et al 2002)

13
The theory and practice of teaching and
learning Didaktik - A frame for analysing,
planning and teaching Alignment
Context
Context
National and International Politics
(Bologna) Economy Law Organization Traditions
Values a.s.o.
Subjects (IT)
Qualifications/ Abilities
Intellctual competences Professinal
competences Practical competences
Aims/objectives(IT)
14
Criteria for excellent teaching from the
teachers point of view

• A desire to share your love of the subject with
  the students,
• An ability to make the material being taught
  stimulating and interesting,
• Facility for engaging with students at their
  level of understanding,
• A capacity to explain it absoluitely clear what
  has to be understood, at what level, and why,
• Showing concern and respect for students,
• Commitment to encouraging student independence,
• An ability to improvise and adapt to new demands,
• Using teaching methods and academic tasks that
  require students to learn thoughtfully,
  responsibly and cooperatively,
• Using valid assessment methods,
• A focus on key concepts, and students
  misunderstandings of them, rather than on
  covering the ground
• Giving the highest-quality feedback on student
  work,
• A desire to learn from students and other sources
  about the effects on teaching and how it can be
  improved.
• (Ramsden, 1996 p. 86-87)

15
Characteristics of good teaching and learning
enviroments

• Well defined and clear structure for teaching
• Enough time for learning
• Learning supported working climate
• Clearness and transparency in terms of content
• Meaningful communication
• Variety of teaching methods
• Individualilty (students individual learning
  needs)
• Intelligent training
• Transparency in expectations to the students
• Stimulating learning environments
• (Meyer, 2005 p. 17 f)

16
The process working with the portfolio

• Descriptions evaluation - reflections
• Arguments reflections
• Readings reflections
• Learning
• Documentation
• Learning

17
3 phases

• The working portfolio (the private and personal).
  Template
• The feedback-portfolio (from supervisors and
  colleagues in the study groups)
• The presentation portfolio (the public) for
  instance when you are going for a new job at the
  university

18
Making the portfolio (concrete)
19
Four central phases

• 1. Acceptance (adapting the idea)
• 2. Review (success/problems)
• 3. Self-evaluation
• 4. Personal pedagogic plan of action (what do I
  want to improve?)
• The portfolio and the pedagogic plan has to be
  developed throughout the entire course and makes
  up the basis for the written statement at the end
  of the course for the assistant professors.
• Volume 5-10 pages (excl. appendencies)

20
A. Teaching experiences

• A.1. Present teaching and supervision
  (vejlednings) experiences
• A.2. Teaching methods that you wish to improve
  on using
• A.3. Your strengths and weaknesses in teaching
• A.4. Self-evaluation of the relationship between
  your experiences and the demands within
  teaching in close future

21
B. Relationship between research and teaching

• B.1. Background and field of research interests
• B.2. Actual teaching areas and related
  activities
• B.3. Assessment of the correlation between
  teaching and research activities

22
C. The Institutional framework for teaching
(opportunities and challenges)

• C.1. Traditions and academic points of view
  within your research area
• C.2. Target groups for your teaching (the
  students)
• C.3. Organizational framework for teaching
  (professional, social, political or economic
  conditions)
• C.4. Physical and practical framework (rooms,
  equipment, laboratories, etc.)
• C.5. Assessment of opportunities and
  challenges within teaching and supervision

23
D. Teaching and supervision and your personal
style as a teacher

• D.1. Your philosophy of teaching and personal
  style as a teacher reflections on excellent
  teaching and desires for your practice
• D.2. Role as a teacher, and relations to
  students
• D.3. Assessment of strengths and weaknesses in
  your mode of teaching
• D.4. Desires for changes in style and mode of
  teaching

24
Pedagogic plan of action

• Includes an agreement on
• E. 1. The kind of teaching/vejledning that
  should be observed
• E.2. How often and at what time these
  observations should occur
• E. 3. Which pedagogic problems you wish to
  discuss, and the teaching skills which you wish
  to focus on and work with
• E.4. After each module evaluation- what
  happened/what did I do to make it happen?

25
Model and working processes (AGAIN)
26
The presentation portfolio (example, The
Humanities, AAU)

• Content
• Materials that are relevant but illustrates the
  teachers experiences and competences within the
  theory and practice of teaching and learning
• Examples of materials/data!