Using ePortfolios for Evidence-Based Research

1
Using ePortfolios for Evidence-Based Research

• Kristin Norris, Instructional Technology
  Specialist
• Kathy Steinberg, Assessment Specialist
• IUPUI Center for Service Learning

2
Goals of the session

• Provide a general overview of ePortfolios (types,
  purposes, differences)
• Demonstrate how ePortfolios can be used for
  research purposes.
• Illustrate how CSL is using ePortfolios as well
  as various other activities in conjunction with
  ePortfolios on our campus.

3
Agenda

• Introductions
• Overview of ePortfolios
• ePortfolios for Research
• How to get started baby steps
• Questions? Comments?

4
Overview of ePortfolios

• Harness the power of the pedagogy

5
ePortfolios is both a process and product

• Process a series of events (time effort) to
  produce a result
• Portfolio as a workspace
• Working Portfolio (digital archive, repository of
  artifacts, collaboration space, reflective
  journaling)
• Primary purpose learning or reflection
• Organization chronological
• Product the outcome/results of an
  activity/process
• Portfolio as a showcase
• Presentation Portfolios (the Story or
  narrative, multiple views, varied audiences
  purpose)
• Primary purpose Accountability or showcase for
  employment
• Organization thematic

6
Processes
Portfolios Social Networking Technology
Collection Connect (friending) Archiving
Selection Listening (reading) Linking/Thinking
Reflection Responding (commenting) Digital Storytelling
Direction/Goals Share (linking/tagging) Publishing
Presentation
Feedback

7
Example of a Product ePortfolio
8
Example of a Process ePortfolio
9
Power of the Pedagogy

• Stories help us organize our experience and
  define our sense of ourselves
• (Roger Schank, Tell Me a Story)

10
Why ePortfolios?

• Reflecting
• Celebrate learning
• Personal planning goal setting
• Employment applications
• Accountability (prove what you have learned)
• Capture and store evidence (repository)
• Give and receive feedback
• Collaborate
• Present what you know to an audience
• Exploring your personal and professional identity

11
ePortfolios as a Purpose

• the overarching purpose of ePortfolios is to
  create a sense of personal ownership over ones
  accomplishments, because ownership engenders
  feelings of pride, responsibility, and
  dedication.

12
Managing Oneself

• What are my strengths?
• How do I perform?
• What are my values?
• Where do I belong?
• What should I contribute?
• Responsibility for Relationships?
• Success in the knowledge economy comes to those
  who know themselves their strengths, their
  values, and how best they perform Peter Drucker
  (2005, Harvard Business Review)

13
Why should you use ePortfolios

• Facilitate Reflection
• Enable students to create something that
  demonstrates their knowledge, skills, abilities,
  dispositions often times the things they have
  yet to articulate in any other way
• Gather evidence of student knowledge (and maybe
  growth)
• Because it is of value to the students

14
Choosing an ePortfolio Platform
https//sites.google.com/site/choosingeportsoftwar
e/
15
Latest Blog by Trent Batson
http//campustechnology.com/articles/2011/10/12/a-
survey-of-the-electronic-portfolio-market-sector.a
spx
16
ePortfolios for Research
17
Assessment vs. Evaluation

• Student Assessment

• Student Evaluation

• Individual or group of learners
• Understand learner through performance of a
  specific learning task/standard
• Provide feedback to students
• Diagnostic tool for instruction
• Formative
• Ex Reflections

• Individual/group of learners
• Understand learner through performance of a
  specific learning task/standard
• AND
• Judge the quality or worth of the assessment
  results
• Provide feedback to students
• Based upon multiple sources of assessment
  information.
• Formative/Summative

18
Research vs. Evaluation

• Research, especially fundamental or basic
  research, differs from evaluation in that its
  primary purpose is to generate or test theory and
  contribute to knowledge for the sake of
  knowledge. Such knowledge, and the theories that
  undergird knowledge, may subsequently inform
  action and evaluation, but action is not the
  primary purpose of fundamental research. (Patton,
  2002, pp. 10-11)

19
Value of ePortfolios for Service Learning

• Most assessment tools are self-report instruments
  (nationally and locally)
• Eportfolios provide authentic assessment
  evidence/data
• Draw on strengths of Service Learning
• critical reflection
• Eportfolios can be used for research
• also for course use and program assessment
• designs can be simple or complex

20
Important Considerations

• Confidentiality (FERPA)
• Ownership of materials permissions
• Access to materials and platform after student
  leaves or graduates
• IRB Issues
• Informed consent

21
Examples of Research on Service Learning using
ePortfolios

• Project 1
• Civic development of students in a Service
  Learning Assistant program

• Project 2
• Development of civic learning in freshmen
  taking service learning classes versus
  non-service learning classes

22
Project 1Service Learning Assistant Program
Overview

• Scholarships recognize IUPUI students selected by
  faculty or professional staff to
• assist in the implementation of a service
  learning class,
• collaborate with faculty in their community-based
  research,
• expand the capacity of campus departments to
  increase the number of students who participate
  in service-learning, or
• complete a service project in and with the
  community.
• Faculty development focus makes it unique.

23
Guiding Research Questions

• To what extent do ePortfolios support the civic
  development of students?
• What types of ePortfolios best facilitate student
  civic learning and assessment?
• What factors contribute to student civic
  development as a result of participation in a
  service-based scholarship program? (Kristins
  research)

24
Program Specific Research Questions

• To what extent do students who participate in
  service scholarship programs (compared to their
  SL peers or non-SL peers)
• develop a greater capacity/ability to articulate
  an integrated sense of their personal, civic,
  professional identity?
• develop enhanced civic learning KSAs, compared to
  other students who do not participate in these
  types of interventions?

25
Using ePortflios to gather evidence

• Civic-Minded Graduate Scale
• Complete reflection on a professional development
  activity
• Complete end-of-award period reflection (CMG
  Narrative/Scale)
• Faculty mentor rates the end-of-award reflection
  (CMG Narrative Rubric)

26
Project 2

• Development of civic learning in freshmen taking
  service learning classes versus non-service
  learning classes
• High-impact practices
• First-year seminars
• Themed Learning Communities
• ePortfolios are both a high-impact practice and a
  tool for gathering evidence
• Evaluate ePortfolios using rubrics

27
Why Civic Learning ePortfolios?

• How are we approaching this at IUPUI?

28
Value of ePortfolios for Service Learning Civic
Engagement

• Most assessment tools are self-report instruments
  (nationally and locally)
• Eportfolios provide authentic assessment
  evidence/data
• Draw on strengths of Service Learning
• critical reflection
• Eportfolios are not just for research
• also for course use and program assessment
• designs can be simple or complex

29
Various forms of Portfolios at IUPUI

• Course-based (ex - First Year Seminars ,
  capstone)
• Process (Matrix)
• Assessment/Evaluation (Matrix with Evaluation
  tools and report functionality)
• Presentation (both students and faculty)

30
Service Learning Assistant Example
31
Process Matrix
32
Activities around ePortfolios

• Faculty Development
• Partnering with other campus units
• Course-related activities
• Program-related activities
• Workshops available to our scholars, faculty,
  students

33
Activities around ePortfolios

• Faculty Development
• Recruited a cohort of instructors teaching a
  First-Year Seminar, using our campus-level ePDP
  (Personal Development Planner through an
  ePortfolio)
• Created a Civic Learning Working Group how were
  they incorporating Service Learning into their
  curriculum and how could the ePDP make that more
  visible?
• Gave them funding for an SLA (we trained the
  students on the ePDP) so the faculty could focus
  on teaching
• Conducted a faculty workshop on scaffolding,
  reflection and the ePDP

34
Activities around ePortfolios

• Partnering with other units on campus
• University College (entry-point for more first
  year students)
• Assisted them in developing the sections for the
  ePDP and the associated reflection prompts and
  rubrics
• Helped with training faculty using the ePDP
• Other ideas Common Theme Book, Study Abroad,
  Undergraduate Research, Student Affairs, Programs
  with a great deal of Service Learning

35
Activities around ePortfolios

• Course Related Activities
• Identify courses already using SL
• Introduce small activities digital stories
• Helps to facilitate the critical reflection
  process
• Produces a product students can include in an
  ePortfolio if they already have one, or use to
  start their own
• Engages them in an activity that yields a great
  deal for the students

36
Activities around ePortfolios

• Program Related Activities
• Scholarship program related digital stories
• Alternative breaks trips
• Social justice issue
• Focused on issues in the community
• Departments with a great deal of service learning

37
Activities around ePortfolios

• Workshops available to our scholars, faculty,
  students
• ePortfolios The Basics
• ePortfolios Making Meaning Sharing with Others
• Faculty Consultations
• Classroom sessions

38
Questions? Comments?

• Feel free to contact us!
• Kristin Norris (norriske_at_iupui.edu)
• Kathy Steinberg (ksteinbe_at_iupui.edu)