ePortfolios and

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ePortfolios and Folio thinking in Biology 321

• Shona Ellis, Botany Dept, UBC
• Joanne Nakonechny, Skylight

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Introduction to Bryo-Project

• Project goals
• Folio thinking - Provide students with
  scaffolding to promote intentional and
  integrative learning
• Encourage students to
• engage in active reflection
• make connection between schoolwork and identity
  as a scientist
• e-portfolio
• Portfolio as both a personal space, group space,
  and public space (website)

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Overview Folio Thinking in Action
Biology 321 e-Portfolio
The e-Portfolio is both parts.
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Creating Understanding collect, select, process
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Demonstrating Understanding personal/group

• Integrative learning concept mapping
• Intentional learning information processing
  sheets
• Deep structure conceptual questions
  study/exam questions
• Collaborative learning technique development -
  Tissue culture project and plant collection
• Individual presentations Field trips

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Demonstrating Understanding - public

• Students contribute to a public website
• external validation for what students are
  learning
• engages students as active scientists
  researching, adding to inventories, and an image
  database.
• Public site http//www.botany.ubc.ca/bryophyte/

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Public Site
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Benefits

• Students
• worked and studied cooperatively
• asked deeper questions
• developed technical lab skills
• learned technology skills
• better lab, field and lecture integration
• developed a sense of community
• Instructor
• saw where student misunderstandings occurred
  (info processing pages, now submitted answers to
  study questions)

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Questions?