TechEd 2005Linda Ehley

Alverno College

Digital Portfolios: A Learning

Construction Zone

Overview• What are digital portfolios?• What are the terms, types and purposes?• What are the trends with respect to

electronic portfolios?• What is Alverno’s Diagnostic Digital

Portfolio?• How can electronic portfolios assist

students in analyzing their patterns of learning?

• What are some benefits/challenges we have found in using the DDP?

What are Digital/e-Portfolios?

• Creative means of organizing, summarizing, and sharing artifacts, information, and ideas about teaching and/or learning

• A collection of artifacts that are stored electronically– For example – on the Web

Characteristics of Digital Portfolios

• Portfolios can feature multiple examples of work

• Portfolios can be context rich• Portfolios can offer opportunities for

selection and self assessment• Portfolios can offer a look at

development over timeAssessing the Portfolio: Principles for Practice, Theory and Research

(1998 - Liz Hamp-Lyons)

What Are the Types?Institution

– Program Assessment

– Course Assessment– Faculty Assessment

Faculty – Teaching

Assessment– Course Assessment– Personal

Growth/Reflection

Student– Student Learning– Evaluation/grading– Showcase

What are the Trends?• To HAVE a Digital Portfolio!• Technology

– Portfolios have been around in other than digital format for many years - Electronic/digital provides easy access

• Public Relations– Better understanding of student learning in

higher education• Accreditation Documentation

– Teacher Education programs

What is Alverno’s DDP?• Diagnostic Digital Portfolio – Student

Learning Portfolio• A cumulative yet selective record of an

individual student’s academic work that is electronically assessable.

• Main purpose - to assist students in analyzing their patterns of learning

• A mirror to reflect her learning thus far and a map to chart where she is going

Alverno College• One of about 75 women’s colleges• Ability-based curriculum• Two time frames: Weekday, Weekend• About 2200 students with a high level of

ethnic diversity• Majors with largest enrollment:

– Business and Management; Education; Nursing, Professional Communication/ CMT; Social Sciences/Psychology/CLD

Eight Abilities• Communication• Analysis• Problem Solving• Valuing in

Decision- Making

• Social Interaction• Global

Perspectives• Effective

Citizenship• Aesthetic

Engagement

It’s not about the technology…

…it’s about learning

Diagnostic - analyzing the cause or nature of a situation

Digital - readable and manipulable by computer

Portfolio - a collection representative of a person’s work

Organization• Organized by Matrices

– Eight Abilities– Advanced Outcomes of the Major/Minors– Wisconsin Educational Standards and

Content Guidelines• Key Performance

– Title, Description and Criteria– Self Assessment/Reflection– Faculty Feedback– May contain:

• Student work• Video• Other Files

Learning Mosaic

Take a step back and reflect

Learning Kaleidoscope

Digital Portfolios can form the framework

Benefits• Makes teaching and learning more public• Provide specific places in curriculum for

reflecting on prior work and setting goals – integrating moments

• Increase computer literacy among faculty and students– Actual “purpose” for using technology

• Assist students/faculty in “seeing” learning development

• Improve quality of self assessment/reflection

Challenges

• Makes teaching and learning more public• Requires understanding of student learning

and assessment• Requires multiple levels of training

– Training on basic “how to”– Training on why, when and for what purpose– Training on how to integrate into teaching and

learning• Must have time and space for reflection and

analysis of learning development

A Look At the DDP

ddp.alverno.edu

linda.ehley@alverno.edu