Tunxis Community College ePortfolio Project Evaluation...

Tunxis Community College

ePortfolio Project Evaluation Report submitted by Professor Laura M. Gambino

September 30, 2011

ePortfolio Project Background and Goals

Tunxis Community College, located in Farmington, Connecticut serves approximately

4,000 degree and certificate seeking students each year and “offers its students a quality, yet

affordable education in an accessible and supportive environment, fostering the skills necessary

to succeed in an increasingly complex world.” (“Mission and Vision,” TXCC website). In 2009,

Tunxis joined the LaGuardia Community College Making Connections Mini-Grant and Seminar

Program. Out of that participation, the Tunxis ePortfolio Project was designed.

The ePortfolio Project, first and foremost, addresses the College’s primary mission of

increasing student success, recognizing that ePortfolio technology can and should augment best

practices and pedagogy. Furthermore, the ePortfolio Project is an integral part of institutional

assessment, allowing faculty, staff, and administration to collaborate and share best practices in

teaching, learning, and assessment, while addressing the needs of our external constituents. In

terms of expanding and strengthening connections with the community, ePortfolio provides

program advisory boards the opportunity to participate in capstone assessment. Since portfolios

emphasize critical thinking, communication and reflection, this project engenders the

development of skills “necessary to succeed in an increasingly complex world.”

The ePortfolio Project work is centered on four primary goals:

Develop and implement a comprehensive ePortfolio system that will include the

following:

o Showcase student work in meeting course, program, and general education

abilities

o Showcase student work in meeting career objectives

Create a vibrant teaching and learning community using ePortfolio

TCC ePortfolio Project Evaluation Report 2

Design a comprehensive faculty development plan centered on ePortfolio

Use ePortfolio as the primary tool for institutional assessment

For each of these goals, specific outcomes were developed related to faculty

development, student support, technology, and assessment and evaluation (See Appendix

A). Areas of focus for the ePortfolio Project include Liberal Arts and Sciences, First Year

Experience, and career programs.

ePortfolio Project Implementation

Implementation of the ePortfolio Project began during the summer months prior to the

Fall 2009 semester. Tunxis successfully migrated to a new ePortfolio platform, Digication, and

approximately fifty faculty and staff members attended professional development workshops to

learn the new software.

In the fall, the ePortfolio Project leaders began their first faculty professional

development ePortfolio Seminar Series. Ten faculty members from a range of Liberal Arts and

Sciences disciplines attended the seminar. The goal was for each of them to incorporate the use

of ePortfolio into one or more of their courses. The seminar consisted of four, two-hour

workshops and introduced faculty to the pedagogy of ePortfolio, reflection, and assessment.

During the fall semester, ePortfolio was used in the Computer Information Systems,

Business Office Technology, Dental Hygiene, and Early Childhood Education Programs. In

addition, all full-time faculty members in developmental English courses and the First Year

Experience course integrated ePortfolio into the curriculum.

Additionally that semester, as part of student support, student technology mentors were

hired and trained to work in the ePortfolio lab and run introductory ePortfolio workshops for


students. The lab was open 20 hours per week. Faculty members were able to schedule visits to

the lab for their classes; open training sessions and walk-in hours were scheduled as well.

During the spring semester, ePortfolio use continued to grow at the College. A second

professional development ePortfolio Seminar Series was held in conjunction with Tunxis’ Center

for Teaching. Eighteen faculty members volunteered to attend that seminar.

At the end of the Spring 2010 semester the Business and Technology Department held

their first capstone ePortfolio student showcase. On May 5, 2010, the Computer Information

Systems (CIS) and Business Office Technology (BOT) programs held a joint advisory board

meeting and ePortfolio showcase. Students from the CIS Coop Ed/Work Experience course and

the BOT Administrative Practicum shared their showcase and assessment ePortfolios with

advisory board members and members of the Tunxis management team. Two weeks later, the

Dental Hygiene program held a similar event with their students. Both showcases provided the

opportunity for advisory board members, faculty, and Tunxis administration to observe how

students use ePortfolios to demonstrate program and general education outcomes.

During the 2010-2011 academic year, use of ePortfolio at Tunxis continued to grow. The

Business Administration program began using ePortfolio as part of its capstone course and held a

capstone showcase. A third cohort of ten faculty participated in the ePortfolio seminar series. A

new faculty professional development workshop was developed, ePortfolio: Continuing

Conversations. These workshops were designed for experienced ePortfolio faculty. Each

semester, two, two-hour workshops were offered focusing on topics such as reflection,

assessment, and ePortfolio pedagogy. The ePortfolio lab expanded its hours to thirty per week

with three student technology mentors. All First Year Experience faculty members, full-time

and adjunct, integrated ePortfolio into their courses. Tunxis also began investigating the use of


ePortfolio for advising and transfer of Liberal Arts and Sciences and General Studies students.

In the spring, ePortfolio capstone student showcases were held in Computer Information

Systems, Business Administration, Business Office Technology, and Dental Hygiene. The Early

Childhood Education program used information from student ePortfolios as part of the NAEYC

accreditation process. The ePortfolio Project also sponsored its first college-wide student

ePortfolio competition and showcase featuring first year, Liberal Arts and Sciences and career

program ePortfolio students. The showcase was attended by approximately forty faculty and

staff.

ePortfolio Project Evaluation Plan

Several evaluation tools and data collection methods were used to evaluate the impact of

ePortfolio on faculty. Faculty who participated in the initial Digication summer training were

surveyed regarding the software and its applicability to classroom use. Faculty in the ePortfolio

Seminar Series were asked to complete a reflection narrative at the conclusion of the seminar

discussing their seminar experience. Data related to faculty use of ePortfolio in courses and

sections was collected each semester.

An ePortfolio student survey was created and administered each semester of the 2009-

2010 academic year. This survey focused on students’ initial impressions of the ePortfolio. A

capstone student survey was designed and administered to students enrolled in program capstone

courses during the Spring 2010, Fall 2010, and Spring 2011 semesters. This survey focused on

both the value of the ePortfolio as a learning and showcase tool, and on the students’ awareness

of the integration of knowledge both within courses in the major and general education courses

across a program’s curriculum. An advisory board survey was developed and used after each


program student showcase event during those same semesters to assess the value of ePortfolio as

a tool for demonstration of knowledge and its use for employment or transfer.

Student success (C- or better) and retention (semester-to-semester) data was collected

each semester in developmental English courses, comparing ePortfolio and non-ePortfolio

sections. College-wide retention rates were examined in fall 2010, based on the number of

ePortfolio sections a student was enrolled in during the previous spring 2010 semester. In

addition, coordinators for each program provided data on the number of capstone students using

ePortfolio to successfully demonstrate program and general education outcomes.

Lastly, a continual increase each semester in the number of student ePortfolios, faculty

participation in ePortfolio seminars, and an increase in the number of courses and sections using

ePortfolio would serve as evidence of project success.

Tunxis ePortfolio Project Evaluation Plan

Goal Measure

1A. Create a vibrant teaching and learning

community using ePortfolio

1B. Design a comprehensive faculty

development plan centered on ePortfolio

Faculty Training Survey

Number of faculty using ePortfolio in

courses

Number of faculty who participate in the

ePortfolio Seminar Series

Number of faculty who participate in the

ePortfolio Continuing Conversations series

Faculty reflection narratives

2A. Student engagement with ePortfolio

2B. Increased student understanding of

ePortfolio

2C. Student awareness of integration of

knowledge within a degree program

ePortfolio student survey (2009-2010)

Capstone student survey (2009-2011)

Number of student ePortfolios created

3. Increased student success and retention Comparison of success (C- or better) rates

in ePortfolio/non-ePortfolio sections in

developmental English

Retention rate comparison in

developmental English

College-wide retention rates based on

number of ePortfolio courses


Tunxis ePortfolio Project Evaluation Plan

Goal Measure

4. Effective use of ePortfolio for assessment Percentage of students using ePortfolio to

demonstrate program outcomes

Percentage of students using ePortfolio to

demonstrate general education outcomes

ePortfolio use in program accreditation and

review process

Advisory Board Survey

ePortfolio Project Evaluation Evidence and Analysis

Goal 1A and 1B: Faculty and staff participated in a 4-hour introductory workshop during

the summer of 2009 to learn Digication, Tunxis’ new ePortfolio software platform. Both faculty

and staff surveyed at the conclusion of the training. Twenty-one percent surveyed said they

would use ePortfolio in all their fall courses and fifty-one percent of those surveyed said they

would use ePortfolio in selected courses. Forty percent said they would use ePortfolio as a way

to demonstrate general education abilities and forty-six percent would use ePortfolio to

demonstrate program abilities. It should be noted that these numbers were most likely lowered

by the inclusion of non-teaching staff in the survey.

During the Fall 2009 semester, ten full-time faculty members voluntarily participated in

the first ePortfolio Seminar Series. This workshop series consisted of four, 2-hour sessions with

an intense ePortfolio pedagogical focus. Eighty-percent of these faculty members successfully

integrated ePortfolio into one or more of their courses during the Fall 2009 semester. A second

cohort of eighteen full-time and adjunct faculty signed up to participate in a similar series during

the spring 2010 semester. Eighty-three percent of this second cohort integrated ePortfolio into

their courses during either the spring 2010 or fall 2010 semester. A third cohort of twelve

faculty participated in the fall 2010 seminar series. In this group, six of the participants were


newly-hired faculty who were required to attend the seminar. Seventy-percent of this cohort

integrated ePortfolio into their courses during the 2010-2011 school year.

Beginning in the Fall 2010 semester, the ePortfolio: Continuing Conversations

workshops were held twice a semester, for experienced ePortfolio faculty. Attendance was

voluntary; faculty could attend one session, or all four sessions as their schedules permitted. On

average, fifteen faculty members attended each workshop.

Faculty participants were asked to complete reflection narratives at the conclusion of the

ePortfolio Seminar Series. The ePortfolio: Continuing Conversations attendees were asked to

provide qualitative feedback at the end of each workshop. Faculty comments in these reflections

and feedback suggest that the professional development workshops are valuable teaching and

learning activities. For example:

“In January, I knew nothing about ePortfolio and online assessment. Today, I feel

more comfortable with the tools and how to apply them in the class.”

“I was intimidated by the new medium, but once I sat in front of a computer and

started noodling around the site I became more comfortable. I found that I need

individual attention at times, so Marguerite, Sally, and Laura were all

instrumental in guiding me through my learning of ePortfolios.”

“Continue to have these ePortfolio Conversations workshops. We need to talk

more about reflection.”

“The time spent working with other faculty on assignments is really valuable.”

Faculty use of ePortfolios in courses continues to grow each semester. Currently sixty-

five faculty members (full-time and adjunct) currently teach courses with an ePortfolio


component. Sixty distinct courses and 110 sections used ePortfolio during the 2010-2011

academic year. One hundred thirty-six distinct faculty and staff ePortfolios exist in Digication.

Goal 2: A student survey was given to students enrolled in courses using ePortfolio

during the first year of the project. Survey results suggest that students’ knowledge of

ePortfolios increased and that students saw the ePortfolio as helpful to them during their

education. Eighty-nine percent of students indicated they will maintain their ePortfolio in the

upcoming semesters and fifty-nine percent said they would use an ePortfolio to showcase their

work. These results indicate that students see the value of ePortfolio as a tool for learning and

showcase. Only twenty-eight percent of students said they would use their ePortfolio to

demonstrate general education and/or program abilities. Additional work needs to be done to

emphasize the value of using ePortfolio to meet these objectives when students are first

introduced to the ePortfolio.

Capstone student survey results also support the value of ePortfolios for students. Seven

capstone courses in programs that use ePortfolio as both a learning and assessment tool and a

showcase tool administered the survey over three semesters. Cumulative results (n=79) indicate

that students have an understanding of integrative learning as related to both courses in their

program and real-world experiences. Ninety-nine percent agreed or strongly agreed that they

“understand how classes relate to their major.” Ninety-five percent agreed or strongly agreed

that they “understand how classes fit together.” Ninety-six percent of students agreed or strongly

agreed that they “use accumulated knowledge in current coursework.” Ninety-seven percent “see

meaningful connections between coursework and real-world experiences.”


Additionally, 83% of capstone students surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that

“ePortfolio will be a valuable tool for transfer/job opportunities” and 86% agreed or strongly

agreed that “ePortfolio is a good way to showcase achievements/growth.”

During the past two years 3,064 distinct students have created ePortfolios in Digication.

One hundred sixty-eight students created “complete” or capstone showcase and/or assessment

ePortfolios during that same time period.

Goal 3: The Office of Institutional Research compiled student success and retention data

in developmental English. Student success is defined as achieving a C-(70%) or better in a

course. Retention is defined as re-enrollment at the College from one semester to the next.

Using data from the spring and fall 2010 semesters, an increase in student success rates was seen

in ePortfolio sections as compared to non-ePortfolio sections in all developmental English

courses. Students (n=422) in ENG*065 Integrated Reading/Writing I, had a success rate of

66.85% if enrolled in an ePortfolio section as compared to 63.9% in non-ePortfolio sections.

Students (n=582) enrolled in ENG*075 Integrated Reading/Writing II, had a success rate of

65.38% in ePortfolio sections as compared to 61.27% in non-ePortfolio section. Students

(n=366) enrolled in ENG*093 Introduction to College Reading and Writing, had a success rate

of 61.22% in ePortfolio sections as compared to 58.58% in non-ePortfolio sections.


Additionally, the cumulative retention rate from Fall 2010 to Spring 2011 for students

enrolled in developmental English (ENG*065, ENG*075, ENG*093) courses was 78.1% in

ePortfolio sections as compared to 72.3% in non-ePortfolio sections.

The Office of Institutional Research also examined the retention rates of students college-

wide. Retention rates from the spring 2010 to fall 2010 semesters were calculated based on the

number of ePortfolio courses a student was enrolled in during the spring 2010 semester.

70.00%

72.00%

74.00%

76.00%

78.00%

80.00%

ePortfolio Sections non-ePortfolio Sections

Fall 2010-Spring 2011 Retention Rate Developmental English Students

Retention Rate


Students enrolled in no ePortfolio courses had a spring to fall retention rate of 52.7%. Students

in one ePortfolio course had a retention rate of 60.9%. Students in two ePortfolio courses had a

retention rate of 66.2%. Students in three ePortfolio courses had a retention rate of 71.4%, and

students in four ePortfolio courses had a retention rate of 66.7%.

Goal 4: In degree programs that use ePortfolio in their courses, program coordinators

were asked to track the number of students who successfully used the ePortfolio to demonstrate

achievement of program outcomes and general education outcomes in the capstone course in the

program. Ninety-nine percent of students (n=170) successfully used the ePortfolio to

demonstrate achievement of program outcomes. Ninety-nine percent also used the ePortfolio to

demonstrate achievement of general education outcomes.

During the past two years, student ePortfolios were used as part of the Dental Hygiene

accreditation process for the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Early Childhood

Education program used ePortfolio information as part of its NAEYC accreditation process. The

Business Administration program will be including information from student ePortfolios as part


of the accreditation process for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.

This past spring, the use of ePortfolio was highlighted by the Computer Information Systems

Program Review Team in their evaluation report as a valuable component of the CIS program,

noting the “extent to which the CIS program (and Tunxis in general) uses ePortfolio and

Digication for the purposes of:

Providing a means for students to track their own academic progress and acquire a

sense of accomplishment.

Providing a means for faculty to assess how well students are achieving course

and program outcomes.

Providing a means for students to collect their work in a format which can be

showcased to employers.” (CIS Program Review, 2011)

In a survey given to program advisory board members (n=25) after each capstone student

showcase, 96% strongly agreed or agreed that “ePortfolio is an effective tool to demonstrate

student learning” and that “ePortfolio is an effective tool for students to showcase their work to

potential employers or four-year schools,” 84% agreed or strongly agreed that “ePortfolio is an

effective tool for programmatic assessment.” Additionally, when surveyed on student

assessment and outcomes achievement, 91.7% agreed or strongly agreed that “students

successfully demonstrated achievement of selected program abilities” and 84% agreed or

strongly agreed that “students successfully demonstrated achievement of selected general

education abilities.”

Conclusion

As a result of the ePortfolio Project, which grew out of Tunxis’ participation in the

Making Connections Mini-Grant and Seminar Program, ePortfolio pedagogy is a successful


teaching, learning and assessment practice at Tunxis Community College. EPortfolios are a

valuable tool for students to integrate knowledge, demonstrate learning, and showcase their work

for transfer or employment. Evidence gathered to date clearly shows that ePortfolio has a

positive impact on students and their success at Tunxis Community College. There is an

increase in both student success and retention rates in developmental English. There is also an

increase in retention rates for students enrolled in ePortfolio courses. Student survey evidence

suggests that students themselves see the value in using and maintaining their ePortfolios.

The current level of participation in professional development activities and sustained

interest in faculty professional development work centered on ePortfolio indicates the value of

creating an ePortfolio-based teaching and learning community. The number of faculty members

using ePortfolio in their teaching, and the number of faculty who have created their own

ePortfolio also indicates the success of these faculty development efforts.

Capstone students in ePortfolio-based programs are able to use ePortfolio to demonstrate

achievement of program and general education outcomes. They also use ePortfolio to showcase

their work for career and/or transfer opportunities. EPortfolio work has been used successfully

in the accreditation and program review process as well. The benefit of using ePortfolio as a

student assessment tool and as an institutional assessment tool is evident. This evidence suggests

that Tunxis needs to continue with its efforts to use ePortfolio as the primary assessment tool at

the College.

Tunxis Community College

ePortfolio Project Evaluation Report submitted by Professor Laura M. Gambino

September 30, 2011

Appendix A

ePortfolio Project Timeline

Goal Tasks Person(s) Responsible

Measurable Outcome Completion Date

Faculty Development Introduce new ePortfolio platform to Mini-Grant participants from LAS, Department Chairs

Digication Training Gambino Digication staff

Completion of 4 hour training and pre and post training survey

Summer 2009

Existing ePortfolio users (full-time and adjunct) in CIS, BOT, DH, ECE, Tech/Eng migrate to new platform

Digication Training

Gambino Digication staff

Completion of 4 hour training and post training survey

Summer 2009

Meet with faculty to discuss migration implications

Program Coordinators and Gambino

Faculty feedback regarding migration issues

Summer 2009

Coordinate ePortfolio professional development for Mini-Grant participants

Coordinate and schedule 4 2-hour sessions

Yawin, Terrell, Gambino, ePortfolio faculty and students

Feedback via survey from participants Fall 2009

Plan LGCC visit for targeted training

Yawin, Terrell, Gambino

Feedback from participants Fall 2009


Create a long-term faculty development plan for ePortfolio Project

Meet with Center for Teaching (CFT) and Academic Assessment Planner to outline and brainstorm

Dwyer, Cassidy, Terrell, Yawin, Gambino

Outline of faculty development plan December 2009

Identification of second LAS cohort

Gambino, Terrell, Yawin

10 LAS faculty identified Fall 2009

Plan and conduct an ePortfolio professional day for faculty and staff

Rooke, Dwyer, Gambino, Terrell, Yawin, Mini-Grant Participants

Completed survey

Spring 2010

Introduce new cohort of Program Coordinators (DARC, HS, CJ, FA, VFA, BA)

Schedule training sessions for use of ePortfolio as program assessment tool

Gambino, Carbone, Bencivengo

Feedback Spring 2010

Facilitate implementation planning for PCs

Gambino, Rooke Completed implementation plan for program

September 2010

Student Support Formalize plan for mentoring program for ePortfolio students

Recruit lab workers MIT, Gambino Hiring of 3-4 student lab workers September 2009

Design and implement technology training for lab workers

MIT, Gambino Completed training plan, feedback via various ePortfolio faculty and student surveys

December 2009


Design and implement leadership/facilitation training for lab workers

? Completed training plan, feedback via various ePortfolio faculty and student surveys

December 2009

Technology Maximize technological resources to implement ePortfolio project

Develop ePortfolio website 1.0

Student lab workers, Revillini, existing ePortfolio users

Launch completed website May 2010

Develop ePortfolio tutorials 1.0

Student lab workers Launch completed tutorials May 2010

Assessment and Evaluation Develop a comprehensive set of assessment tools to measure ePortfolio project

Design one survey instrument for each component of the project

Dwyer, England

Initial survey instruments completed Broader- scale survey instruments completed

Summer 2009 Spring 2010

Add ePortfolio questions to existing survey instruments (SASE, CCSSE)

Dwyer, England Survey updated

Fall 2009

Gather baseline data and set benchmarks for future assessment

Dwyer, England Completed report Fall 2009

Other Maximize financial resource opportunities to implement ePortfolio project

Pursue grant opportunities

Gambino, Rooke, ? Acquisition of funding Spring 2010

Develop a set of ePortfolio entry points for students

Work with DC/PCs to identify appropriate entry points

Gambino Set of designated ePortfolio classes Spring 2010


Research 3 credit/4 contact hour issue

Rooke, Gambino Response from system office regarding feasibility

Fall 2009

Showcase student work to internal and external stakeholders

Design an event (or multiple events) to showcase student work

Gambino and other PCs

Stakeholder survey Spring 2010

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