2. About Simmons
• 100+ years old
• Private college
located in Boston
• 5,000 students (1/2
grad, 1/2 undergrad)
• Women’s undergrad
college and five co-
educational grad
schools
• Small university
3. ePortfolios at Simmons
• 2003 – Guest Visit from Alverno
• 2004 – NEeP Summit
• 2005 – Award of PTRC Grants,
including instructional design support
• 2006-2009 – Initiatives
– Honors College
– School of Social Work
– School of Health Sciences DNP
4. ePortfolios: Factors for Success
• Support
– Academic Technology
– Academic Administration
– Faculty
– Students
• Impetus
– Reflective pedagogy and/or
“Culture of Assessment”
– Integrated learning (across
program, clinical/campus, etc.)
– Accreditation
Which
factors are
critical for
success?
How do you
define
success?
5. Honors College: Arts & Sciences
• Pedagogically-driven
• Structured according to
curricular competencies
• Spearheaded by the Honors
College Director (faculty)
• Some faculty ambivalence
• Dean ambivalence
• Not sustained after the pilot
6. School of Social Work
• Thoughtfully planned, designed to
integrate clinical experience with
academic learning
• Spearheaded by Associate Dean,
with Dean’s support
• Faculty either enthusiastic or
adamantly opposed
• Course-based after the pilot
7. School of Health Sciences: DNP
• Structured around AACN
“Essentials” (competencies)
• Part of new program design, central
to program accreditation
• Spearheaded by faculty, with Dean
support
• No pilot phase needed, ongoing
Editor's Notes
Alverno College in Milwaukee – Diagnostic Digital Portfolio
NEeP initiative from 2004-2006
LOTs of factors go into the
success of an eP initiative.
Which factors are most important?
Need to take an ECOLOGICAL view in which the factors are interconnected.
A change in one factor has a ripple effect on all the other factors, and the success of the initiative as a whole
3 clicks
Grant $$, extensive ID support
HC Director is a non-techie, but pedagogically progressive – BUT no exp w portfolio assessm.
eP categories reflect the structure of the honors degree, as laid out in the handbook.
eP Templage included an orientation to purpose of each category and suggestions for relevant courses/artifacts
1st time 0 credit course, 2nd time 1 credit
Faculty workload an issue
Ambivalent faculty were tech savvy
Coinciding “learning community” initiative was a factor - - lack of support and problems w that colored feelings re eP
Grant $$, extensive ID support
Focused on Urban Leadership
Categories created by the eP committee – lots of discussion about goals of the UL specialization, category wording, and meaning of each category – challenged them to refine thinking re UL
eP template included an orientation to purpose of each category and suggestions for relevant courses/artifacts
Integrated throughout UL specialization courses, but used most intensively in a 2 semester course (early in program, with goal of integrating forward)
Question of where to begin the phase-in
Would success have been greater if started at the culminating courses (develop exemplars), faculty have success, then work backwards?
Leadership – Assoc Dean handed off to other person w less clarity in the vision and less clout re influence of faculty
No Grant $$, Very Little ID support, but arguably the most successful. Why?
Faculty member who developed template had extensive experience w portfolio assessment, and extensive exp OL teaching
Accrediting body required samples of student work (evidence of learning)
Brand new program, so didn’t have to leverage culture/systems change
Stars aligned – purpose, need faculty catalyst, administrative support, external motivators (accreditation)