Stella C. Porto
University of Maryland University College
Christine Walti
Anne Arundel Community College &
University of Maryland University College

Focus
 Ongoing research on the supporting and
expansion of MDE students eportfolios
 Effectiveness of current implementation
methodology
 Student preparation for the e‐portfolio activity
 Necessary support to life long e‐portfolios

Overview
 Context and landscape
 Action research activities & findings
 New strategies
 Action plan
 Initial pilot results

Context and landscape
UMUC
Online enrollment >
177,000
> 100 degree programs fully online
Head count > 86,000 2nd largest state
institution in the US
Enrollment > 272,000

Context and Landscape:
The Master of Distance Education

Context and Landscape:
The capstone course

Context and Landscape:
The capstone course

Context and Landscape:
The MDE e‐portfolio activity
 Deliverable of the capstone course
 During the capstone student also have to
complete a major research project
 Should serve as a ‘reflection’ of the MDE
journey and professional portrait for students

Action research activities &
findings
• Promoting the use of
learning journals
• MDE student lounge
• Continuous support:
answering students
questions
• No prescribed or
suggested activities
• Creation of the
eportfolio tutorial

Action research activities &
findings • Review of existing
e‐portfolios
• Survey with
students

Action research activities &
findings
 Major challenges
 Permanence
 Lack of necessary skill set
 Late start
 Lack of support
 Lack of institutional support
 Lack of correlation with the curriculum
 Lack of involvement of other stakeholders
 Grading
 Lack of structure and criteria for assessment

Action research activities &
findings
 Late start
 Permanence  Lack of correlation
 Lack of necessary with the curriculum
skill set  Lack of involvement of
 Lack of support other stakeholders
 Lack of
institutional
support  Grading
 Lack of structure
and criteria for
assessment

Action research activities &
findings
 Late start
 MDE
 Permanence eportfolio
 Lack of correlation
 Lack of necessary with the curriculum
orientation
skill set  Lack of involvement of
running every
 Use of web 2.0
 Lack of support other stakeholders
apps semester
 Lack of
institutional
 Default
support
institutional  Grading Rubric

limited  Lack of structure
 Direct ties to
support and criteria for
program
assessment
outcomes
assessment

Web 2.0
explosion of apps and services: social/sharing &
media rich

E‐portfolio using Web 2.0
apps (blog)

e‐portfolio Web 2.0 app

Rubric and assessment
Core Learning areas & MDE outcomes assessment plan

MDE eportfolio orientation

MDE eportfolio orientation:
pilot and feedback survey
How useful was the information shared
throughout the workshop? Average = 4.5 (Max. 5)
How useful was the interaction during the
workshop? Average = 3.9 (Max. 5)
What is the likelihood that you recommend this workshop to
another MDE peer? ? Average = 4.75 (Max. 5)

Final remarks
 Importance of continuing orientation
 Challenge of bringing in more stakeholders
 Technology issue
 Institutional support
 Pros
 Cons
 Web 2.0 advantage
 Next step
 Relationship with MDE program goals
 Assessment and use of rubric

Thank you…
Contact:
sporto@umuc.edu
christine.walti@uni-oldenburg.de >