ePortfolio eMentors @ Virginia Tech
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
1 like•466 views
Presentation on two programs using students to help other students learn ePortfolio skills.
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Viewers also liked
Viewers also liked (7)
Similar to ePortfolio eMentors @ Virginia Tech
Similar to ePortfolio eMentors @ Virginia Tech (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
ePortfolio eMentors @ Virginia Tech
- 1. ePortfolio Peer Mentors @ Virginia Tech Marc Zaldivar, Teggin Summers, Don Orth & Emily DeNoon
- 2. Who we are… • Emily DeNoon, eP Mentor and English Major • Don Orth, Professor, College of Natural Resources and the Environment • Teggin Summers, Assoc. Director, ePortfolio Initiatives 2 • Marc Zaldivar, Director, ePortfolio Initiatives
- 3. It began with students… 3
- 4. …stays with students… • eMentoring program • Student Showcase • Workshop for Peer Mentors • Focus groups and surveys of students • Open Door 4
- 5. How will I contribute to a sustainable future?” 5
- 7. 7
- 8. Invent the Sustainable Future PEER MENTORS STUDENT AMBASSADORS 8
- 9. 79% of students agreed “Peer mentor developed a positive relationship with me” 9
- 10. ePortfolio Thinking Writing Presentation Writing Blogging allows students to gain confidence in their ideas, practice their writing, and create a community of 10 practice Conversations
- 11. Choices of Successful Students • • • • • • • • 11 Accept personal responsibility Discover self motivation Master self management Employ interdependence Gain self awareness Adopt life long learning Develop emotional intelligence Believe in themselves
- 12. Beliefs and Aspirations 12 Krathwohl et al. (1964). Taxonomy of educational objectives: Handbook II: Affective domain .
- 13. “My heart is filled with passion to do good deeds and benefit other people. “ 13
- 14. “I believe in creating my own path. “ A. C. 14
- 15. “What if I could travel all over the world looking for answers of how to preserve biodiversity and spread sustainability?” 15
- 16. “Imagine a world where everyone treated those around them- and all around the world for that matter- equally and with respect rather than being judgmental… “ 16
- 17. “… pursue my dream of serving in the military. “ 17
- 18. "in addition to a resume or college transcript, more than four in five employers say an electronic portfolio would be useful to them in ensuring that job applicants have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their company or organization." (It Takes More Than A Major: Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success AAC&U page 11). http://emilyhuthportfolio.weebly.com/index.html 18
- 19. Peer Mentor Effectiveness N=56 Statement Attended every class section 4.41 Actively participated in class through discussion 4.53 Assisted me on assignments like the ePortfolio 3.70 Acted as a positive role model in class 4.62 Was prepared for class 4.63 Encouraged me to come to class and actively participate 4.18 Encouraged me to be a successful student through sharing tips 4.39 If needed, was a helpful resource in understanding university policies and referring me to appropriate places 4.38 Demonstrated professionalism in this/her role as peer mentor 19 Score 4.50 5 point scale -- never, very little, sometimes, most of the time, always
- 20. eMentors for the University • Selected from existing programs that are successful. • Sought a balance of skills and disciplines. • Five employed for 10 hrs/week in Spring 2013 20
- 22. Thank you! 22
Editor's Notes
- The first year experience class asks students to think deeply and use inquiry skills to answer the question “how will I contribute to a sustainable future?” what major, minor, internships, experiences, will I need to pursue in order to “go confidently in the direction of my dreams”
- Current college age students are questioning the benefits of college unlike previous generations. From Greatest GenerationTo Boomer Generation To Net GenerationFurthermore our first year students are products of “no child left behind” changes in K-12 educationDon Tapscott N=6000 net gens are just different, learning styles not adapted to our Gutenberg era teaching model. In The dumbest generation Bauerlein examines why “despite the information superhighway, despite a world of knowledge at their fingertips, the younger generation today is less informed, less literate, and more self-absorbed than any that has preceded it.” the key challenge for educators is to overcome their “bibliophobe” light work loads and lack of study habitsThe authors differ in their conclusions or tone, but they agree on one notion. Net gen desperately need good mentors. We address this requirement in our first year course by assigning instructors to each small class section as well as training and utilizing undergraduate peer mentors to facilitate small class activities
- There are hundreds of “new student survival guides” available, but we developed a customized plan for CNRE students and one that will facilitate students thriving in our programs, and not simply finding a major and graduating on time. But student rely on their peers preferentially, So peer mentors have been used for several years in our first year experience classes
- There is strong evidence that many students struggle during transition to college. But the reasons are as varied as the students. The CNRE First year experience is designed to meet University needs for continuous improvement while providing a thorough grounding specific to the needs of CNRE students. This includes information on careers, majors, self exploration, pathways planner, introduction to faculty and curriculum clubs, and planning for inclusion of high impact educational practices, such as undergraduate research, and study abroad. We use two types of students to assist with this course. Peer mentors specifically trained on course requirements, and assist with providing feedback and creation and improvement of the portfolioThe student ambassadors assist as role models relaying their struggles, obstacles, and lessons for success. Liu, A., Sharkness, J., & Pryor, J.H. (2008). Findings from the 2007 administration of Your First College Year (YFCY): National aggregates. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA.National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). (2009). Assessment for improvement: Tracking student engagement over time: Annual results 2009. Bloomington: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary ResearchNatural Resources Student Ambassador ProgramThe College of Natural Resources recently implemented the NR Ambassadors Dean's Team. NR Ambassadors serve as a corps of alert, articulate students who, working closely with the Dean and his staff, represent the College to various publics. Responsibilities of NR Ambassadors may include activities such as serving as tour guides to the College for prospective students and their parents, representing the College at university-sponsored recruiting events such as Open Houses, and serving as hosts and hostesses at alumni receptions and events.
- We train Peer Mentors using guidance from Students Helping students and other workshops offered by the Office of First Year Experience. We have learned much about how best to utilize the student peer mentors, but we are excited about this instructional innovation. The overwhelming response to open ended question in our survey said “Yes it is a good idea to have a peer mentor in the class. “ Less intimidating to talk to than the professor” “like an automatic friend/therapist “ “been through it and more understanding than an older professor would most likely be”Only one negative response was received. “ No, you need to go out and find the upper classmen on hall floor”Peer mentors also facilitated end-of-semester focus groups on the FYE course providing valuable information for follow and change.
- Peer mentors receive training. Variable levels, but we do have peer mentors return for second and third years. Students each create their own digital narrative and ePortfolio using any number of broadly available tools, such as eP@VT, Weebly, wix, google sites, or word press. These skills are easily transferable to other learning settings and we have already documented one first year student writing a blog to document his learning experiences in his summer internship.
- We have adopted an well studied assessment system to help students identify areas that will lead to success in college and to assist in making modification in their choices. These discussions require use of peer mentors
- Our learning outcomes deal with the affective domain in addition to the cognitive domain. Krathwohl’s hierarchical taxonomy for the affective domain (attitudes, beliefs, and values) contains five educational objective levels
- One of the affective learning outcomes is to initiate the incorporation of the five VT aspirations for student learning into student activities.
- We incorporated the use of ePortfolios for pedagogical and assessment purposesWe note that this type of thinking values reflection and its role throughout the process of learning, and it views students as collaborators who are actively engaged in constructing and taking ownership of their educationA recent report by the AAC&U It Takes More than a Major, reported that “in addition to a resume or college transcript, more than four in five employers say an electronic portfolio would be useful to them in ensuring that job applicants have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their company or organization
- Other responses regarding peer mentor effectiveness were overwhelmingly positive.