Use of e-portfolios in Education

1. ePortfolio as Evidence of
the Academic Journey
Maria Kalyvaki, Ph.D.
Learning Media Designer
Instructional Design Services
South Dakota State University

2. Outline of Presentation
• What are ePortfolios and
how can they be used?
• What are the advantages of
using Desire2Learn
ePortfolios and OneNote?
• Demonstration of
ePortfolio software and use
cases

3. What are ePortfolios?
• A digitized, portable
collection of artifacts
including demonstrations,
resources, and
accomplishments that
represent an individual,
group, or institution
• Can be comprised of text-
based, graphic, or
multimedia elements shared
or presented on a Web site
or on other electronic media

4. What is the value of ePortfolio use for
learning?
Learning is an active process through
which knowledge is constructed. It
requires facts, context, practice,
reflection, and constant effort. …
Rather than focusing on that which is
produced, an electronic portfolio
demonstrates the process through
which students learn.
(EDUCAUSE NLII, New Learning Ecosystems: 2004 NLII Annual Review)

5. "A resume proves nothing. It only
makes claims, your career
performance portfolio is the
presentation tool that will help you
validate your job performances and
resume claims."
~ Rick Nelles

6. What kinds of ePortfolios are we
creating?
• Personal portfolios-- Designed for self-
reflection, these kinds of portfolios can be
used to journal experiences, organize
materials from classes and activities, and
help students recognize skills and make
decisions.
• Learning portfolios– These can be used
to showcase student learning, provide a
framework for assessing academic
progress, and demonstrate how skills have
developed over time.
• Professional and co-curricular
portfolios– These can be used to help
make career decisions, demonstrate that
one has met program or certification
requirements, present skills and
accomplishments for employment, and
review professional development for career
advancement.

7. How are ePortfolios being used
currently in education?
• Course-specific projects
 Face-to-face, blended,
online
• Entry into graduate
programs (Graphic Design)
• Meeting certificate program
or professional outcomes
(Education, Nursing,
Business Non-profit program)
• Field trips/research

8. Best practices for ePortfolio Use
• Course design or re-design must focus on the creation of
meaningful ePortfolio activity by students
• ePortfolio pieces must be a part of a coherent whole
product that is assessed in process and rooted in learning
objectives for course or criteria for professional programs
• Short reflective prompts and multimodal writing
assignments must accompany ePortfolio activities at
every stage
• Low stakes, frequent building of ePortfolio that is given
student- and instructor-based feedback and assessed
often
• Rubrics (that also accounts for ePortfolio design) must be
used to assess ePortfolio work
• Students must be required to showcase ePortfolio work
for class or program and be rewarded for it

9. Students: Value of using D2L
ePortfolios
• One-stop shopping and single sign-on
• Familiar interface and support structures already in place
• Low fees per student ($10 per semester) for D2L/ OneNote is
free
• Able to easily create web sites that can be shared outside
university community
• Able to easily integrate multimedia or other creative
technologies into course work or professional portfolios
• Able to bring together academic work and co-curricular
activities
• Develop a sense of ownership over the learning process

10. What is the value of ePortfolio use for student
professional development?
• Present an expanded, multimedia resume that can
be disseminated widely and quickly to multiple
audiences via the Web or networking tools
• Present the applicant’s goals, accomplishments,
skills, and knowledge to prospective employers
before an interview
• Provide examples of projects completed in classes
as well as in the work environment or through
volunteer and co-curricular experiences
• Allows for the integration of student reflection on
personal or professional growth with academic
achievements
• Can be integrated into program-level assessment
via collections of student work

11. How can ePortfolios enhance a student’s
job search?
• Proficiency of written and oral communication
skills can be demonstrated through samples in
the ePortfolio
• Documentation of technology-based,
leadership and interpersonal skills as
exhibited in team projects presented in the e-
portfolio
• Demonstrate mastery of specific knowledge
and skills required by licensure and
certification boards

12. D2L ePortfolio
Questions / Comments?
Contact Information:
Maria Kalyvaki, Ph.D.
Learning Media Designer
South Dakota State University
Maria.Kalyvaki@sdstate.edu
605-688-5939
Resources:
http://uwmeportfolios.wikispaces.com/
https://documentation.desire2learn.com/en/ePortfolio