This document discusses research into how alumni of a fully online master's program in education described their experiences using ePortfolios. The researcher interviewed alumni to understand how they described their ePortfolio experience and what was distinctive about their ePortfolio learning. Key discoveries included that alumni felt the ePortfolio helped with self-directed learning by allowing them to integrate personal and educational aspects of their life. Alumni also noted the ePortfolio gave them flexibility in how they perceived their audience for their work.

1. Enduring Impact
What can we learn about ePortfolios
by listening to program graduates?
Gail Matthews-DeNatale, Ph.D.
Lecturer, Graduate School of Education
Associate Director, Center for Advancing Teaching and
Learning Through Research
Northeastern University

2. the research
1 context
2
3
4
focus
questions
discoveries

3. context
1 • fully online
• master of education
• ePortfolio program

4. Foundational
Courses
Ed as Field of Study
Culture, Equity,
Power, & Influence
Ed
Narrative
ePortfolio
Launch
Sample
Concentration
Courses
How People Learn
Models for Learning
Design
PCM
Learning
Module
Sample Elective
Courses
Social Media
Open Learning
OL Timeline
Social Media
Critique
Learning Portfolio
Systems Thinker
Communicator
Creative Problem Solver
Culturally Responsive

7. Foundational
Courses
Ed as Field of Study
Culture, Equity,
Power, & Influence
Ed
Narrative
ePortfolio
Launch
Sample
Concentration
Courses
How People Learn
Models for Learning
Design
PCM
Learning
Module
Sample Elective
Courses
Social Media
Open Learning
OL Timeline
Social Media
Critique
Learning Portfolio
Systems Thinker
Communicator
Creative Problem Solver
Culturally Responsive
Capstone
PoP Case
Professional
Portfolio
Showcase
Portfolio

9. research inquiry focus
2
• how do alumni describe the their
ePortfolio experience?
• what is distinctive and memorable for
the alumni about their ePortfolio
learning experience?

10. interview questions
3
for example …
• what role did the ePortfolio play in your
learning and development?
• did the experience involve working
and learning in new ways? How?
• what additional thoughts or
experiences would you like to share?

12. discoveries
4
• general themes
• closer look

13. themes

14. themes

15. Relationship between utility of the tool and self-directed learning

16. weave personal with educational life
to untangle ideas
that anchored what I was doing
helped me pull back the layers
on a canvas that integrated media with text
my electronic brain
metaphors
tie everything together and
captured the detail and big picture of a scene

17. Fluidity between perceived audiences

18. I’m authoring a …
audiences
letter to my Future Self
program preview for Future Students
collection of work to help Others in the Program
resource for Professionals in the Field
set of exemplars and reflections for Supervisors
proposition to share with Organizational Leaders

19. Big thanks to the interview participants!

20. Big thanks to the interview participants!

21. Big thanks to the interview participants!

22. Big thanks to the interview participants!

23. Big thanks to the interview participants!

24. Big thanks to the interview participants!