Discussion notes from the ePortfolio California Summit 2010 - ePortfolios for Accreditation Session, with David Brown, Executive Director, WASC.

1. ePortfolio California Summit 2010
ePortfolios for Accreditation
Notes from
Summit Discussion
with David Brown, Executive
Director, WASC
October 11, 2010

2. What did we learn from the morning
working sessions?
Workplace & Beyond:
• Standards are important
• There may be technical solutions for the tensions between the
ePortfolio for Assessment and ePortfolios for learner/student
involving standards
• still spinning our wheels ten years later -
Student Learning Outcomes
• challenges for ePortfolio implementations are similar across
institutions
• There is both potential and complications – a lot of stakeholders
have interest in this
• Look at what each stakeholder can bring to the table: faculty are
critical to this, but not so much regarding implementations

3. What seems to bring all the stakeholders to the
table revolves around the area of Accreditation
"David says, "no tension...no progress"
"we're not spinning our wheels, but we're having trouble
getting traction"
www.wasc.org
Accreditation involves a lot of paperwork. Accreditation
goes smoothly when there is depth, especially when the
focus is on learning. Are students learning? ePortfolios are
the most effective way to demonstrate that.
The more peaceful and serene, the more depth there is...

4. How to collaborate?
• How to collaborate is the 21st century skill most needed. Being
responsible for ones own learning. Eportfolios are now at least being
discussed in the A_G advisory committee for UC.
Pearson has a tool that does this. Video clip notes:
• Ongoing assessment is so important in a collaborative learning
environment/classroom.
• feedback and reflection is integral to the student learning experience
• Comments and feedback from teachers [and students] allows them to take
that information and use it to build their academic eportfolio
• Looking back over the years it retrospectively lets you see how you took
charge or how you failed - guides the student for the future
• Way to check who's working and who is not; who needs help
• Give students the assets they need so they are globally ready to move on
in the world (in their academic careers) in the professional careers

5. WASC is ready to listen
• David says, “to me, the biggest issue is making it easy to use
and integrate, so developing it once, then a couple of clicks
and it is published.”
Collaboration is about working in teams.
What WASC values and assess is what people value/focus on.
Wasc is ready to listen - they are way beyond the superficial
issues. They have no cookbook or format. Schools have to
follow some criteria, but subjective and flexible to how WASC
assesses.

6. Discussion – Random Questions and Comments
The second half of the session was opened up for questions and comments.
Have any schools done a WASC review using an ePortfolio?
Answer: David can't answer that because he's with the K12 division. He said they
get together once a year and review each other (HE, K12). but he's unfamiliar with
HE individual assessments.
How far can WASC push eportfolios as part of the Accreditation process?
How many people have been involved in accreditation in the room.
Answer: Quite a few. David says that WASC needs to invite you to be a part of the
discussion - to the K12 discussion.
What areas have you used ePs in the past? How could you use them in the
future? What process was used? How many people HAVE used eportfolios in
Accreditation?
Challenges are how to organize the structure to aggregate your data - but once that's
done, the process is so much easier.
WASC is less interested in looking at student work than at evidence that the school is
using the student work to promote progress in a certain direction

7. Discussion – Random Questions and Comments
Linda Delzeit says that a eP could work for "program learning outcomes" as opposed
to student learning outcomes.
Lots of medium level points where the data could be used by a variety of stakeholders.
Question? What data is scored? Students choose a learning artifact and then reflect
on that learning.
Green savvy posting - saved paper and allowed them to do work without others
involved.
Marie Boyd, Chaffey College, lamented about the process of paper-based aggregation
of articfacts and outcomes for their recent accreditation.
electronic portfolios don't have meaning until you learn how to manage the content.
Helen Chen says, “owner of the eP is the student / owner is the institution -What does
that mean? Institute the ongoing practice of a cultural change
David Brown said, "Accreditation should not be a hyperventilating experience - if
it's done right it should be ongoing and serve schools well as they go"