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ePortfolios: Three Implementations
This document discusses three scenarios for implementing ePortfolios at Simmons, a private university in Boston with around 5,000 students. The Honors College pilot was pedagogically driven and structured around curricular competencies, but saw some faculty and dean ambivalence and was not sustained after the pilot. The School of Social Work implementation was thoughtfully planned to integrate clinical experience with academic learning, but saw either enthusiasm or opposition from faculty. It became course-based after the pilot. The School of Nursing's Doctor of Nursing Practice program structured ePortfolios around essential competencies as part of its new program design and accreditation process. It was spearheaded by faculty with dean support and
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ePortfolios: Three Implementations
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- 2. About Simmons • 100+years old • Private college located in Boston • 5,000 students (1/2 grad, 1/2 undergrad) • Women’s undergrad college and five co- educational grad schools • Small university
- 3. ePortfolios at Simmons •2003 – Guest Visit from Alverno • 2004 – NEeP Summit • 2005 – Award of PTRC Grants, including instructional design support • 2006-2009 – Initiatives – Honors College – School of Social Work – School of Health Sciences DNP
- 4. ePortfolios: Factors forSuccess • Support – Academic Technology – Academic Administration – Faculty – Students • Impetus – Reflective pedagogy and/or “Culture of Assessment” – Integrated learning (across program, clinical/campus, etc.) – Accreditation Which factors are critical for success? How do you define success?
- 5. Honors College: Arts& Sciences • Pedagogically-driven • Structured according to curricular competencies • Spearheaded by the Honors College Director (faculty) • Some faculty ambivalence • Dean ambivalence • Not sustained after the pilot
- 6. School of SocialWork • Thoughtfully planned, designed to integrate clinical experience with academic learning • Spearheaded by Associate Dean, with Dean’s support • Faculty either enthusiastic or adamantly opposed • Course-based after the pilot
- 7. School of HealthSciences: DNP • Structured around AACN “Essentials” (competencies) • Part of new program design, central to program accreditation • Spearheaded by faculty, with Dean support • No pilot phase needed, ongoing
Editor's Notes
- #4 Alverno College in Milwaukee – Diagnostic Digital Portfolio NEeP initiative from 2004-2006
- #5 LOTs of factors go into the success of an eP initiative. Which factors are most important? Need to take an ECOLOGICAL view in which the factors are interconnected. A change in one factor has a ripple effect on all the other factors, and the success of the initiative as a whole
- #6 3 clicks Grant $$, extensive ID support HC Director is a non-techie, but pedagogically progressive – BUT no exp w portfolio assessm. eP categories reflect the structure of the honors degree, as laid out in the handbook. eP Templage included an orientation to purpose of each category and suggestions for relevant courses/artifacts 1st time 0 credit course, 2nd time 1 credit Faculty workload an issue Ambivalent faculty were tech savvy Coinciding “learning community” initiative was a factor - - lack of support and problems w that colored feelings re eP
- #7 Grant $$, extensive ID support Focused on Urban Leadership Categories created by the eP committee – lots of discussion about goals of the UL specialization, category wording, and meaning of each category – challenged them to refine thinking re UL eP template included an orientation to purpose of each category and suggestions for relevant courses/artifacts Integrated throughout UL specialization courses, but used most intensively in a 2 semester course (early in program, with goal of integrating forward) Question of where to begin the phase-in Would success have been greater if started at the culminating courses (develop exemplars), faculty have success, then work backwards? Leadership – Assoc Dean handed off to other person w less clarity in the vision and less clout re influence of faculty
- #8 No Grant $$, Very Little ID support, but arguably the most successful. Why? Faculty member who developed template had extensive experience w portfolio assessment, and extensive exp OL teaching Accrediting body required samples of student work (evidence of learning) Brand new program, so didn’t have to leverage culture/systems change Stars aligned – purpose, need faculty catalyst, administrative support, external motivators (accreditation)