This document discusses the use of ePortfolios and departmental grants at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) to support the integration of critical thinking skills across departments and programs. Small grants are provided to interested academic units for curricular preparation and guidance on using ePortfolios. Early adopters have seen benefits like improved software tools and increased collaboration around learning outcomes. Plans are in place to pilot ePortfolios more widely and assess their impact on critical thinking skills.

1. ePortfolios and Integrative Department
Grants as an Implementation Strategy
Susan Kahn, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Director of ePortfolio
Elaine Cooney, Professor and Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology
Debra Runshe, Instructional Design Consultant, Center for Teaching and Learning
Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

2. Integrative Department Grants
• Small grants to interested departments and
schools
• First year designated for department-wide
curricular and pedagogical preparation
• Intensive one-on-one guidance and support
• Projects geared to needs the academic unit wants
to address (e.g., customized matrices/wizards
geared to program outcomes)
• Faculty in these departments provide guidance
for ongoing software development

3. The Context of IUPUI
• Urban research university
• 20+ schools
• Commuter campus
• 30,000 students
• Majority of students transfer at some
point
• Many change majors

4. • Core Communication and Quantitative
Skills
• Critical Thinking
• Integration and Application of Knowledge
• Intellectual Depth, Breadth, and
Adaptiveness
• Understanding Society and Culture
• Values and Ethics

7. NSF Matrix

10. Transition to
Teaching Wizard

11. Who’s using ePortfolio at IUPUI?
• Center for Research and Learning
• Center for Service and Learning
• Computer and Information Science
• Computer, Information, and Leadership Technology
• School of Dentistry
• School of Engineering & Technology
• English (capstone)
• School of Library and Information Science
• School of Nursing
• Secondary Education
• Office of Student Life
• Tourism, Convention, and Event Management
• Transition to Teaching program
• Visual Communication
• IUPU-Columbus campus

12. ePortfolio for what?
• Focus on critical thinking (E & T)
• Focus on professional ethics (Dentistry)
• Focus on reflection and integration (English,
Visual Communication)
• Leadership Development (Student Life)
• Reflection on service experiences
• Curriculum revision around outcomes
• Assessment of prior learning for credit
• Documentation of competencies for
assessment and accreditation

13. Other Enablers
• Partnership with Center for Teaching and Learning:
well-developed structure for supporting pedagogical
and curricular innovation with technology
• Well-developed institutional and (some) program-level
assessment programs
• OSP integrated into Sakai
• Growing awareness among faculty of ePortfolio
movement in higher education
• Upcoming reaccreditation visit in 2012

14. Outcomes of Department-Focused
Strategy
• Development and dissemination of a few
good early examples
• Better understanding among developers of
software needs leading to improvement of
ePortfolio environment and tools
• Increased departmental collaboration
around learning outcomes and curriculum
development

15. On the brink of wider adoption?
Current planning to:
• Pilot ePortfolio in conjunction with
Personal Development Plan in first-year
seminars
• Grants to campus-wide units
• Grant to satellite campus

16. Critical Thinking Is . . .
• “Critical thinking” is the ability to analyze
carefully and logically information and ideas from
multiple perspectives. This skill is demonstrated
in the ability to
• analyze complex issues and make informed decisions;
• synthesize information in order to arrive at reasoned
conclusions;
• evaluate the logic, validity, and relevance of data;
• solve challenging problems; and
• use knowledge and understanding in order to
generate and explore new questions.

17. NSSE* 2006 “Thinking critically and
Analytically”
3.7
3.6
3.5
3.4
3.3
Campus Mean = 3.28
3.2 3.1
3.1
3
2.9
2.8
2.7
* IUPUI’s results for National Survey of Student Engagement

18. Themes for Improving Critical Thinking
• Problem Based Learning
• Writing for Reflection

19. DESIRED TRAITS OF RUBRIC
• Holistic vs Analytic Rubrics
• Holistic: assess work as a whole
• Analytic: identify and assess components of work
• Targets the steps of problem-solving
• Appropriate level of gradation for assessing skill
• Ease of use
• Useful in many contexts

20. GOAL: TARGETING THE STEPS OF
PROBLEM-SOLVING
• Analytic Rubric
• Problem-solving skills identified and
assessed
• Steps of problem-solving become rows in
the rubric

21. GOAL: APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF
GRADATION
• Using too many levels (fine gradation) may make
it difficult to discern between individual levels (What
is the difference between work that earns 88% and 89%?)
• An even number of levels helps avoid the
tendency to pick the “average” (middle) ranking;
provides additional feedback to students whose
work is neither outstanding nor disgraceful
• Four levels of performance (Beginning,
Developing, Competent, Accomplished) define
columns of rubric

22. GOAL: EASE OF USE
• Hallmarks of work at each level of
performance should be easy to identify
• Single-word descriptors in each matrix cell
provide at-a-glance reminders of expected
work at each level
• Longer descriptions in each cell provide
additional detail

23. GOAL: USEFUL IN MANY CONTEXTS
• Generally applicable to any problem-solving
assignment in which students describe and
justify their solutions
• May be used for students at any level
• Lower-level (freshman) students may be
expected to achieve a lower average score than
more advanced students
• Rubric scores track development of critical
thinking as students progress through curriculum

24. CRITICAL THINKING RUBRIC

25. DETAILS: PROPOSING MULTIPLE
METHODS OF SOLUTION
Beginning Developing Competent Accomplished
Singular Dualistic Multiplistic Balanced
Proposing
Multiple Names a single Identifies simple Describes two or Explains –
Methods solution, solutions, more solutions, accurately and
of Solution position, or oversimplified positions, or thoroughly –
perspective, positions, or perspectives multiple solutions,
often perspectives accurately. positions, or
inaccurately, or with minor perspectives that
fails to present a inaccuracies. balance opposing
solution, position points of view.
or perspective.

26. Results from Two Classes
Rubric Results from Instrumentation
Project Reflections
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Defining the Problem
Proposing Multiple Methods of
Solution
Beginning
Selecting the Most Appropriate Developing
Method Competent
Accomplished
Applying the Method to
Generate Results
Conclusions and Evaluation
Rubric results from Biomedical
Engineering modeling assignment

27. Implementation: Desired work flow

28. Implementation: Current work flow

29. Bridging the Gap
• Participate in planning
• Meet with stakeholders
• Act as interpreter
• Connect the pedagogy

30. Questions