This document discusses a pilot program at Douglass Residential College that used ePortfolios to help transfer students connect to Rutgers University and each other. The ePortfolios enabled students to link their prior learning experiences to academic goals at Rutgers and create a sense of community in their class. Instructors saw benefits like students gaining pride in their work and advising being more targeted. Next steps included sharing results with transfer deans and training them in using ePortfolios.

1. Dougl ass Resi dent i al Col l ege
STS ePor t f ol i o Pi l ot

2. Dougl ass Resi dent i al Col l ege
STS ePor t f ol i o Pi l ot
Cour se Goal s f r o m Syl l abus, St ud e nt s i n
Tr a ns i t i o n
Course goal s:
• To f aci l i t at e t he pr ocess of hel pi ng t r ansf er
st udent s connect t o RU and t o encour age t hem
t o become act i ve and r esponsi bl e member s of
t he RU communi t y. To pr ovi de t he i nf or mat i on
and sel f - assessment ski l l s t o f aci l i t at e
successf ul academi c per f or mance and addr ess
devel opment al needs dur i ng t he f i r st t er m.
• To t each t r ansf er st udent s how t o navi gat e
t he compl exi t i es and r esour ces of a l ar ge
r esear ch uni ver si t y.
• To est abl i sh connect i ons bet ween t r ansf er
st udent s, t r ansf er ment or s, st af f and f acul t y
f r om acr oss t he uni ver si t y.
• To devel op a sense of communi t y among

3. Dougl ass Resi dent i al Col l ege
STS ePor t f ol i o Pi l ot
Passpor t
STS st udent s must at t end a number of
event s
Transf er Passport
• Pr oof of compl et i on of t he
f ol l owi ng:
• 3 Oppor t uni t i es f r om Sect i on A:
Academi c Event s
• 4 Oppor t uni t i es f r om a
combi nat i on of Sect i on B: Ext r a-
Cur r i cul ar Event s
• Or Sect i on C: Co- Cur r i cul ar
Event s f or a t ot al of 7 event s.
Patricia Dahlman, Spring 2, 2007
canvas, cloth, stuffing, & thread, 25 x 22 x 23
inches

4. Dougl ass Resi dent i al Col l ege
STS ePor t f ol i o Pi l ot

5. Dougl ass Resi dent i al Col l ege
STS ePor t f ol i o Pi l ot
Gener i c Cour se Syl l abus f or STS

6. Dougl ass Resi dent i al Col l ege
STS ePor t f ol i o Pi l ot
Dougl ass Sect i on STS: goal s and eP
pi l ot
Goals:
To create strong sense of community in classroom for
students who are not yet connected to Rutgers;
Introduce students to ePortfolio and Sakai technology;
Encourage students to link prior learning experience to
current academic/career goals;
Emphasize integration of prior learning with goals of research
university (connect to research, major disciplines, co-
curricular programs, campus involvement)

7. Dougl ass Resi dent i al Col l ege
STS ePor t f ol i o Pi l ot
Sampl e ePor t f ol i os
• Ami na
• Jessi ca
• Al exandr a
• Jat asha
• Mor gan
•
• Li sa
photo, Alisha Beyer, from ePortfolio

8. Dougl ass Resi dent i al Col l ege
STS ePor t f ol i o Pi l ot
Advant ages/ Resul t s
• Bl ogs and eP’ s enabl ed st udent s t o l ear n
about each ot her and cr eat e suppor t i ve
envi r onment
• eP’ s of t en r ecount st udent ’ s sense of
i nt el l ect ual gr owt h, commi t ment t o maj or or
car eer
• St udent s gai ned sense of pr i de af t er
i nst r uct or shar ed eP’ s i n cl ass
• eP’ s al l owed f or mor e t ar get ed advi si ng i n
one- on- one meet i ngs bet ween i nst r uct or and
st udent
• Cont r i but ed t o hi gh r at e of sat i sf act i on
among st udent s

9. Dougl ass Resi dent i al Col l ege
STS ePor t f ol i o Pi l ot
Next St eps
• Meet wi t h t r ansf er dean t o shar e r esul t s and
t r ai n t r ansf er deans i n eP;
ePor t f ol i o cont r i but ed t o cour se goal s:
Enabl ed st udent s t o connect wi t h each ot her
and cr eat e sense of communi t y wi t hi n cl ass;
For mat of eP encour aged st udent s t o l i nk
pr i or l ear ni ng exper i ences wi t h academi c
goal s at Rut ger s;
eP enabl ed st udent s t o connect per sonal
backgr ounds wi t h l ear ni ng goal s

10. Dougl ass Resi dent i al Col l ege
STS ePor t f ol i o Pi l ot
Next St eps
• Meet wi t h t r ansf er dean t o shar e r esul t s and
t r ai n t r ansf er deans i n eP;
ePor t f ol i o cont r i but ed t o cour se goal s:
Enabl ed st udent s t o connect wi t h each ot her
and cr eat e sense of communi t y wi t hi n cl ass;
For mat of eP encour aged st udent s t o l i nk
pr i or l ear ni ng exper i ences wi t h academi c
goal s at Rut ger s;
eP enabl ed st udent s t o connect per sonal
backgr ounds wi t h l ear ni ng goal s