1 ePortfolios to Show Progress: Informing Students, the Institution, and the Community Neal W. Topp, Ph.D. – Varner Professor of Education University of Nebraska at Omaha

2 UNO Overview For 96 years, UNO has been a part of Omaha's progress. Committed to interaction with metropolitan area Bringing special expertise to bear on pressing social, economic, government, business and educational issues. Urban related issues: health care, PK-12 education (in Nebraska PK-16 initiative), crime, economic development and jobs. 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students

3 myMAPP/college Current ITS myMAPP Projects myMAPP/faculty myMAPP/department myMAPP/staff myMAPP/student Judgment myMAPP/campus

4 ePortfolio Initiative’s Importance to UNO Accountable to multiple constituencies as befits a metropolitan institution (PK-12 and economic impact most pressing) Accountability mandate from North Central Accreditation (AQIP)

5 UNO’s Portfolio History Designed paper portfolio process for selective admission for undergraduate teacher candidates while graduate student (1990) Abandoned tests for paper portfolio/performance assessment in 1990 Researched and then delivered first paper portfolio for Ph.D. program (1994) Published numerous articles and book on portfolio assessment (1997) Initiated portfolios for masters program in literacy education (1998) PT3 Project- Student ePortfolio (2000) College of Education used for NCATE Technology one of six strands in College of Education Strategic Plan MCC joint portfolios UNO one of 100 most-wired campuses in nation Designed Institutional Portfolio (2001) following new draft standards for North Central Pilot with General Education (Fall 2004) Students designing portal AAHE Senior Fellow invitation North Central Assessment Think-Tank (Assessment Exchange--Performance Assessment) AAHE National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research Cohort II

6 MyMAPP/Campus MyMAPP/Faculty COE – School Counseling COE – Educational Administration COE – Teacher Candidate GenEd – English Honor’s Student Project Current ePortfolios -- UNO

7 ePortfolio Implementation

8 General Tips for Success for Campus Adoption Understand it is a process, often a SLOW process Bottom up—Top down Campus-wide support from the highest levels Campus-wide coordination Align to strategic plans Service model – ITS restructuring & commitment Provide solutions to existing faculty & program needs Accreditation & accountability are key

9 General Tips for Success for Departments/Programs Start with faculty & administration (find champions) Provide solutions to existing faculty & program needs Integrate implementation into instruction Connect to accreditation Expect that programs should be revised and improved Focus on learning - modeling what we expect of students, staff, faculty, and administrators.. continuous improvement and learning

10 Example -- Department Process Outline Early Awareness Phase Awareness Phase Design Phase

11 Early Awareness Phase Formal or informal or both Plant the seed Talk about the possibilities Get them thinking and dreaming

12 Awareness Phase Meet with interested people (administration, faculty, staff, students) Show examples Listen to their needs Help them make connections (ePortfolio elements meet their needs) Suggest they discuss possibilities with colleagues Encourage and support Meet with entire department/program Let their champions lead Encourage them to see this as their process & product Try to get them to focus away from the technology Show you will support them Give comfort --with your experience (you will help them find answers) Provide positive testimonials

13 Design Phase Use the guideline questions Support & encourage Use best methods – different for different people Encourage broad participation Influence speed of process (prodder & brakeperson) Always analyze process

14 Guideline Questions Preplanning Planning Policy & Procedures Professional Portfolio Technical Issues Personnel Consideration

15 Preplanning Purpose? growth, mastery, accreditation, program revision? Audience? students, faculty, administration, accreditation, advisory boards, community, employers? Alignment? strategic plan, goals, objectives, accreditation? Timeline? Faculty experience with portfolios? Faculty experience with technology? Methods for getting faculty & student involvement?

16 Planning Standards or Competencies (What should students be able to know or do) How many? Artifacts? Who will decide? Who and how are they scored? Rubrics? Reflection? Encourage active learning? Summative and/or formative? Research impact, how and by whom?

17 Policy & Procedures Who will assess artifacts? When to assess? Who will track and assess the entire portfolio? Will it be a requirement for graduation? Who will be able to view the portfolio artifacts and what will be in the views? Who will write the student release form? and how will it work? How will data be used? accreditation? college portfolio? annual reports? institutional portfolio? AQIP?

18 Professional Portfolio Will it be used for job acquisition? Who decides content? Who will design the view(s)?

19 Technical Issues What is the process for the technical design? Who will be the contact with ITS? Should the portfolio begin with a pilot? How to handle the “phase in” period? How to handle transfer students? How will the portfolio relate to other portfolios? Who is the support? Is there adequate infrastructure? Is there adequate access to equipment?

20 Personnel Considerations Who will be the administrator champion? Who will be the faculty member champion? Who is responsible for organizing the development? Will there be a need for more support staff or reassignment of support staff responsibilities? Will the faculty and staff need training on authentic assessment? Will the faculty and staff need training on use of technology?

21 Plans for the Future General Education expansion in fall 2005; Speech and Math (MCC and UNO) same standards; same artifacts PK-16 (Content Pedagogy Council) Seamless Transition Middle School & Professional Portfolios Student Portfolios (myMAPP/student) across campus (aggregate data at myMAPP/campus) Staff Portfolios (myMAPP/staff) individualized from myMAPP/faculty AAHE Senior Fellow/ AAHE National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research Cohort II Develop a research plan to measure impact Center for ePortfolio ????

22 Implementing ePortfolio Workshop October 28 & 29, 2005 Mapping Academic Performance through ePortfolios University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, Nebraska

23 Thank You!! Neal Topp