Dialogue is changing … * For “Syracuse Collaborative Learning Environment” * … to

Like Dialogue & Blackboard, SyrCLE provides for … On-line submission, feedback & grading of assignments Archiving and tracking of grades Whole-class, one-to-one and (limited) small-group discussions Resource section for syllabi, course readings, other digital resources Calendar, announcement and alert functions Personal profiles and directory of community members Ability to duplicate class sites from one semester to the next Personal repository for students to archive artifacts of their own choosing and retain them indefinitely (available in Dialogue, not in Blackboard)

So why change systems? To establish SOE’s course management and other on-line systems on a more secure but flexible foundation To incorporate new features, including portfolios To allow for integration with SOE’s other assessment systems and its assessment database

Reconstructing a flexible system on a more stable foundation: Uses software developed and maintained by the Sakai open- source network of 93 universities and colleges, in which SU and LSB have played key leadership roles Allows us to adapt the system to meet our own needs, but share the costs of maintaining and upgrading it Enhances our chances of securing outside funding to develop and maintain our systems, as PT3 support comes to an end

SyrCLE adds several new features: rWiki function allows groups to develop web pages and other documents collaboratively in a password-protected environment, then publish them for “outsiders” to access Portfolio tools facilitate development, presentation, and review of portfolios, and allow candidates to adapt portfolios for different audiences “Goal-aware” tools allow faculty to link course assignments, portfolios, and field assessments with particular goals, rate them, and summarize ratings for SOE’s assessment database

SyrCLE’s portfolio tools: Allow for development, presentation & review of portfolios in a secure web-based environment Candidates can adapt portfolios easily for different audiences Candidates have on-going access to a personal archive for any artifacts they want to retain, including course-based artifacts generated in SyrCLE Pre-structured input forms and automatic presentation templates speed development of portfolios, using sections that focus on SOE’s proficiencies Candidates and reviewers have access to a single presentation file; reviewers will use a single on-line form for submitting narratives & ratings Portfolios can be posted to the “outside” web or downloaded to a zip file, facilitating sharing with prospective employers

Each portfolio will have pages for a candidate’s personal background, placements, and emerging philosophy. The basic content will then be included in two types of pages: A page introducing each proficiency: Introduction explains the proficiency itself Reflection on what the candidate has learned Links to each artifact page

… and one or more pages of artifacts linked to that proficiency: A general narrative explaining & analyzing the artifacts on this page A theme chosen by the candidate One or more artifacts, with accompanying captions Image of first artifact appears as a “thumbnail” link on the introductory page Additional artifacts would be accessed by scrolling

Candidates use on-line forms to input portfolio content, from which the system will automatically format presentation pages. Here, for example, if a form they would use to construct an artifact page: Artifact thumbnail images down-loaded from resource section or elsewhere; captions typed in or cut-and- pasted; icons provide a variety of text format options; images and text can be edited, rearranged or deleted at any time; option to turn any thumbnail image into a link to a larger artifact of any file type (text, photo, video, etc.) Title provided for the page One thumbnail image to be used to identify this page on introductory page, downloaded from your resource archive or from anywhere else Summary narrative for the whole page, typed in or cut-and-pasted, with text format options This form chosen from drop-down menu

SyrCLE’s “goal-aware” tools: Allow programs and individual instructors to pre-tag particular student work (assignments or portfolios) with goals from one or more goal-sets (e.g., SOE proficiencies, SPA standards, course objectives, etc.) then assign ratings linked to those goals Allow for independently-generated ratings of candidate performance (e.g., field assessments, assessments of dispositions, etc.) also linked to goals Give candidates automatic access to their ratings, and on-going access to past ratings Allow instructors to automatically generate “NCATE reports” (and perhaps eventually, directly transfer data to SOE’s assessment database) Allow instructors to generate course-specific reports on goals of their own Allow faculty to identify and retrieve tagged artifacts reflective of performance on particular goals, facilitating richer analyses of data

For further information:  Complete and return the attached survey  Contact Jerry Rispoli at or or Joe Shedd at or