WEB CONFERENCE September 28, 2007 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. EDT

ePortfolios for Learning and Assessment

PROgRAm AgENdA

WHO SHOULd ATTENd

OVERVIEW

Web-based eportfolios have become a popular and powerful way to describe, reflect on, and demonstrate what students know and can do. ePortfolios represent a technology and a pedagogical approach for facilitating integration of formal and informal educational experiences, regardless of the program of study.

Faculty face unique challenges using eportfolios. Not only must they learn new skills and adapt to new technology, but they must also understand how to promote and nurture new ways of thinking about what their students are learning.

Join us for the ePortfolios for Learning and Assessment web conference as we review the basic issues and challenges related to eportfolio activity.

Instructional developers and technologists, faculty developers, and administrators responsible for student assessment and re-accreditation will be introduced to a variety of uses for eportfolios. Participants will take away a context to inform their eportfolio planning and the appropriate integration of eportfolios in learning and assessment.

WEB CONFERENCE: ePortfolios for Learning and Assessment

September 28, 2007 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. EDT

• Importance of eportfolios o Replacing transcripts as the primary certification o Browser-based eportfolios o Learner-situated o Accrediting agencies and eportfolio requirements for reaccreditation

• How to understand eportfolios o Planning o Sharing evidence of learning and performance o ePortfolios owned by the student o Students as content creators o Faculty as content/process providers o Students taking greater responsibility for their own education

• Issues in higher education that eportfolios can help address o Fragmentation of students’ intellectual experience o Lack of curricular coherence o Increasing demands of an information-rich environment o Growing importance of out-of-class learning experiences

• ePortfolios support integrative learning experiences o Related case studies o Stanford University o Portland State University o St. Olaf College

• ePortfolios support institution-specific needs o Related case studies o LaGuardia Community College o Alverno College

• ePortfolios as assessment management systems o Provide evidence for educational effectiveness o Tracking students’ progress toward course, department, program, and/or institutional learning goals o Authentic assessment o Flexible assessment

• ePorfolios make the teaching-learning process more visible o Enable more faculty members to develop their own scholarship of teaching and learning o Carnegie Foundation, etc.

• ePortfolios as tools to enrich the advising process

• Directions and recommendations

OVERVIEW

LOggINg IN TO THE WEB CONFERENCE

INSTRUCTORS

WHAT IS A SINgLE SITE CONNECTION?

A site connection allows a single connection to the web conferencing software and teleconference. We encourage you to set the event up in a conference room or classroom from a single computer in order to allow multiple stakeholders from your campus to participate. Remember, as long as only a single computer connects, you can bring as many people as you want to the event. Because there are no travel expenses and only a single registration fee is required, each additional participant lowers the cost per person significantly. Purchasing a site connection and inviting everyone involved in a particular topic is a great way to provide cost-effective professional development. Please note that you will have the option to receive audio via your computer speakers or telephone.

If for any reason a relevant stakeholder cannot co-locate for the session, we encourage you to include that person by purchasing an additional connection at the reduced fee of $195 per session. This will ensure that every member of a team receives the same relevant, timely information in the most efficient way. If an interested party cannot participate at the designated time, or if someone would like to view the presentation again, an archived copy of the event will be available for 30 days. If you have any technical or purchasing questions, please contact us at 720.488.6800.

Trent Batson, Educational Technology Consultant, University of Rhode Island

Trent was the former director of information and instructional technology services at the University of Rhode Island. He came to electronic portfolios after teaching writing classes using traditional portfolios. Knowing that students engage with a well-planned portfolio approach, he quickly realized the great potential for electronic portfolios. He thus became involved with the open source portfolio (OSP) initiative. Trent was founding chair of the Board of OSP and received a Mellon Foundation grant to further the OSP initiative. He also founded the New England ePortfolio Project, a 2-year regional project that had 32 institutional members. Trent consults and writes about electronic portfolios. His latest publication is in a forthcoming book to be published in Fall, 2007.

Helen Chen, Research Scientist, Stanford Center for Innovations in Learning, Stanford University

Helen is a research scientist at the Stanford Center for Innovations in Learning. She was the project director of the Learning Careers Program, a five-year effort funded by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation examining ways to support student integration of formal and informal learning experiences. Through collaborations with national and international portfolio researchers, she co-led the development of Folio Thinking, a reflective practice that situates and guides the effective use of learning portfolios. Helen is a founding member and co-facilitator of Electronic Portfolio Action and Communication, a community of practice focusing on pedagogical and technological issues related to ePortfolios. Helen’s current research interests focus on the application of Folio Thinking pedagogy and practices in engineering education and the evaluation of ePortfolios and other social software tools to facilitate teaching, learning, and assessment for students, faculty, departments, and institutions.

After registration, each registrant will receive a confirmation of payment or an invoice, depending on method of payment. Each registrant will also receive an email with appropriate login information and more information regarding the event a few days prior to the start of the event. The day of the conference, you will receive another email with the same information. To participate, you will need a computer with a high speed internet connection. You will have the option to receive audio via your computer speakers or telephone.

WEB CONFERENCE: ePortfolios for Learning and Assessment

September 28, 2007 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. EDT