ePortfolio as a Catalyst for Change

Presenters: Michael Napolitano, Chair Nicole Maguire, Adjunct Lecturer Edward Goodman, Associate Professor Hector Fernandez, Assistant Professor-Business and Technology Department

April 30, 2010

PLANS - PN

BTE100 “Admission Ticket” Executive Order

2009-10 General Education Competency Grid

AS – Paralegal Studies

Baseline Program Courses

BTM101 BTP 101

BTP 204

BTP 211 BTM110 *BTP201 BTP202 BTP203 BTP207 BTP208 BTP209 BTP212

Urban Studies

BTP204(Capstone)

Critical Literacy (Writing Intensive)

ENG099/ENG101/ESL

X X

Quantitative Reasoning

MAT096 X

Oral Communication

CEP121 or Select a course

X

Research and Information Literacy

ENG101 X

Technological Literacy

Capstone ePortfolio

B&T - Programs• Accounting • Accounting Computer Option• Administrative Assistant • Aviation Management• Business Administration• Finance  • Business Management • International Business • Microcomputer Systems & Applications• Paralegal Studies • Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Managemen

t

LAB OBJECTIVES

Provide technical support to instructors (i.e. accessing reports, viewing student work on ePortfolio).

Provide one-on-one assistance to students

Individual sessions: walk-in and appointment

Hold group sessions for individual sections of classes

Instructor Sessions

• Instructors learn what their students are doing with ePortfolio

• Tutors demonstrate how instructors can view student portfolios, work and class reports.

• Question and answer period to address concerns and issues.

What do we want ePortfolios for business students to look

like?

• What should they include?

• What kind of work should be displayed?

• What do we want to accomplish?

Experimental Capstone ePortfolio

• Creation of capstone course for four Danish exchange students.

• Used ePortfolio as the centerpiece of the course.

• Potential model for future business

capstone ePortfolios.

Experimental Capstone ePortfolio

• Capstone ePortfolio should display a culmination of learning within the major.

• The ePortfolio should also display student growth in the LaGuardia core competencies.

• Should also include student reflection on educational experience and preparation for the next step in academic/professional career.

Capstone ePortfolio Assignment

• Identify a company to examine its growth and future prospects.

• Interview company representatives to gain insights on the company’s operation.

• Identify a potential area of weakness of the company.

Capstone ePortfolio Assignment

• Perform research and critical analysis of the facts and data collected.

• Using business knowledge gained throughout studies, develop possible recommendations or solutions for the weakness identified.

• Present in a research paper, coupled with a video-taped oral presentation, the results of findings, research and critical analysis, and possible solutions devised.

Capstone ePortfolio Assignment

• Workshops were provided to the students to refine their skills in LaGuardia core competencies.

• Faculty from across the college participated in the project to facilitate student performance.

• Workshops included faculty from the English Department (written communication), the Humanities Department (oral communication), and the Library (Research and Information Literacy).

Capstone ePortfolio Assignment

• With assistance from consultants from the Center for Teaching and Learning, students created the capstone ePortfolio.

• The ePortfolio displays the research paper, oral presentation, and a reflection paper, which documents the overall experience of working on the assignment, and reflects on the student’s learning and growth throughout their two-year studies.

HOW CAN WE USE EPORTFOLIO AS A TOOL TO HELP OUR

STUDENTS OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT?

We needed to know from employers whether:

• They had heard of ePortfolio?

• They would review an ePortfolio?

• If so, what would they want to see in an ePortfolio?

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT EPORTFOLIO INDUSTRY FOCUS GROUP INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS

• Allstate Insurance• Steinway and Sons• The New York Times

• NYC Department of Probations• Marriott Hotel

• Deloitte• Queens Economic Development

Corp

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

EPORTFOLIO INDUSTRY FOCUS GROUP

• Introduction to ePortfolio• 4 Business and Technology Students showcased their work• Industry participants participated in a survey and shared their comments

COMMENTS FROM INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS

• Student stories were very inspirational• ePortfolio seen as a useful tool• All work must be copy edited• About me is great and inspirational, but why should we give this person a job?• Should only contain information relevant to the job being applied for. • Students should focus on Job skills, i.e Written and Oral skills should be showcased.

B & T Department Reaction and Response to Focus Group

• Creation of new Business ePortfolio Templates

• Using ePortfolio as an electronic resume• Focus on having a polished professional

looking ePortfolio which allows the students to showcase skills they have developed during their course of study here at LaGuardia.