Using ePortfolios to Document and Assess Learning: Experiences with PebblePad

Betty Hurley, Ph.D.Susan Oaks, Ph.D.AAEEBL July 29, 2014

ePortfolios

“Shift from the teacher talking to the student doing”

“Stress the informal and ungraded reflections” that students do as they engage in their academic work

Trent Baston, Collaborative Tech 2010: ePortfolio and the Emergent Learning Ecology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1PGOgDtVJw

With this shift in emphasis

• Assessing learning based on pre-determined outcomes

Shifts to

• Assessing learning in process

ePortfolios support Emergent Learning

“learning in which actor and system co-evolve”

“learning which arises out of the interaction between a number of people and resources, in which the learners organise and determine both the process and to some extent the learning destinations, both of which are unpredictable.  The interaction is in many senses self-organised, but it nevertheless requires some constraint and structure.”

R. Williams, R. Karousou, J. Mackness, “Emergent Learning and Learning Ecologies in Web 2.0,” The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning (IRRODL), March, 2011.

Common Student Assessment Issues

• Practicing reflective thinking

• Comparing learning to criteria or standards

• Providing good evidence

• Understanding the nature of college-level learning

ePortfolios can address Assessment Issues

By incorporating a flipped model that uses:

•Prompts•Worksheets•Examples of evidence

that the student responds to and directs as he/she works through the learning experience

ePortfolios and Learning Assessment

• Prompts are embedded in an ePortfolio environment to help students identify topics of learning

• Prompts are then scaffolded to help students dig deeper into topics of learning: To help students provide evidence

To help students articulate their learning

First level of Prompt – Description

•Describe a project or activity and how you engaged in it

•Describe three things you have learned from this project or activity

•What parts of this project or activity were challenging? What made it challenging?

•What did you have to learn or research to complete this activity?

•What types of evidence can you provide to show your learning?

Second level of Prompt – Challenge or Problem

• Describe a challenge in your learning. Why was this a challenge?

• What goals did you have to solve the problem?

• What were some steps you used to address the challenge?: What issues did you have to consider? What information did you have to collect? What resources did you use? How did you work with others to solve the problem?

How well did these steps work?

• What type of evidence can you provide to demonstrate your learning?

• What did you learn from this experience?

Third Level of Prompt – Digging Deeper & Next Steps

• Describe how you have applied or would apply your learning in this area to different or new situations

• If you were to teach this topic, list five needed categories to include.

• What knowledge did you gain from working with others? How has that broadened your own knowledge?

• How have your perspectives changed over time, and what impacted these changes?

Third Level of Prompt – Digging Deeper & Next Steps, part 2

• How have you addressed any ethical considerations connected with this area?

• What are some underlying theories or “rules” in this area?

• What are some of the questions you would like to explore next?

• What type of evidence can you provide to demonstrate your learning?

Types of Prompts

• Descriptor prompts – questions that ask for concrete examples of activities

• Reflective prompts – e.g., what interested you? how well did things work?

• Evidence prompts – questions that ask for concrete examples of learning

A Useful Article for Prompts

David Hanson, “Writing Critical Thinking Questions,” Pacific Crest, http://www.pcrest.com/LO/FGB4LO/2_4_15.pdf

•Directed Questions: who, what, when, where, which

•Convergent Questions: Similarities & differences, effects & consequences, evidence, trends,

synthesis

•Divergent Questions: Application, predictions, recommendations

Applications to PLA at Empire State College

• Prior Learning Assessment – students can apply for credit based on college-level knowledge gained from life experience

• Application to PLA Guide for Administrative Services, with questions specified for this field: Describe what you do. Compare a real and hypothetical situation in this field. Identify informal “rules” in this field. Examine the role of a professional in this field. Apply your knowledge in a problem-solving situation. Identify critical issues in the field. Teach others. Offer additional information or evidence of your learning.

Global Learning Qualifications Framework

How it works…..

www.esc.edu/suny-real

Student Prompts are Embedded Describing Projects or Activities

Topic Identification in Mahara

Describing a Challenge

Digging Deeper

Workbook in Pebble Pad TM

What is a Problem I Solved?

• Specialized knowledge – what did I know about the situation?

• Applied knowledge – how did I use the info?

• Integrated knowledge – how did I solve the problem?

• Communication – how did I share the results?

• Information literacy – what resources did I use?

• Ethical responsibility – what issues did I need to consider?

• Socio-cultural engagement – who was impacted by the situation? How did I work with others to solve the problem?

• Self-regulated learning – what goals did I have to solve the problem?

Example – Information Literacy

Prompts:

•What resources did I use to solve a problem?

•What information did I collect to solve the problem?

Example – Information Literacy

Evidence: •Has examples of resources

– Internet sites

– Blogs/Discussions

– People: Peers/Supervisors/Experts

– Books/written materials

•Has examples of research projects– Problem to solve or question to answer

– Strategy plan to conduct research

– Research process (e.g., survey, interview, reading)

– Types of data collected

– Analysis of data

– Application of results

Example – Information Literacy

Descriptors: •Lower Level:

– Researches information and relevant data appropriate to solve problems or answer questions

– Collects, aggregates and retrieves information from a wide range of resources to reflect learning goals or address problems

•Upper Level:– Evaluates information sources for validity, accuracy, bias and

authorial strength

– Collaborates in gathering, developing and sharing information to solve problems

Questions?

Contact Information

Betty Hurley betty.hurley-dasgupta@esc.edu

Susan Oaks susan.oaks@esc.edu

SUNY Empire State College