describes use of a framework and prompts in a template to help students identify learning gained through many sources

1. Using ePortfolios to Document and Assess
Learning: Experiences with PebblePad
Betty Hurley, Ph.D.
Susan Oaks, Ph.D.
AAEEBL
July 29, 2014

2. 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

3. With this shift in emphasis
• Assessing learning based on pre-determined outcomes
Shifts to
• Assessing learning in process

4. 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.

5. Common Student Assessment Issues
• Practicing reflective thinking
• Comparing learning to criteria or standards
• Providing good evidence
• Understanding the nature of college-level learning

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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?

9. 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?

10. 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?

11. 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?

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. Global Learning Qualifications Framework

16. How it works…..
www.esc.edu/suny-real

17. Student Prompts are Embedded Describing Projects
or Activities

18. Topic Identification in Mahara

19. Describing a Challenge

20. Digging Deeper

21. Workbook in Pebble Pad TM

23. 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?

24. Example – Information Literacy
Prompts:
•What resources did I use to solve a problem?
•What information did I collect to solve the
problem?

25. 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

26. 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

27. Questions?

28. Contact Information
Betty Hurley betty.hurley-dasgupta@esc.edu
Susan Oaks susan.oaks@esc.edu
SUNY Empire State College