DLweP suggests completing the following "History of the Future" exercise (pg. 4) before beginning:
"Imagine that your ePortfolio project is completed and that it succeeded in all of its goals. You are to appear tomorrow at a press conference to explain what you have accomplished. Write a press release to distribute at this meeting, explaining in a few paragraphs what it is that you have accomplished, who is benefiting from ePortfolios, why they are important tools for documenting learning (what problem does there use solve and why did it need to be solved in the first place?), and what it was that you did that led to or caused this success."
Writing a press release feels a little too forced for me, but I can identify what the problem is, why it needs to be solved, and how (I think) ePortfolios are the solution.
(1) The problem / Why it needs to be solved
In my astronomy classes I've noticed that many students can complete traditional homework assignments, prepare for exams, and do we ll on exams, BUT a conversation with them will reveal that their understanding is shallow, or worse, a week after the test, the knowledge is gone. This is my problem-
Traditional assessments are often shallow and short-lived.
Students are finishing the semester without incorporating much of the subject matter. If our goal is to have students fulfill a course's learning outcomes, then we are failing. Our standard tools of assessment aren't measuring student learning.
(2) Why (I think) ePortfolios are the solution
ePortfolios can probe deeper and be more meaningful than any homework assignment or in-class test. ePortfolio assignments can be a resource students refer to throughout the semester (and perhaps even beyond).
(3) What "success" looks like
My feeling is a student knows something if they are able to explain it to someone else. A successful ePortfolio will have students presenting information in a cogent and engaging way to both me and their peers.
Successful learning means students have a deep understanding of the most important topics presented in astronomy. They are not only able to answer questions correctly, but they are able to make connections among material covered throughout the semester (i.e., how the topics from week one relate to topics in week ten.) They are able to make connections to material covered in astronomy, other subjects, and their own lives. By the end of the semester, they have perspective of the size and scale of the cosmos, as well as Earth's place, and humanity's place within it.
"Imagine that your ePortfolio project is completed and that it succeeded in all of its goals. You are to appear tomorrow at a press conference to explain what you have accomplished. Write a press release to distribute at this meeting, explaining in a few paragraphs what it is that you have accomplished, who is benefiting from ePortfolios, why they are important tools for documenting learning (what problem does there use solve and why did it need to be solved in the first place?), and what it was that you did that led to or caused this success."
Writing a press release feels a little too forced for me, but I can identify what the problem is, why it needs to be solved, and how (I think) ePortfolios are the solution.
(1) The problem / Why it needs to be solved
In my astronomy classes I've noticed that many students can complete traditional homework assignments, prepare for exams, and do we ll on exams, BUT a conversation with them will reveal that their understanding is shallow, or worse, a week after the test, the knowledge is gone. This is my problem-
Traditional assessments are often shallow and short-lived.
Students are finishing the semester without incorporating much of the subject matter. If our goal is to have students fulfill a course's learning outcomes, then we are failing. Our standard tools of assessment aren't measuring student learning.
(2) Why (I think) ePortfolios are the solution
ePortfolios can probe deeper and be more meaningful than any homework assignment or in-class test. ePortfolio assignments can be a resource students refer to throughout the semester (and perhaps even beyond).
(3) What "success" looks like
My feeling is a student knows something if they are able to explain it to someone else. A successful ePortfolio will have students presenting information in a cogent and engaging way to both me and their peers.
Successful learning means students have a deep understanding of the most important topics presented in astronomy. They are not only able to answer questions correctly, but they are able to make connections among material covered throughout the semester (i.e., how the topics from week one relate to topics in week ten.) They are able to make connections to material covered in astronomy, other subjects, and their own lives. By the end of the semester, they have perspective of the size and scale of the cosmos, as well as Earth's place, and humanity's place within it.