the blackboard portfolio tool: features and uses

The Blackboard Portfolio Tool:Features and Uses

August 8, 2017

© 2017 Northern Illinois University

Presenter

Stephanie RichterAssistant Director Faculty Development and Instructional Design CenterNorthern Illinois University

srichter@niu.edu@slrichter

Agenda

• Background information

• Blackboard Portfolios: Features and examples

• Campus-wide implementation process

• Portfolio usage across campus

• Considerations

Background Information

Northern Illinois University Overview

• Main campus in DeKalb, ILlocated 65 miles West of Chicago

• Total enrollment: 19,015

• 1,174 Instructional faculty

• Student to instructor/faculty ratio: 15:1

Why the Institutional Emphasis on Portfolios?

NIU PLUS Taskforce

High Impact Practices (HIP’s)

Focus on student retention and success

Who has taught with portfolios (electronic or paper)?

Overview of Portfolios

8 Presentation Footer – Edit in Insert Menu > Header & Footer (then Apply to All)

Portfolios

A “collection of work and reflections that together describe learning experiences and professional accomplishments.”

Source: https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-talk/e-portfolios-creating-your-professional-identity

Purpose of Portfolios

Learning

Showcase “best work”

Assessment

Employment

How might you use a portfolio?

Blackboard Portfolios:

Features

Building Portfolios

o Add artifacts from files or from prior Blackboard Assignment submissions

o Embed media directly in the page

o Customize and preview features

o Manage multiple portfolios for different purposes

o Use templates for standardized portfolios

Grading Portfolios

o Faculty can create an Assignment with Portfolio Submission enabled

o If Portfolio Submission is enabled, students can only submit a Portfolio

o Faculty can grade and provide feedback as usual in the Grade Center

Sharing Portfolios

o Share snapshots internally with institution users

o Share snapshots externally with people outside the institution

o Download entire portfolio as zip file for future use and portability

Sample Portfolios

Brief Demonstration

Any questions I’ve missed?

Portfolio Usage At NIU

Usage

• First Year Composition

o Students create portfolios with their best work

o FYC team reviews the portfolio for writing assessment

Usage

• Family, Consumer, and Nutrition Sciences

o Students create professional portfolios in a capstone course

Usage

• School of Nursing

o Students submit specific key assignments as a portfolio

o Faculty assess portfolio for program effectiveness

Usage

• Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment

o Students create portfolios to complete their Master’s degree, in lieu of a thesis or exam

o Portfolio are assessed for competency; students must pass to graduate

Considerations

Considerations

• Provide support to students, such as training or samples

• Use Portfolio Assignments when grading a portfolio, instead of Sharing

• Students can create Artifacts from within a course, saving their work for future use in a Portfolio

• Templates help students to know what to do, and you can require that they keep a consistent structure

go.niu.edu/portfolios

Presenter

Stephanie RichterAssistant Director Faculty Development and Instructional Design CenterNorthern Illinois University

srichter@niu.edu@slrichter