Eportfolios was designed as a three-year pilot project, and is currently ending the second year of the pilot project.  The mission of ePortfolios:

ePortfolios enhances linkages between professional preparation, academic coursework, and technological applications by supporting students, courses, and project advancement through tutoring, project evaluation, and inter-departmental collaboration.

  We are advocating for two things during Year Three: the continuation of funding for the AAA-level pilot project.  Since this project was designed as a three-year pilot, it is critical that the level of funding for Year Three be maintained so that we can accomplish what we set out to do.  This project design is based on the best available models for eportfolios in professional schools and colleges, and in fact, extends the models in a much more comprehensive and flexible design.  Secondly, we would like to offer to the campus a year long pilot project composed of School of Journalism, College of Education, and AAA to share resources across our schools for the purposes of moving the conversation about a campus-wide eportfolios solution forward.  Year Two Goals and Accomplishments  

Mentor additional faculty in the development and use of ePortfolios. Continue workshops and trainings in design and applications specific to ePortfolios. Expand ePortfolios applications to other graduate student courses.

  We added Nancy Cheng, Architecture Faculty, to the project and she worked with the ePortfolios and SSIL to develop a course project gallery where she could house student projects from her studio course.  This served as a model for the hybrid/project gallery space of the website plan. (see Nancy’s assessment).  We offered workshops in ePortfolio development to AAA students through PODS.   Accomplishments: During the 2006-2007 academic year, ePortfolio tutors assisted students for approximately 140 hours in web hierarchy and architecture; design elements and design tools; and in the development, design, technical tools, and uploading of their ePortfolios onto a web server. Students learned the basics of design and design tools like Adobe’s Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop, which provide students to prepare ePortfolio designs, images, and documents. Students used 7 lab hours, uploading, and updating their ePortfolios. However, students used the majority of the Lab Tutor Sessions to learn and practice web development software tools such as Macromedia Dreamweaver and Fireworks for a total of 43.5 hours.       Ad hoc group IT Symposium Project Gallery Web Development Columbia College PODS workshops   Focus: Platform for ePortfolio (web development); Organizational system (PODS); Interdicsiplinarity (ad-hoc group)  

First, e wanted to focus this year on identifying an effective vehicle to disseminate ePortfolios throughout AAA.  We were fairly confident in the system and organizational structure we had established, but needed to find ways to meet the needs of the interdisciplinary school.  We have focused ePortfolios on finding solutions to meet specific and local needs.  So, we began the research and development phase for developing a platform and system flexible and responsive to the different disciplinary standards in a school that houses programs from Public Policy to Architecture and Digital Arts. We began conversations with web developers across campus. We began conversations with SSIL in December 06 on working with us to develop our multi-functional eportfolio website.  Ultimately, we only successful with one level of the development process, and this was the Architecture project gallery for Nancy Cheng’s ARCH 384 site.  At the same time, Andre Chinn was piloting PLONE in the School of Journalism, and as a result of conversations with the ad hoc group, we determined that this open source content management system would be better suited to the multi-functional and flexible system that we conceived.  This research and development process is the basis for what we have proposed for Year Three.   Secondly, We ascertained the best delivery mechanism for ePortfolio was through PODS, rather than through identifying faculty in individual departments and programs.  To this end, we continued planning with PODS on delivering workshops in ePortfolio development, sharing resources, and aligning our program strengths and goals.  With PODS, we presented ePortfolios at the Spring AAA Career Fair and Board of Visitors, to a very favorable review.  Additionally, we again offered ePortfolio development workshops to AAA students through PODS during Spring term.     Accomplishments:   Fall, 2006                             One additional AAA faculty added to project from Architecture                             Millrace Lab tutoring and project support continues.                             Evaluation continues.             

Students enroll in Internship I (AAD 604), and begin to develop ePortfolio content materials. Students enroll in Advanced Information Design and Presentation (AAD 585). Web R&D Begun Campus-wide ePortfolio ad hoc group begins

Winter, 2007                             EPortfolio tutoring continues                             Web R & D with SSIL begins                             Campus-wide ePortfolio ad hoc group continues                             Planning for PODS workshops                             Planning for Career Fair and BOV                             Spring 2008              AAD graduate students continue to develop ePortfolios.                             Project Planning for Year Three                             EPortfolio presentation at the campus IT Symposium

Students enroll in Internet Media (AAD 585) and develop ePortfolio websites.

                            Student and GTF support continues.                             PODS ePortfolio intensives

Additional AAA students added to ePortfolio.                             Interactive ePortfolio presentation at AAA Career Fair

                            Met with Columbia College, Chicago, ePortfolio group                             Proposal for interdisciplinary ePortfolio initiative, 2007-2008

Planning for campus-wide and international communication and development  

We met and exceeded each of the goals stated above within AAD and AAA, and are beginning to look at the possibilities of extending ePortfolios to other departments on campus, such as the School of Journalism and the College of Education.    The goals of the three year pilot project were:   II. Problems in execution and department/school support   III. Restate Goals and Revised Goals

Year Three              Continue to expand AAA departments involved, and other schools on campus. Increase visibility of eportfolios through conference presentations and workshops. Explore feasibility of expanding eportfolios to include undergraduate fine and performing arts students and faculty.

      We received funding from the Ed Tech committee as a multi-year project.  At the end of Year One, we submitted extensive program evaluation materials, in addition to the re-application materials requested by the Educational Technology Committee.  The recommendations from the Ed Tech Committee for Year Two were:     In response to the Ed Tech Committee’s request, and in line with our Year Two goals, we focused on establishing vehicles for extending ePortfolios throughout AAA; began conversations with School of Journalism and the College of Education about partnerships across campus in ePortfolio applications, continued to research applications for ePortfolios in other colleges and universities, and began the development phase for a comprehensive ePortfolio website and database.  We have been in an extensive research and development phase for a comprehensive website and database that will function in three ways: full public student professional eportfolios, hybrid public/private space that is course-based where students and faculty post and archive course projects, is searchable, and which has project collaboration functions; and a fully private site to track student learning throughout their academic career.   Our vision and proposal is based on the best models currently available, and is designed to address the unique composition of the professional schools involved.  We have put into place a system that can be expanded upon to meet the deliverables of each of these goal sets.      Our goals for Year Three:  

1. To offer ePortfolios to all AAA students.  We will do this through: a. The development of a comprehensive website and database using the open-source

content management system now being piloted by School of Journalism, PLONE.  In

order to accomplish this, we need dedicated human resource time from AAA web developer, Ed Parker, to work with Eric Schiff and Andre Chinn during the Summer of 07.  the website will allow students to create and manage their eportfolio accounts, for faculty to establish course gallery sites (which can be used to communicate with alumnis), and will include a searchable database that will serve to connect students and faculty with the professional community and alumnis. Each department will have a page with these various functionalities that can be activated according to faculty, student, and department needs.

b. PODS – students will be offered courses and workshops in tools development, eportfolio content, and eportfolio development throughout the year.  Eportfolio tutors are available for one-on-one supplemental tutoring to enhance workshops and classes, and to optimize the chances of students successfully posting their eportfolios. PODS would work with ePortfolios to work with the BOV and alumns to connect the website through a Professional Advisory Board, similar to portfolio review process now in place.

c. Digital Media Task Force may be used as a vehicle to update faculty, and to solicit input on department-specific issues relative to epotfolio.  This would be part of our pilot-phase during Year Three, and include extensive program evaluation across departments.

d.  

Based on the recommendations from Ed Tech, and our research and conversations across, we propose the following the Year Three of the pilot project:               AAA

Dedicated resources and priority from the Dean’s level in AAA to offer eportfolios to all faculty and students.  We have identified three primary vehicles for delivery:               Students: PODS and ePortfolio tutors               Faculty: Digital Media Task Force