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10 Questions about bPortfolios
This presentation provides answers to ten common questions about bPortfolios that students have when the are first introduced to this tool for reflecting and documenting their learning, and working towards competency on program standards.
The questions:
- What is a blog?
- What is an electronic portfolio?
- What is a bPortfolio?
- Who is the audience?
- What are we supposed to blog about?
- How often should we blog?
- What about privacy concerns?
- How are tags and categories used to organize content?
- Can I create my own categories?
- What tags should we be using?
Learning how to assess learning portfolios
David Wicks, Assistant Professor, Director of Instructional Technology, Seattle Pacific University
Andrew Lumpe, Professor, Associate Dean, School of Education, Seattle Pacific University
Abstract: When institutions switch from a program assessment system to individual learning portfolios, students spend more time reflecting upon, personalizing, and documenting their work. During such a transition, assessment design becomes more challenging. Alignment of artifacts to program standards is essential to ensure continuity of learning and program documentation. We describe a transition from a sterile electronic portfolio system to a learner centered, reflective blogging portfolio (bPortfolio) using free WordPress.com accounts. Session attendees will receive access to examples of portfolio entries, assessment rubrics, and strategies for using four types.
Presented at the 3rd Annual Emerging Technologies for Online Learning Symposium in San Jose, California on July 22, 2010.
Can an iPad replace textbooks?
Dear iPad Owners,
I hope you had a great first day with your new purchase. Did you stay up late last night reading a novel? Was it sitting there on your night stand, tuned to your favorite newspaper when you woke up this morning? Any chance there is a “Make Coffee” app?
Okay, I must admit that I am a little jealous of you. Given all the negative press, it was a bold move to stand in line at the Apple Store or at your front door waiting for the UPS guy. I was tempted to join you but kept telling myself I must resist… No camera… Price needs to be lower… Is the Apple Store still open?… No 3G yet (forget 3G, I’m waiting for 4G)… Too many proprietary peripherals… Are there any left?… Just a big iPhone… No multitasking… Where are my car keys?
Well, I made it through my first full day without buying an iPad. Good for my bank account but not so good for my mind as it is racing with lots of questions for you. As an instructional technologist, my first questions revolve around how the iPad can benefit education. Specifically, I am interested in the iPad’s ability to replace textbooks. What are your first impressions about the iPad’s ability to address major issues other eReaders have encountered when attempting to replace traditional texts?
(I am expanding on three issues Weili Dai raised in a recent eSchoolNews article.)
- Currency – Will it be easy to update an eText, allowing content to maintain currency? How will readers know if an an update has been made?
- Cost – Will eTexts be reasonably priced? Are open texts and existing PDF-formatted articles easy to access?
- Weight – Do you quickly get tired holding the iPad in common reading positions?
- Reliability – Does the eReader app respond in a consistent manner during common electronic reading activities? (e.g. turning pages, jumping to the table of contents, searching for key words, looking up definitions)
- Notes-worthy – How easy is it to take notes? Are there options to embed notes within texts or export notes to a word processing document?
- Accessibility – Can a text be read to you? Are there learning disabilities affordances such as highlighting words or groups of words as they are being read? How easy is it to change font sizes? Are there options for users with limited use of their fingers?
Well that’s all for now. Hopefully you can respond to this message using WordPress’s new iPad app. I appreciate any help you can provide as I wait for the perfect tablet computing device… Do you think BestBuy has any left?
Thanks,
David
Part 9 – bPortfolio: Step 6 Using a rubric to help write posts
Part 8 – bPortfolio: Step 5 Sharing your portfolio
Part 7 – bPortfolio: Step 4 Creating your “About” pages
Part 6 – bPortfolio: Step 3 Entering Your First Post (Reflection)
About
David Wicks
Educational Technology
I have been active in the instructional technology world for over 20 years. My previous positions include: high school teacher, university lecturer, school district technology facilitator, multimedia author, and project manager for an educational technology company. My current position is Director of Instructional Technology at Seattle Pacific University. As Director, I regularly consults with faculty on effective uses of technology. I have been involved in the development of numerous online and blended courses. In addition, I have taught face-to-face, blended, and online courses in the School of Education for over ten years.
Recent projects include: developing a Web 2.0 electronic portfolio system based on WordPress, creating a feature-comparison matrix for lecture capture solutions, and leading SPU’s iTunes U project. I am an Associate Editor for MERLOT’s Teacher Education Editorial Board. I served as program chair for the 2013 International Symposium for Emerging Technologies in Online Learning, and will be the conference chair for the 2014 conference. Currently, I facilitate faculty learning communities on topics such as learning spaces, active learning, blended learning, and mobile learning.
