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Learning Assessment Activities

ePortfolios

Traditional assignments usually provide a snapshot of the student's understanding on a point system, and it can often leave students in the dark about their areas of strength as well as those they need to develop. However, using an ePortfolio can provide a space for students to reflect on their experiences to deepen their learning. This allows faculty to assess the learning of the student over a period of time and provide guidance through constructive feedback within the ePortfolio. Through these faculty interactions, students can continue to refine and draw connections that will shape their personal growth journey as well as develop a tool that showcases their skills to potential employers or transfer institutions. 

Benefits of Creating ePortfolios: 

  • Student assesses their own skills through reflection
  • Student are more competitive in job market - adds value to application or resume
  • Faculty/staff/programs can view student growth throughout ePortfolio completion
  • Multiple portfolios can be created - academic or professional goals
  • Assessed artifacts can be gathered from instructors across campus/disciplines

 

ePortfolios as a High Impact Practice
  • Set performance expectations at appropriately high levels, and effectively communicate these expectations to students
  • Encourage students to invest significant and meaningful time and effort on authentic, complex tasks over an extended period of time
  • Add meaningful interactions amongst students and between faculty and students about substantive matters
  • Challenge students’ ways of thinking, increase interactions with individuals with experiences and life experiences different from their own, experiences with diversity
  • Provide frequent, timely and constructive feedback
  • Increase periodic, structured opportunities to reflect and integrate learning
  • Provide opportunities to discover relevance of learning through real-world applications, or add a real-world/authentic experience
  • Add a public demonstration of competence
  • AAC&U Resource: https://www.aacu.org/trending-topics/high-impact

While there are many different ePortfolio platforms, San Antonio College features the use and support of the eLumen ePortfolio. It is an online software platform used to store digital collections of artifacts such as writing samples and presentations, but it can be so much more as a High Impact Practice (HIP).

Types of ePortfolios
  • Showcase/Career Development
  • Teaching & Learning
    • Demonstrate learning and the learning process. Often shared with other students to elicit peer feedback. Learning portfolios support the idea of formative feedback as an essential part of the learning process.
  • Programmatic Assessment
    • Demonstrate attainment of general education competencies using quality evidence (student artifacts). Contain formative and summative assessments feedback from the college, departments and instructors.

 

Students: Click here for help getting started with Student ePortfolio Guides

Faculty & Staff: Click here to learn more about ePortfolios through the self-paced Canvas course.