Portfolios for Student Collection and Reflection
Presenter: Connie K. Varnhagen
Portfolios (electronic or otherwise) have many different purposes, includuing demonstrating development, assessing performance, showcasing exemplary work, reflecting on important concepts, or some combination of these.
The overall goal of this session is to rationally consider
ePortfolios in post secondary education and share experiences with ePortfolios.
I will present examples of different functions of ePortfolios and then solicit some examples of use from the audience. The goal of this part of the session is to reflect on the functions of ePortfolios and consider why were are using or not using them.
I will then present student data I have collected the past two years in my classes on reflecting on student learning. I will use this data, and examples from student ePortfolios, to demonstrate how
useful ePortfolios can be for hel ping students reflect in their learning experience, in a single class and across their programs. The goal of this part of the session is to help others consider how ePortfolios can serve an important pedagogical goal which is oftenoverlooked in post secondary education, namely the student's personal perspective on their learning and experiences.
Connie K. Varnhagen is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and a Faculty Associate with University Teaching Services at the University of Alberta. She has been conducting research on
pedagogically appropriate uses of instructional technology for over 20 years and supports instructors as they integrate technology into their classes.