The document discusses lessons learned from portfolio projects at the University of Michigan College of Engineering and MIT about how to keep college students motivated to work on their portfolios. It provides tips such as aligning portfolio goals with reflection, assessment and showcase; understanding what motivates different types of students; using peer facilitation; and embedding portfolios into the institutional culture. The ultimate vision is for all students to create portfolios that showcase their full range of experiences and help them become lifelong learners.

1. Keeping College Students Motivated With Their
Portfolios: Learnings from students at MIT and the
University of Michigan’s College of Engineering
AAEEBL Annual Portfolio Conference | July 31, 2013
Stacie Edington:
Emily Keller-Logan:
Susann Duff Luperfoy:

2. Seelio is a showcase portfolio provider for students and higher-ed institutions.

3. Seelio is a showcase portfolio provider for students and higher-ed institutions.

4. Michigan Engineering
ePortfolio Project
2013 AAEEBL Annual ePortfolio Conference

5. Michigan Engineering Plus
Michigan Engineers purposefully leverage the broad educational
experiences across the UM campus to enhance their education in
preparation for the challenges of the 21st century. Michigan
engineers gain substantial technical knowledgein an
engineering discipline while developing a multidisciplinary systems
oriented approach to problem solving. They will develop this
technical depth plus the additional competencies of:
Creativity &Innovation
Entrepreneurial Mindset
Intercultural Intelligence
Collaborative Spirit
Social & Environmental Responsibility
Effective Communication

6. “Develop an ePortfoliosystem
to allow student reflection
on the core competencies”

7. “Develop an ePortfoliosystem
for 5800 undergraduate students,
studying 15 engineering disciplines,
to allow student reflection
on the core competencies”

8. Implementation Plan
Phase 1: Pilot Groups
 Engineering Honors Program (55 students)
 Study Abroad in Kumasi, Ghana (20 students)
 Multidisciplinary Design Program (100 students)
Phase 2: First-year Program
 1280 first-year students
Phase 3: Just-in-Time integration
 Sophomore year through Senior Capstone

9. Emerging ePortfolio Goals
Development/Reflection
• Promotes intentional & integrative learning
Assessment
• ABET & Michigan Engineering Plus learning outcomes
• Assess student development at program level
Showcase
• Individual student creates digital story
• Michigan Engineering displays best work for
companies, alumni & prospective students

10. Project Goals
Development/Reflection Assessment
ShowcaseStudents
need this

11. Project Goals
Development/Reflection Assessment
Showcase
Departments
& programs
need this

12. Project Goals
Development/Reflection Assessment
Showcase
Students
want this!
Our students are
highly motivated
by opportunities
to showcase
their experience.

13. Tip #1: Align Goals
Reflection, Assessment orAND Showcase
• Create an interactive online showcase; allow
comments and “favorites”.
• Display evidence of reflection
• Use private or public tags to connect
experiences with competencies.

14. Tip #2: Know Your Students
Michigan Engineering Students:
• Tech-savvy
• Career focused
• Committed to co-curricular involvement

15. Tip #2: Know Your Students
Tech-Savvy Students
An engaging digital identity
• Facebook = “too frivolous”
• LinkedIn = “too boring”
Don’t let technology distract from the
process.
• Consider ease of use
• Allow alternate systems
• 80/20 test: less than 20% of your time should be
about the technology, so that 80% of your time can
be spent guiding the process.

16. Tip #2: Know Your Students
Career Focused
Communicate a valid problem statement
• “Employers tell us that today’s students have A+
resumes, but are failing in the interview room.”
Solution = ePortfolio work will help!
• STAR Interviewing Method
(Situation, Task, Action, Result)
• Length of answers from 20 seconds – 2 minutes
• “Can you clearly articulate the unique combination of
skills and experience that you offer?”

17. Tip #2: Know Your Students
Involved & Overcommitted
Deadline-driven
• Generate a sense of urgency
• Align deadlines with priority events like Career Fair
Potential Deadlines
• ePortfolio Forum
• Peer Review
• Featured in Michigan Engineering Gallery

18. “For the past 4 years at UM most of my time has
been spent taking a full class load in
engineering, working a part time job, and playing
on the club lacrosse team. The little free time that
I can squeak in-between is spent hanging out with
my roommates and friends from class. It’s
easy, when life is so crazy, to push off doing work
on your ePortfolio. It’s kind of like exercising while
at school. You know you should do it, and in fact
you enjoy doing it, but when it comes down to
prioritizing your time, unless you have someone
telling you when to do it, it will never get done.”

19. Tip #3: Peer Facilitation
Utilize a Peer Facilitation Model
• Creates ambassadors and generates
success stories (encourage authenticity)
• Important for scalability; enables
one-on-one interaction
• Sets standard for future students

20. Tip #4: Embed in the Culture
• Include ePortfolio in all existing “resume”
workshops
• Require for scholarship applications
• Give academic advisors access
• Communicate the value-proposition for faculty
to use in the classroom
• Change the way you talk about it!
Instead of “Do you have an ePortfolio?”
try saying “Add that to your ePortfolio.”

21. Lessons Learned
Tip #1 – Align Goals
Tip #2 – Know Your Students
Tip #3 – Peer Facilitation
Tip #4 – Embed in the Culture

22. A Vision for the Future
• Every Michigan Engineer creates a portfolio;
portfolios are embedded in the culture.
• Students set goals, reflect and connect their
learning experiences.
• Michigan Engineering proudly displays our
students’ full range of experiences.
• Michigan Engineers become life-long learners
and leaders who make a difference in their
fields.

23. 2
3
23

25. UPOP “Firm Skills” Curriculum
Engineering Effectiveness &
Active Career Strategy
• Classroom instruction, small
group and 1:1 coached
practice, MIT alums as
instructors, mentors and
employers
• Internships in
commercial, government and
non-profit sectors
• Reinforces and motivates
classroom learning

26. <insert photo of Walker from above
with students at tables>

29. Civil, 3
PoliSci, 5
HASS, 2
STS, 1
Management, 33
Civil, 8
MechE, 74
Material Sci, 27
EECS, 134
ChemE, 44
Aero/Astro, 24
Bio Eng, 33
Nuclear, 4
Chemistry, 9
Biology, 21
Physics, 22
Brain&Cog, 25
EAPS, 3
Econ, 18
Math, 46
Distribution of Student Majors

31. Questions and Answers
Stacie Edington, Program Officer
Michigan Engineering
Email: sjed@umich.edu
Susann Duff Luperfoy, Advisor
MIT UPOP
Email: luperfoy@mac.com
Emily Keller-Logan, University Engagement Director
Seelio
Email: emily@seelio.com