Presentation of the Action Research project conducted by S. Porto and C. Walti on the adoption, implementation and support of e-portfolios as part of the Master of Distance Education program at UMUC. This was presented at the EDEN Research Workshop in Paris 2008.

1. Stella C. Porto
University of Maryland University College
Christine Walti
Anne Arundel Community College &
University of Maryland University College

2. Focus
 Ongoing research on the supporting and
expansion of MDE students eportfolios
 Effectiveness of current implementation
methodology
 Student preparation for the e‐portfolio activity
 Necessary support to life long e‐portfolios

3. Overview
 Context and landscape
 Action research activities & findings
 New strategies
 Action plan
 Initial pilot results

6. Context and landscape
UMUC
Online enrollment >
177,000
> 100 degree programs fully online
Head count > 86,000 2nd largest state
institution in the US
Enrollment > 272,000

7. Context and Landscape:
The Master of Distance Education

8. Context and Landscape:
The capstone course

9. Context and Landscape:
The capstone course

10. Context and Landscape:
The MDE e‐portfolio activity
 Deliverable of the capstone course
 During the capstone student also have to
complete a major research project
 Should serve as a ‘reflection’ of the MDE
journey and professional portrait for students

11. Action research activities &
findings
• Promoting the use of
learning journals
• MDE student lounge
• Continuous support:
answering students
questions
• No prescribed or
suggested activities
• Creation of the
eportfolio tutorial

12. Action research activities &
findings • Review of existing
e‐portfolios
• Survey with
students

13. Action research activities &
findings
 Major challenges
 Permanence
 Lack of necessary skill set
 Late start
 Lack of support
 Lack of institutional support
 Lack of correlation with the curriculum
 Lack of involvement of other stakeholders
 Grading
 Lack of structure and criteria for assessment

14. Action research activities &
findings
 Late start
 Permanence  Lack of correlation
 Lack of necessary with the curriculum
skill set  Lack of involvement of
 Lack of support other stakeholders
 Lack of
institutional
support  Grading
 Lack of structure
and criteria for
assessment

15. Action research activities &
findings
 Late start
 MDE
 Permanence eportfolio
 Lack of correlation
 Lack of necessary with the curriculum
orientation
skill set  Lack of involvement of
running every
 Use of web 2.0
 Lack of support other stakeholders
apps semester
 Lack of
institutional
 Default
support
institutional  Grading Rubric

limited  Lack of structure
 Direct ties to
support and criteria for
program
assessment
outcomes
assessment

16. Web 2.0
explosion of apps and services: social/sharing &
media rich

17. E‐portfolio using Web 2.0
apps (blog)

18. e‐portfolio Web 2.0 app

19. Rubric and assessment
Core Learning areas & MDE outcomes assessment plan

20. MDE eportfolio orientation

21. MDE eportfolio orientation:
pilot and feedback survey
How useful was the information shared
throughout the workshop? Average = 4.5 (Max. 5)
How useful was the interaction during the
workshop? Average = 3.9 (Max. 5)
What is the likelihood that you recommend this workshop to
another MDE peer? ? Average = 4.75 (Max. 5)

22. Final remarks
 Importance of continuing orientation
 Challenge of bringing in more stakeholders
 Technology issue
 Institutional support
 Pros
 Cons
 Web 2.0 advantage
 Next step
 Relationship with MDE program goals
 Assessment and use of rubric

23. Thank you…
Contact:
sporto@umuc.edu
christine.walti@uni-oldenburg.de >