Using ePortfolios to Facilitate Transfer Student Success

Elaine M. Cooney; Elizabeth Freije; Mengyuan (Alice) Zhao

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: A Technology Potpourri I
Tagged Division: Engineering Technology
Page Count: 10
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--35463
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/35463
Download Count: 435

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Paper Authors

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Elaine M. Cooney Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis

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Elaine Cooney is a Professor and Program Director of Electrical Engineering Technology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. Elaine is a leader in the development of core competency documents for Engineering Technology for State of Indiana's Transfer Single Articulation legislation. She is also a Senior IDEAL Scholar with ABET, which means that she presents assessment workshops with other Senior IDEAL Scholars.

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Elizabeth Freije Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis

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Elizabeth Freije is a Lecturer in the Department of Engineering Technology at Purdue University, Indianapolis. She received her BS in Computer Engineering Technology with a minor in Mathematics. She received her Masters in Technology at Purdue University, Indianapolis. She teaches classes in programming languages, embedded micro-controllers, mobile devices, and programmable logic controllers.

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Mengyuan (Alice) Zhao Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis

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Mengyuan (Alice) Zhao is the Associate Director of Research and development at IUPUI CyberLab. Her team works on designing, developing and commercializing innovative educational technology tools. Their current project is CourseNetworking (or CN), an academic social networking based learning platform that is being used by learners and educators from more than 160 countries. CourseNetworking's most critical component is a social ePortfolio, which is institutions and educational programs to help their students collect, select, reflect on their learning and network with others who share similar academic interests.

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Abstract

Using ePortfolios to Facilitate Transfer Student Success Abstract This paper describes the use of an ePortolio to facilitate success as students transfer from a community college system to baccalaureate engineering technology programs as juniors. The ePortfolio is created as part of a transfer seminar course that meets just before and during their first semester at university. The course has three purposes: 1. Orient to the university 2. Synthesize learning from Associate of Science (AS) 3. Identify and complete any prerequisite knowledge for junior level courses. Some material may be included in the university freshman and sophomore course, but not included in associate of science courses at community college. The creation of an ePortfolio during the transfer seminar assists with the synthesis of previous learning and filling in any gaps in knowledge needed for rest of the BS plan of study. To guide the artifact selection for the ePortfolio, university faculty reviewed the state-wide core competencies and compared them to the pre-requisite knowledge required for junior level courses. The most important competencies were targeted for use in the ePortfolio. During the seminar class, students identify artifacts from their AS classes that demonstrate the competency, upload an electronic representation of the work, and write a reflection about how the artifact demonstrates their competence. The reflections are assessed by the faculty using rubrics published in the course management system. The ePortfolio tool is part of the CourseNetworking (CN) platform. CN has many advantages as an ePortfolio for this application, but the most important is that CN lets individual users own their ePortfolio for their lifetime; the site is not owned by the college or the university. Even after graduation or transferring to a new school, users may continue to access and maintain their CN ePortfolio, free of charge. This enables community college students to begin their artifact collection while taking their associate degree classes, and then complete their reflections after they transfer to the university. The use of ePortfolios and reflection on learning is an effective way to give students confidence as they begin a new program and to bridge any gaps in prerequisite knowledge.

Citation
Format

Cooney, E. M., & Freije, E., & Zhao, M. A. (2020, June), Using ePortfolios to Facilitate Transfer Student Success Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--35463

TY - CPAPER
AB - Using ePortfolios to Facilitate Transfer Student Success
Abstract
This paper describes the use of an ePortolio to facilitate success as students transfer from a community college system to baccalaureate engineering technology programs as juniors. The ePortfolio is created as part of a transfer seminar course that meets just before and during their first semester at university. The course has three purposes:
1. Orient to the university
2. Synthesize learning from Associate of Science (AS)
3. Identify and complete any prerequisite knowledge for junior level courses.
Some material may be included in the university freshman and sophomore course, but not included in associate of science courses at community college. The creation of an ePortfolio during the transfer seminar assists with the synthesis of previous learning and filling in any gaps in knowledge needed for rest of the BS plan of study.
To guide the artifact selection for the ePortfolio, university faculty reviewed the state-wide core competencies and compared them to the pre-requisite knowledge required for junior level courses. The most important competencies were targeted for use in the ePortfolio. During the seminar class, students identify artifacts from their AS classes that demonstrate the competency, upload an electronic representation of the work, and write a reflection about how the artifact demonstrates their competence. The reflections are assessed by the faculty using rubrics published in the course management system.
The ePortfolio tool is part of the CourseNetworking (CN) platform. CN has many advantages as an ePortfolio for this application, but the most important is that CN lets individual users own their ePortfolio for their lifetime; the site is not owned by the college or the university. Even after graduation or transferring to a new school, users may continue to access and maintain their CN ePortfolio, free of charge. This enables community college students to begin their artifact collection while taking their associate degree classes, and then complete their reflections after they transfer to the university.
The use of ePortfolios and reflection on learning is an effective way to give students confidence as they begin a new program and to bridge any gaps in prerequisite knowledge.

AU - Elaine M. Cooney
AU - Elizabeth Freije
AU - Mengyuan (Alice) Zhao
CY - Virtual On line
DA - 2020/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Using ePortfolios to Facilitate Transfer Student Success
UR - https://peer.asee.org/35463
DO - 10.18260/1-2--35463
ER -