HKAECT 2014 International Conference
The Effects of Change in Software on the Composition of and Reflection in Student ePortfolios
Howard Sanborn
Virginia Military Institute, Virginia, United States
sanbornhb@vmi.edu
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Abstract
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In this paper, I present the results of a multi-year study of student use of ePortfolios in a multi-disciplinary, core curriculum initiative. As part of the course requirements for this program, students are asked to complete summative reflective essays and submit them with their artifacts as part of their ePortfolios, regardless of discipline. In the past year, we have changed the software for these submissions, from a closed platform tied to the campus Learning Management System (LMS) to a third-party hosted version of the popular blogging software, Wordpress. I find that this change in software, in part, explains a significant rise in assessment scores — a function of the change in how students compose their ePortfolios with this new application.
Keywords: ePortfolio; Reflection; Culture; Multi-disciplinary
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Bio
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Dr. Sanborn is Associate Professor of International Studies at the Virginia Military Institute and served as Director of the VMI ePortfolio Project from 2012-2014. His research focuses on popular support for democratic institutions and the use of reflective pedagogy with eportfolios to teach about Asia. His articles have been featured in the British Journal of Political Science, Political Research Quarterly, and Political Behavior. Dr. Sanborn has been awarded the Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award, the Jackson-Hope Prize for Scholarly Work, and the Hinman Undergraduate Research Award. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Iowa in 2009.
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