This is a space for you to document your ePortfolio Institute experience, from the initial proposal to your final report at the end of your semester integration.
Reflecting campus priorities to support equitable access to engaged learning for all IU Indianapolis students, the Institute for Engaged Learning (IEL) will focus the 2025-2026 academic year funding to support ePortfolio integration at the course level. The goal is to increase, improve, and sustain ePortfolios as part of the curricular structure assignments and activities in a course or series of courses. Given this priority, we seek new and veteran faculty dedicated to implementing ePortfolios in new ways or deepening/transforming their ePortfolio-engaged initiatives in credit-bearing experiences. For applications that meet these criteria, the IEL will offer support through additional funding streams, summer/faculty development session, communities of practice [CoP], and online resources.
Building ePortfolios as Collaborative Digital Publication in First-Year Writing
Course: ENG-W131: Reading, Writing & Inquiry
Format: Face-to-face, two sections, ~50 students total
Student Population: First-year students, majority first-generation
W131 students complete three major writing projects, multiple reflections, and develop reading/writing/inquiry skills across 16 weeks. But traditional portfolio assignments result in:
End-of-semester panic as students compile and reflect on work retroactively
Private submissions with no audience beyond the instructor
Missed connections between academic coursework and career preparation
First-generation students (our primary population) view writing courses as isolated requirements, not professional development. They finish without recognizing their work as transferable skills or portfolio-worthy credentials.
This grant introduces The Inquiry—a collaborative digital publication where students build individual ePortfolio pages within one Google Site per semester. Instead of private portfolios, students publish work publicly for authentic audiences (peers, faculty, employers, families, IU Indianapolis community).
Key Changes:
Scaffolded reflection throughout — not end-of-semester dump
Incremental building — students capture learning in the moment as skills develop
Public publication — students write knowing real readers will access their work
Collaborative community — all students contribute to one semesterly "issue"
Portable credentials — ePortfolio link + GenAI 101 badges shareable on résumés/LinkedIn
Students address all four W131 course goals + two NACE Career Readiness Competencies (Communication and Critical Thinking) with specific evidence from their work.
Impact
Students recognize W131 as career preparation, not just a course requirement. They leave with:
Published ePortfolio in The Inquiry (shareable professional link)
GenAI 101 badges (verified digital credentials)
Evidence of NACE competencies (Communication + Critical Thinking articulated with specific examples)
Portfolio piece usable for internships, jobs, graduate school applications
Optional Showcase submission (IU Indianapolis-wide visibility)
First-year students see explicit connections between academic writing and professional development. The Inquiry archives grow over time, creating visible record of first-year writer development at IU Indianapolis.
Make Integration and Growth Visible Through Scaffolded Reflection
Help students explicitly recognize how their learning connects across the semester. Students already develop impressive reading, writing, and inquiry skills through embodied practices and multimodal composition. I want them to see these connections in real-time, capture learning as it happens, and articulate growth with specific evidence—not retroactively at semester's end.
Transform Student Perception of First-Year Writing
Shift how first-generation students, especially those in health sciences and STEM, perceive W131: from "just a requirement I have to get through" to "foundational professional development that prepared me for my career." This mindset shift matters deeply. When students see their writing as career preparation—complete with published portfolio and portable credentials—they invest differently.
Create Authentic Audience and Real Stakes
Give students genuine reason to care about revision, reflection, and polish. When work is published in The Inquiry for peers, faculty, families, and potential employers to see, students write with purpose. Authentic audience transforms motivation.
Why I Chose to Integrate ePortfolios
W131 already involves significant reflective and integrative work. Students complete three major projects (narrative, research, reflection), engage in embodied reading practices, write multiple They Say/I Say responses, and develop as writers across 16 weeks. It's authentic, rigorous, transformative work.
Yet traditional portfolio assignments create predictable problems:
The End-of-Semester Crunch: Students scramble to compile 15 weeks of work and write reflections about learning they can barely remember. Reflection becomes performative rather than genuine.
The Private Submission Problem: Students write for an audience of one (me). There's no authentic reason to revise carefully or present professionally. No one beyond the instructor ever sees the work.
The Missing Career Connection: First-generation students finish without recognizing they've developed Communication and Critical Thinking competencies. They can't articulate these skills when employers ask "Tell me about your writing experience" or "How do you approach complex problems?"
I'm not inventing new assignments. I'm making existing learning visible, integrated, and portable.
What Questions Will This Address?
For Students:
How do I connect my narrative writing, research work, and reflections into a cohesive learning story?
What professional skills am I developing in this "writing course" that matter for my career?
How do I translate what I learned in W131 into language employers and graduate programs understand?
What evidence can I provide when asked about communication or critical thinking skills?
Why does this published work matter beyond getting a grade?
For the Field:
How do we scaffold ePortfolio reflection throughout a semester instead of dumping it at the end?
What does authentic audience look like in first-year writing courses?
How can collaborative digital publication deepen student engagement with course goals?
How do we help first-generation students recognize writing courses as career preparation?
What role do portable credentials (published ePortfolios, digital badges) play in student motivation?
Connection to Course SLOs and PLUS Profiles
W131 Course Goals (SLOs):
Goal 1: Develop strategies for reading rhetorically
Goal 2: Develop strategies for writing rhetorically
Goal 3: Develop meaningful questions to engage in inquiry
Goal 4: Identify yourself as a writer who controls your own processes
ePortfolio Integration: Students write individual reflections addressing each goal as they develop the skill (not at semester's end). Final ePortfolio synthesizes growth across all four goals with specific evidence from projects.
NACE Career Readiness Competencies (Primary Focus):
Communication: Clearly exchange information, ideas, and perspectives
Critical Thinking: Identify and respond to needs based on situational context and logical analysis
ePortfolio Integration: Students write dedicated reflections with concrete evidence of how they developed each competency through W131 work. Published ePortfolio becomes evidence they can share with employers.
IU Indianapolis PLUS Profiles:
✚ Communicator: Students express learning in multimodal formats, adapting for different audiences
✚ Problem Solver: Students articulate integration of learning to solve complex problems
✚ Innovator: Students demonstrate investigation and problem-solving processes
✚ Community Contributor: Students show contributions through curated artifacts and cohesive reflections
ePortfolio Integration: The Inquiry as collaborative publication positions students as contributors to scholarly community. Published work demonstrates all four PLUS dimensions.
Explain why you chose to integrate ePortfolios? What questions will they address? How will they connect to SLOs and The Profiles?
What expectations did you have going into this experience?
What did you wish to gain from this experience?
Include your original syllabus from BEFORE implementing ePortfolios into your course.
NOTE: You may have to upload to Google Sites first, then try to add it into the 'placeholder'.
This is your PUBLIC FACING syllabus.
NOTE: You may have to upload to Google Sites first, then try to add it into the 'placeholder'.
As Primary Investigator for this ePortfolio Institute grant, I will design, implement, and assess scaffolded ePortfolio integration in ENG-W131: Reading, Writing & Inquiry I during Fall 2026. My focus is on transforming traditional end-of-semester portfolio compilation into incremental, reflective ePortfolio building with authentic public audience through The Inquiry digital publication model.
Attend ePortfolio Institute kickoff (May 8, 2026)
Build The Inquiry Google Site (staging environment for Fall 2026)
Design student ePortfolio template with all required sections and guiding prompts
Create Canvas course pages integrating NACE competencies, APA instruction, AI literacy, and ePortfolio Showcase information
Develop assignment sheets with ePortfolio checkpoint requirements
Complete 1:1 consultation with FLC facilitator
Fall 2026 Implementation: TBD
Assessment & Documentation:
Administer ePortfolio Institute pre/post surveys
Track IU Indianapolis Showcase submission rates
Gather data on students sharing ePortfolio links externally
Participate in 2 FLC Zoom check-ins and 2 Communities of Practice sessions
Published The Inquiry Fall 2026 with 50 student ePortfolio pages
Final report documenting outcomes and lessons learned
Presentation at department meeting
Presentation at Plater-Moore Symposium or professional conference
Ongoing documentation via ePortfolio Institute Google Site page
This work represents my commitment to making learning visible and transferable for first-generation students, helping them recognize first-year writing as foundational career preparation.
Co-PI: None. I am the sole investigator for this grant.
Explain what you will do during this experience. If you have a Co-PI, introduce/explain that role as well. *If you have a Co-PI, you can share these Google tabs--no need to create a duplicate.
Later, you can return to this area to comment on obstacles, opportunities, and outcomes--then link to your December Progress report and Final Report.
Why this is a good sample from my class--which part is especially strong? Link to/feature THAT page.
Why this is a good sample from my class--which part is especially strong? Link to/feature THAT page.
Why this is a good sample from my class--which part is especially strong? Link to/feature THAT page.
Explain what you learned/valued during this experience. [This is a short version of what you describe in depth in the Progress Report and Final Report, which can be added to this page as PDFs -or- copied/pasted as subtabs: this is your area to manage.]
What did you learn during this experience? What do you think your students learned? How did this influence your ideas of ePortfolios as a pedagogy? ePortfolios as a tool for reflection? Did you improve on any current skills you have?
What can you take with you from this experience? Is there anything you learned that can be applied to other areas of your academic or professional life?
If you would like, you can share artifacts below. These might be assignments, rubrics, samples, classroom photos, survey results, your own ePortfolio, and more.
Institute recipients have been asked to...
Present at a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) or Community of Practice (COP) Zoom for the Institute
Share aspects of their work with peers [department chairs, program cohorts/faculty, department faculty meeting]
Response to a Call for Proposals (CFP) or Consider presenting or publishing locally, nationally, or internationally [optional]
Use the space below to highlight this.
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As you finalize your Faculty Annual Review, you are welcome to link to your Participant Page on the ePortfolio Institute website as verification of your involvement and integration of ePortfolios into your course.
You can list work you completed with ePortfolios in one area on Elements -or- you can divide your IEL experiences to cover the scope of your work in a more detailed/accurate way.
As part of the ePortfolio Institute you can document that:
AWARDED FUNDING: As a finalist/participant in the "When Done Well" ePortfolio Institute: You responded to a CPF [75% acceptance rate] and were awarded $2,500 in funding for integration of ePortfolios into your course
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: You participated in professional development as part of the "When Done Well" High-Impact Curricular Engagement workshop series
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: You participated in the ePortfolio Community of Practice
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: You participated in the ePortfolio Faculty Learning Community
SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING [SOTL]: You supported opportunities for your students to participate in a multi-year, ePortfolio study of student perceptions of ePortfolio curriculum and the benefits of ePortfolio integration into the curriculum
INVITED PRESENTATION: As an invited presenter, you presented your ePortfolio work in an IUI, Institute for Engaged Learning, COP: Zoom webinar
OPEN-SOURCE, COHORT PUBLICATION: You had the option to publish your work in an open-source ePortfolio pedagogy website which includes details of your ePortfolio integration experiences, samples of students' work, and reflection
You received an email verifying your completion of the Institute. If you need this for your annual review, a copy of this email is available on your Participant page.
If you need other information, documentation, or support related to your IEL Institute as you finish your annual review, feel free to email me.