My Goals for Implementing ePortfolios in English W280, Literary Editing and Publishing

Students create tangible products in this apprenticeship course, both solo and in small groups. An ePortfolio is a excellent way to showcase that work and share it with current editors of the genesis staff, along with other University stakeholders.  The ePortfolio asks and answers questions like, "What do I want to make? How do I want to make it?" From calls for submissions to content selection to layout and design, students are tasked with thinking critically about their creative choices. These choices are at the heart of any literary publication, and through the making of a magazine and the reflection that comes with sharing that product, students gain a richer experience. These decisions often are made collaboratively: students learn about the roles they will assume as editors, they advocate for work that represents a large and varied student body, and they are introduced to those in senior leadership at the magazine. 

I expected that this experience would be new to a majority of students; I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a substantial portion of the class had already created an ePortfolio, and our course artifacts were easily integrated. For those creating from scratch, we worked on low-stakes assignments and excerpts to build out the pages they wanted to make. 

By integrating ePortfolios into English W280, I hoped to learn a new skillset and help students think of ways to creatively capture and present their work to an audience outside of the classroom. By having an imagined audience in mind (current genesis editors; future employers), students seemed to elevate their own expectations for what they wanted to share more broadly. 

Reflection on the experience

During this grant, I was grateful for the freedom and flexibility to adapt ePortfolios to my students in the course and their attendant needs. Because creating Prototype Journals is a student-led activity, encouraging individuals and groups to chart their own path--and to seek assistance when they wanted to strategically veer in a new direction--kept interest levels and engagement high throughout the last weeks. Based on the submitted ePortfolios that have been completed as of early May, I've realized that integrating new things into preexisting content can happen without a lot of major course disruption. The course goals and skills we want to build remain at the forefront, and the ePortfolio enhances those things rather than detracting from our work. In fact, it's one more way to make the work visible and disseminate knowledge. 

It's easy to get into a routine with longtime teaching assignments, and I'm glad I had this opportunity to shake things up and add to my own toolkit. Students were able to meet the assignment at a variety of skill levels, and the overall result is a solid collection of student work, represented digitally for wider audiences beyond our classroom community.