Day 5 - 21 July 2023

Drawing upon more than 50 conversations with senior leaders across the globe, this presentation will describe what might be characterised as 'Five Crises' – the challenges and concerns keeping presidents, provosts and principals awake at night.

At the heart of these challenges are questions about the very purpose and value of the higher education experience. Around the world curriculum re-imagining abounds. Mapping the curriculum to deliver some mindset growth here, a soupçon of work-like learning there, a modicum of ethics, a dash of problem solving and lashings of communication!

Of course curricula have to be planned out in detail, and it’s important to evaluate what was ultimately delivered, but only latterly is it becoming increasingly essential to help learners make sense of what was actually received. It is in the student’s own planning and preparing, recording and reflecting, connecting and evidencing, and in sharing and showcasing that the learning lies. The five crises are real, and are testing many institutions around the world, but we know, and can show, how portfolio-thinking can save the day.

The Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) Teaching and Learning Commons (TL Commons) vision is to provide pedagogical leadership that is grounded in community, creativity, ethics, and care. To effectively implement ePortfolios across our institution in alignment with this vision, the TL Commons team must have a deep understanding of the value of folio thinking and how the use of ePortfolios can support reflective practices and professional development.  

Recognizing that professional ePortfolios could support the TL Commons team in developing a deeper understanding of folio thinking, reflecting on their professional skills and competencies, showcase excellence in their respective practices, and capturing the uniqueness of each team member's learning journey, an initiative was launched to support the development and sharing of professional ePortfolios across all roles in the TL Commons. 

Subsequently, this initiative highlighted the uniqueness of individual team members, their unique creativity, and experiences and generated opportunities for team building and collaborative meaning-making to understand the power of ePortfolios better.  

In this workshop, the KPU TL Commons Director of Learning Technologies and Educational Development, and a Teaching and Learning Strategist will showcase and discuss their respective professional ePortfolios and ePortfolio journeys’ impact on their departmental relationships their practices. 

Participants will leave this workshop considering their institutional or department culture and values and leave with new considerations for implementing and celebrating professional ePortfolios using a team-based approach.

Resources

• Slides for 'You're My Inspiration' as PDF

• Slides for 'You're My Inspiration' as PPTX

In the spirit of reflective pedagogy, Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) has been reflecting on the last 10 years of ePortfolio and identifying opportunities to improve the ePortfolio experience for both faculty and students. In this session, student senators, the Assistant Director of Student Life and Leadership, and ePortfolio team leaders will share reflective strategies, lessons learned, common priorities, awareness raising efforts, and opportunities to transform the ePortfolio initiative into a collaborative endeavor between students, faculty, and academic leaders. SLCC Student Association (SLCCSA) senators and the ePortfolio team conducted separate studies via surveys, forums, class visits, feedback forms, and 1:1 conversations with faculty, students, and administrators and are working together to imagine future directions. The facilitators will help participants who have already implemented ePortfolios look back and identify implementation/ongoing pain points and strategies to maximize the potential of ePortfolios on their campus by partnering with student leaders.

The core question of this workshop will be: What can we do better to more effectively integrate student voice when making college-wide decisions that impact students? This session can also help those who are just starting with ePortfolio identify impactful decision points and opportunities to partner with students.

Please join our international panel for a conversation about artificial intelligence! The session brings together three different perspectives on the intersection of AI, assessment, and ePortfolios. We'll touch on assessment challenges in higher education, risks and benefits of AI, designing better assignments with AI in mind, using alternative assessment practices, and preparing learners to use AI as a digital literacy tool. 

We are leaving plenty of room for your questions, so come with some of your own or ask an AI chatbot to recommend a few.

Reflection on this year's Annual Meeting and outlook on future events of AAEEBL and the wider portfolio community