Technological Challenges
Since the students clearly developed as reflective practitioners, we felt challenged to reflect upon our own roles in the development of the WPS Eports software as well as the entire Work and Professional Studies curriculum. We had spent a good deal of time during the 02-03 academic year planning out the integration of the electronic portfolio system with the WPS curriculum. During that time we had decided to try and create a hybrid electronic portfolio system. That is, we saw student-designed, html-based electronic portfolios -- of the type that Kathleen Yancey (2004) has advocated -- as potentially too technologically intimidating for some of the WPS students. But we also saw the database-driven, institution-centered electronic portfolios that Trent Batson (2001) calls dynamic eportfolios to be somewhat alienating and insufficient in allowing student ownership and control. As a result, we decided in Spring 03 to base our eportfolio system on the fundamentally database-driven OSP software, but we modified that software to give more technologically savvy students the option to modify their own presentation portfolios. In other words, the electronic portfolio system would constrain the interface as students were developing their portfolios, but when students were ready to present their materials as a final version, they could either use a given template or add their own html.
Because of the minor technological difficulties we encountered during Fall 03 and the major technological difficulties we encountered during Spring 04, the students and instructor often were faced with the question of what to do when the technology does not work. Over time, they devised the following activities to address that question:
- Rather than downplaying the technological problems, we included student frustrations and coping as part of the course and created a discussion board within Blackboard as a place where students could vent.
- Perhaps more importantly, we let the content drive the course rather than any particular technological software. In other words, it was far more important that the course was focused on work and students reflecting on their experiences at work than on creating an electronic portfolio using particular software.
- The students also used videoconference sessions to discuss assumptions about technology, its use, and the role of humans with technology. They explicitly explored:
- How could we refocus on our goals?
- How could we regroup when the technology isn't working?
- What lessons learned could we apply to our work lives?
- Finally, the students used Blackboard to continue articulating their work skill areas and to give and receive feedback.
 |
 |
Working (on) Electronic Portfolios
Connecting
Academic Work and
the Workplace