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THE REFLECTIVE STUDENT LEARNING PORTFOLIO Department of Administration, Rehabilitation & Postsecondary Education A Requirement for the: Master of Arts Education with a Concentration in Educational Leadership and a Specialization in Postsecondary Education Master of Arts Education with a Concentration in Educational Leadership and a Specialization in Student Affairs in Postsecondary Education Last Update: Fall 2011 [2] TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION…….. ............................................................................................................................... 3 PART 1: THE REFLECTIVE STUDENT LEARNING PORTFOLIO .................................................................. 4 Purpose of the Portfolio ........................................................................................................... 5 Goals of the Portfolio Process ................................................................................................... 5 Contents of the Portfolio ........................................................................................................... 6 Required Artifacts to be Included in the Portfolio .................................................................... 7 Pre‐Assessment of Learning ......................................................................................... 7 First Year Learning ........................................................................................................ 8 Second Year Learning ................................................................................................. 10 Summary of Learning/Post‐Assessment .................................................................... 12 Organization of the Portfolio ................................................................................................... 14 Disposition of the Portfolio ..................................................................................................... 15 PART 2: ORAL DEFENSE OF THE PORTFOLIO ....................................................................................... 16 Formal Oral Presentation Procedures .................................................................................... 16 The Portfolio Review Committee ............................................................................................ 16 Students’ Responsibilities ........................................................................................................ 16 REFERENCES........ ................................................................................................................................. 17 APPENDIX A: Reflective Student Learning Portfolio Checklist........... .................................................. 18 APPENDIX B: Questions to Consider in Preparation for the Oral Presentation.............................................………………………………………………………………………………............21 [5] final quantitative grades), and (3) empowers the student to self‐assess and continuously expand or otherwise improve her/his work (University of Washington, 2003, ¶ 2). Further, the portfolio process allows the student to highlight their developmental learning abilities by, (1) demonstrating their mastery of the program learning outcomes or major points of the program, (2) providing evidence of how the work on an assignment evolved (3) choosing which artifacts (e.g., assignments, projects, works samples, reflection of internship experiences, etc.) best represent their learning in and outside the classroom (4) choosing artifacts that show improvement in their competencies and abilities throughout their enrollment in the program, (5) linking theories with applied learning experiences (6) self‐analyzing and reflecting on their own learning, (7) using a wide range of digital and multimedia technologies to demonstrate technical competency, design, and presentation skills, (8) being more proactive in planning and pursuing their educational and post‐graduate opportunities; and (9) demonstrating their competencies and capabilities as they pursue career choices (University of Washington, 2003, ¶ 3). Originally, the sole purpose of the reflective learning portfolio for this program was to demonstrate the educational journey of the student. While this reason still holds true for this portfolio process, changes to federal policy and the zeitgeist of higher education have resulted in the portfolio’s movement towards demonstration of the “value‐added” by the educational degree at San Diego State University. Goals of the Portfolio Process When writing your reflective learning portfolio, a good place to begin is reflection upon the goals of the portfolio process, which are described—in part—below. Because the portfolio is a purposeful and self‐reflective collection of a student’s work generated during the process of completing graduate course work, each student’s portfolio should: Serve as a translation of graduate student performance standards and learning outcomes through the demonstration of authentic artifacts (e.g., examples that illustrate what the student has learned and can do). Provide an integrated performance‐based picture of how well the candidate has performed throughout the program and how the candidate can communicate the results of learning. Show the growth and learning accomplished as demonstrated through the student's early pieces of work and later pieces of work. Illustrate the student’s ability to synthesize her/his learning of theory and its application to practice over a period of time. [6] Contents of the Portfolio Apart from the pre‐assessment and post‐assessment materials, your portfolio will consist of the following items for each course: (1) an artifact of learning for the course (some work product that you believe best illustrates your learning), and (2) a reflection paper on the chosen artifact. Since the portfolio is a reflection of your learning and performance, to some extent, the portfolio contents will be individualized to reflect the student’s personalized learning experience. Yet, since a sampling of portfolios will be used to evaluate program effectiveness, a format has been prescribed to ensure appropriate learning artifacts are included, and therefore evaluated in order to inform program improvements. Instructional seminars will be offered throughout your program to assist you with compiling your learning portfolio. In some cases, these informational sessions may also be presented to you in group advising meetings. As mentioned, the portfolio may contain written products, photographs, videotapes, posters, and notes from a meeting. Generally, portfolios include both work in‐progress and best efforts. The portfolio must include a wide range of selected work artifacts over time that document the actual achievement of learning outcomes. The artifacts you select are to be examples of "best" efforts. Here are some examples of what might be included as artifacts: Reports Products undertaken as part of course work, including internships and independent research Artifacts from your graduate assistantships Action research undertaken Documentation of presentations made Documentation of implementation of skills into work situations Products produced Published articles Computer software created Letters of commendation Pictures/art work Resume documenting committee assignments or new professional experience Personal reflection logs and journals Testimonials or evidence of your effectiveness from your constituents Outcomes‐based assessment reports from your projects Examples of professional growth endeavors (conference, workshop, or seminar participation) Self‐assessment tests or exercises Conference proposals and presentations Performance evaluations [7] Required Artifacts to be Included in the Portfolio Although students’ experiences in the program differ greatly, the faculty require some consistency in artifact selection so that portfolios can be used to evaluate student learning in the program. Candidates need to present their portfolios in a logical manner so that the learning can be easily interpreted, not only by the program faculty but by the potential employer and/or graduate school admission committee. The following are required sections for the portfolio. Each section lists required documents or artifacts of learning. Checklists for each section can be found on the program website. Pre‐Assessment of Learning The purpose of this section is to demonstrate what you knew prior to enrolling in this degree program. Within this section, you will illustrate your perception of the profession and your preparedness for the profession. This section must include the following materials: 1. A copy of your program admission application materials (if you do not have a copy of these materials, they can be obtained from your admissions file at the ARPE office). 2. A copy of your academic transcript prior to entering the program. 3. A copy of your resume prior to entering the program. 4. The completed pre‐assessment evaluation distributed at Orientation. This document can also be found on the program website at: http://interwork.sdsu.edu/main/ma_student_affairs/rlp 5. A 2‐4 page reflection paper3 that addresses the following question: How does my current academic and professional training prepare me to meet the expected learning outcomes of this program? 6. Your informal academic program plan (this document outlines when you plan to take program courses). While it is not your official academic plan, this document should outline the courses you plan to take to complete your degree and should be organized by which semester you plan to take them. A typical academic plan can be found on the program website at: http://interwork.sdsu.edu/main/postsecondary_leadership/requirements for PSE students 3 All reflection papers must be formatted in accordance to APA guidelines and include a title page. [10] 4. A Revised Academic Plan: If your academic plans have changed, submit a revised plan. 5. Revised Personal and Professional Goals: Submit a revised set of personal and/or professional goals if they have changed from what you initially articulated in the pre‐assessment section of the portfolio. 6. An Updated Resume: Submit an updated resume that includes new professional experiences and skills obtained during your first year in the program. The first year portion of the portfolio is typically due at the beginning of your third semester of study (e.g., the fall semester of your second year). A deadline for completion and submission to your advisor will be set by the Program Coordinator. Electronic or paper submissions of the portfolio are welcomed, and will be reviewed by faculty advisors. Please note: if you plan to submit your final portfolio in electronic form, you may wish design your website, and post your first year portfolio materials. This will give your faculty member an opportunity to provide feedback of website layout and accessibility. If any clarification or revision is required, students will be notified in their meeting with their faculty advisor. Second Year Learning The purpose of this section is to demonstrate what you learned during the second year of the program. It is due upon completion of four semesters of study. This section must include the following materials: 1. An Artifact of Learning for Each Completed Course: For each class that you take during your second year, you must select an artifact that will best represent the learning outcomes for the course as they relate to the program learning outcomes. Be mindful that course instructors may advise the use of a particular artifact. In addition to inclusion of the artifact of learning, you must write a 1‐2 page reflection paper for each artifact that addresses the following questions: o What is the artifact (briefly describe the artifact)? o Why did I select this artifact to demonstrate my learning in this course? o What course learning outcomes does this artifact demonstrate? o What program learning outcomes does this artifact demonstrate? o How does this artifact demonstrate my pursuit of my professional goals6? o How does this artifact demonstrate my pursuit of my personal goals7? o What recommendations do I have for improving the course? 6 Please reference the professional goals you indicated on the pre‐assessment evaluation. 7 Please reference the personal goals you indicated on the pre‐assessment evaluation. [11] 2. An Artifact of Out‐of‐Class Learning: Since the program requires the integration of student learning from in class with learning that takes place in the field, you are required to include an artifact of learning from outside of class for each semester enrolled in the program (excluding summer terms). Such an artifact might be a report written for your work or a project that was enhanced because of your application of learning from the program. In addition to the artifact of learning, you must draft a 1‐2 page reflection paper that addresses the following questions: o What is the artifact (briefly describe the artifact)? o Why did I select this artifact to demonstrate my application of learning in practice? o What program learning outcomes does this artifact demonstrate? o How does this artifact demonstrate my pursuit of my professional goals? o How does this artifact demonstrate my pursuit of my personal goals? 3. A Summary of Learning in the Second Year8: You must write a 2‐4 page reflection paper in which you summarize your learning from the second year in the program. In doing so, please reflect on two key items: o Achievement of Program Learning Outcomes: Consider the extent to which you have achieved the program learning outcomes, and the coursework and professional development experiences that have enabled you to achieve them. In addition, consider the program learning outcomes you have yet to achieve. Finally, reflect upon what experiences, actions, and opportunities you can pursue in the third year of the program to meet any unmet outcomes. If necessary, revise your academic plan and/or your professional goals. Be sure to address the following questions in your reflection paper: Which of the program learning outcomes have I achieved and by what means (e.g., courses, assignments, workshops, seminars, etc.) did I achieve them? Which of the program learning outcomes have I not yet achieved? What learning and/or professional development opportunities do I need to pursue in the next year to ensure I achieve all of the program learning outcomes? (e.g., how do I plan to meet the unmet learning outcomes?) o Achievement of Personal and Professional Goals: Consider the extent to which you have achieved the personal and professional goals you articulated in the pre‐assessment section of the portfolio. In doing so, 8 The “Summary of Learning in the Second Year” section is only required for students who are continuing to a third year in the program. Students who are completing the program in two years should not complete this section. [12] reflect upon the coursework and professional development experiences that have facilitated your achievement of these goals. Be sure to address the following questions in your reflection paper: How (if at all) my personal or professional goals changed because of what I am learning in this program? Am I on target to achieve my personal and professional goals based on my learning in this program thus far? What learning and/or professional development opportunities do I need to pursue in the next year to ensure I achieve my personal and professional goals? (e.g., how do I plan to meet the unmet goals?) 4. A Revised Academic Plan: If your academic plans have changed, submit a revised plan. 5. Revised Personal and Professional Goals: Submit a revised set of personal and/or professional goals if they have changed from what you initially articulated in the pre‐assessment section of the portfolio. 6. An Updated Resume: Submit an updated resume that includes new professional experiences and skills obtained during your second year in the program. The second year portion of the portfolio is typically due at the beginning of your fifth semester of study (e.g., the fall semester of your third year). A deadline for completion and submission to your advisor will be set by the Program Coordinator. Electronic or paper submissions of the portfolio are welcomed, and will be reviewed by faculty advisors. Please note: if you plan to submit your final portfolio in electronic form, you may wish design your website, and post your first and second year portfolio materials. This will give your faculty member an opportunity to provide feedback of website layout and accessibility. If any clarification or revision is required, students will be notified in their meeting with their faculty advisor. Summary of Learning/Post‐Assessment The purpose of this section is to summarize your entire learning experience in the program. This section will consists of a series of 2‐4 page reflection papers9 that address: 1) your post‐graduation plans, 2) your readiness to pursue your post‐ graduation plans, 3) your mastery of each of the program learning outcomes, and 4) your achievement of your personal goals while in the program. The content of each paper is detailed below: 9 You may choose to write a separate reflection paper for each item 1‐4 above or one longer paper that addresses all items 1‐4 above. If you choose the latter, please use section headings to delineate items 1‐4 above. [15] Disposition of the Portfolio You are responsible for creating, keeping, and clearly documenting a collection of your work. Following the successful defense of the portfolio, a copy is due to the Program Coordinator. If you submitted your portfolio electronically, all materials posted to the website must be saved to a flash drive or CD and submitted to the Program Coordinator within one week of completing the portfolio. Records of student portfolios will be retained in perpetuity by ARPE. Below is a set of faculty expectations of your portfolio: Your portfolio will be very clearly organized: o Make it easy for the faculty to review your portfolio. o Include: a table of contents, divider tabs, separation sheets for each sub‐ section, clear headings. Your reflections will be focused on learning and will demonstrate clear connections to the program learning outcomes and your personal and professional goals. You will provide depth and detail in your reflections and offer illustrative examples to support the claims you make. “In this class I learned x, y, z. For example,. . . .” Your writing will reflect that of a graduate student and professional educator or administrator. Every document in the portfolio will be free of technical and grammatical errors. APA formatting will used appropriately throughout the portfolio (with the exception of the application materials in the pre‐assessment section). NOTE: Unfocused reflections will likely result in negative appraisals of your work, raise questions about what you learned, and make for a much more difficult oral portfolio defense. [16] PART 2: THE ORAL DEFENSE OF THE PORTFOLIO (COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION) Formal Oral Presentation Procedures Students opting to make a formal portfolio presentation instead of selecting a written comprehensive exam or a thesis must submit their portfolios to their assigned review committee 2 weeks prior to the date of their scheduled presentation. This will allow the committee adequate time to read the portfolio prior to the presentation. Students who will present their portfolios must sign up for a formal presentation date and time. The dates, times, and location of the presentations will be pre‐established by the Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator will contact candidates to inform them of the procedure for signing up for presentation times. An LCD projector and screen will be provided for the portfolio presentation. Some classrooms are equipped with computers, but others require students to bring their own laptops. If the students require any additional multi‐media support, they need to contact the ARPE Department Coordinator, two weeks prior to their portfolio presentation to request equipment. The portfolio oral defense period will be scheduled for 60 minutes. The candidate is to prepare and deliver a succinct 20‐minute presentation of the portfolio. Afterwards, the review committee will have approximately 30 minutes to question the candidate on the contents and substance of the portfolio. Upon completion of the question and answer period, the candidate will be excused for approximately 5 minutes to allow the portfolio committee to decide the outcome of the student’s portfolio defense. Appendix B includes questions for students to consider as they prepare for their portfolio presentation. Upon completion of the committee deliberation, the candidate will be invited back into the room to learn the outcome of his/her portfolio defense. If additional work is required before passing the examination, it will be specified to the candidate along with a timeline for completion. The Portfolio Review Committee The portfolio review committee will consist of: 1‐2 faculty members who have taught the student in the program (e.g. instructors that the student had while taking courses in this program) 1‐2 external evaluators who hold leadership positions in postsecondary education or student affairs. Students’ Responsibilities Students are responsible for the following: Signing up for a time for the formal presentation of the portfolio [17] Ensuring that all committee members have electronic access to or copies of the entire portfolio at least 2 weeks prior to the formal presentation date Securing a means to videotape the formal presentation of the portfolio, if they desire the presentation to be recorded Inviting any guests to the formal presentation Each part of the portfolio will be evaluated using the following criteria (see the “Reflective Student Learning Portfolio Rubric” at: http://interwork.sdsu.edu/main/ma_student_affairs/rlp for details.): Selection of Artifacts and Alignment with Program Learning Outcomes (20 points) Reflections for Artifacts (20 points) Organization of the Portfolio (10 points) Summary of Learning Reflections (20 points) Writing Mechanics (10 points) Use of Multimedia and Creativity (15 Points) (if applicable) Oral Presentation of the Portfolio (20 points) Students may suggest a refined criterion for the evaluation of the portfolio, however those criterion have to be agreed upon by all committee members involved in the evaluation and they must be agreed upon 2 weeks prior to the formal presentation of the portfolio, and communicated to the Program Coordinator. In addition, the student must provide a justification for the criterion refinement to the portfolio committee and the committee must show signature of their approval. A summary of the ratings and the videotaped formal presentation, if available, will be placed in each student’s file in the ARPE Department. References University of Washington (2003). My learning and class portfolio. Retrieved August 16, 2006, from http://faculty.washington.edu/krumme/students/portfolio.html Zubizarreta, J. (2004). The learning portfolio. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing [20] ____ Spring Out‐of‐Class Reflection ____ Revised Academic Plan (if applicable) ____ Revised Personal and/or Professional Goals (if applicable) ____ Updated Resume Post‐Assessment ____ Post‐Graduation Plans Reflection ____ Readiness to Pursue Post‐Graduation Plans Reflection ____ Mastery of Program Learning Outcomes Reflection ____ Achievement of Personal Goals Reflection ____ Final Academic Transcript ____ Final Resume ____ Final Academic Plan [21] APPENDIX B Questions to Consider in Preparation for the Oral Presentation 1. What program learning outcomes were fulfilled during my time in this program? What did I learn (in terms of new skills and knowledge) from this experience? 2. What did I learn about myself during my time in this program? 3. What aspect(s) of my performance during this program am I most proud of? 4. How could my performance have been improved? 5. What significant challenges did I encounter? How did I approach/respond to these challenges? 6. What are my post‐graduate plans? How prepared am I to pursue them? In what ways did the program help to prepare me to pursue these plans? 7. What are my immediate professional goals? 8. Where do I hope to be in my career 5 years from now? 10 years from now? What competencies and experiences do I need to develop between now and then to position myself to achieve my long‐term goals? 9. If I had to complete the program all over again, what would I do differently? 10. What recommendations do I have for the program that could help to enhance the learning and development of future students?