Advisee e-Folio: Measurable effects on persistence, retention, and graduation rates
C. Annette Wilson and Theresa Gerson
2011
The level to which students are engaged in their own learning and personal success throughout their college career can be documented, reviewed, and reflected upon. A collaborative academic advising team including professional academic advisors, faculty advisors, and counselors may use multiple methods to assess student learning and success. One of the most effective ways to measure student engagement is through the use of an electronic portfolio (e-Folio).
Just as advisors build e-Folios for professional development, students mentored by the assigned advisor and collaboration team members can create and build e-Folios to serve as a formative assessment learning tool the sophomore year, a summative assessment learning tool the senior year, and a post-graduation career assessment learning tool three years out to help students continuously reflect on themselves as a whole person. The purpose of the portfolio is to document the process of multi-dimensional learning throughout students’ college careers. An e-Folio is not just an end-of-course or end-of-program product; instead it a formative assessment tool that reflects the development of the whole person over a number of years. The e-Folio assessment process is designed to teach students how to continue assessing their growth after graduation and as they enter their careers, engage in graduate studies, and continue personal development.
Students begin the assessment process
First-year students enter college with wide-ranging educational and personal experiences. As students matriculate to this new academic environment, self-reflection strategies can help them grow interpersonally and intrapersonally. An organized opportunity for capturing and documenting student growth is a planned Advisee e-Folio. Through the use of this e-Folio advisors can assess measurable effects on students’ persistence, retention, and graduation.
How can advisors promote student participation in the reflective process? The first step is to collect valid data on students’ stages of development as they enter college. A tool already validated for this purpose is the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U) Value Rubrics: Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education. The VALUE Rubric assessment instrument provides 15 significant and measurable categories to use for obtaining the entry level information which can be aligned with performance levels and used throughout students’ academic careers. (Find out more about the VALUE rubrics at http://www.aacu.org/value/ ). The VALUE rubrics cover essential learning outcomes: civic engagement, creative thinking, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, foundations and skills for lifelong learning, information literacy, inquiry and analysis, integrative learning, intercultural knowledge and competence, oral communication, problem solving, quantitative literacy, reading, teamwork, and written communication.
As an example, we have selected three VALUE rubrics as being indicative of the entry level reflective e-Folio process for advisees. The three chosen are: the Intercultural Knowledge and Competence Value Rubric (IKCVR), the Critical Thinking Value Rubric (CTVR), and the Ethical Reasoning Value Rubric (ERVR). We believe these values are essential in assessing the first-year students’ self-reflections and are representative of many institutions’ aspirations for promoting student-centered advising. Using these three rubrics provides us the opportunity to explore and assess the value of differences among students’ self-reflections.
Illustrating the process
Students are active members of the team thus increasing the likelihood of success for all concerned. Student self-assessment affects what the data reveals: am I in a majority group or a marginalized (minority) group? Self-assessment is the first step towards self-authorship that requires individuals to reflect on the whole self in context and review structures of inequality. Thus students find themselves in ever changing contexts on our campuses that encourage reflection on, among other this, gender, race, sexual orientation, and class. Who holds power and prestige and how that is played out on campus makes a difference in the kind of reflections found in an e-Folio.
Stage 1, Benchmark 1 for the freshman year reflective competency level might include:
- IKCVR elements of knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
- CTVR elements of explanation of issues, evidence of information, influence of context and assumptions, student’s positions, and conclusions.
- ERVR elements of ethical self-awareness, understanding different ethical perspectives/concepts, ethical issue recognition, application of ethical perspectives/concepts, and evaluation of different ethical perspectives.
It is the institution’s responsibility to provide high-quality opportunities for the students to grow. Some of these include clubs, mentorship programs, socially-constructed activities, athletics, service learning, learning abroad, and diverse course offerings. Thus, Stage 2, Milestone 2 might be the Sophomore year reflective success competency level. Stage 3, Milestone 3 could be the Junior year reflective success competency level and lastly, Stage 4, might be the Capstone Senior year reflective success competency level. Each competency level has respective designators in which students must show evidence and artifacts to support their successes throughout their academic careers. The value rubrics provide validated guidance for academic advisors and other campus collaborators. The uniqueness of using the VALUE Rubrics for developing an e-Folio is that each advising team has the opportunity to pull from the 15 categories those characteristics that best represent the current mission and strategic plan of the institution. The average years of work documented by students allows for flexibility and growth throughout the process.
Upon completion of the e-Folio in the senior year students could participate in a final forum presentation officially approved by the institution and collaborating team. This might be called the “Graduation Celebration” and it would showcase the discoveries and identity(ies) development that occurred over students’ years spent in college. Invited audience members could be classmates, family, community leaders, alumni, administrators, faculty, counselors, and academic advisors.
Putting together an e-Folio system
Since the e-Folio process is based upon student-centered learning outcomes, formative and performative developmental characteristics are documented at the cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal levels. Since the e-Folio must be representative of the entire college experience from core courses (general studies) through program and degree specific experiences, student self-reflections, artifacts, and evidence hold the key to better formulating each year’s success plan for development of identities, the learning environment, and completing the degree with successes in multiple areas.
Capturing the components of identity, learning, and success can parallel the use of the reflective e-Folio within the institution’s e-Learning system. For example, if the institution uses Blackboard™ for teaching and online learning, then the e-Folio would be designed and uploaded as a template for students to access at any time throughout their college careers. An efficient, effective, and user-friendly e-Folio system should:
- Align the process to an institutional freshman studies course.
- Provide planned e-Learning training for new students in conjunction with institutional testing services for the pre-assessment and placement.
- Provide training for students regarding who to tell their stories, develop competencies, and follow through using AAC&U's VALUE Rubrics.
- Guide students through the institution's e-Folio Requirements and Guidelines Fact Book.
- Promote a mentor model as a way to guide and build trust for success.
- Foster student self-authorship based upon e-Folio reflections and the guided Graduation Celebration Forum.
Conclusion
Regardless of the guided purpose of the electronic portfolios, Huba and Fred (2000) encourage “specify[ing] the purpose and parameters for using portfolios in assessment at the institutional level, the program level, or the course level. Depending on the level at which they are used” (p. 239) for assessing student learning outcomes. Zubizarreta (2009) defined the learning portfolio as a “flexible, evidence-based tool that engages students in the process of continuous reflection and collaborative analysis of learning. As written text, electronic display, or other creative project, the portfolio captures the scope, richness, and relevance of students’ intellectual development, critical judgment, and academic skills. The portfolio focuses on purposefully and collaboratively selected reflections and evidence both for improvement and assessment of students’ learning” (p. 20). Furthermore, the importance of the advising team evidenced throughout the process of e-Folio construction serves to remind us that student learning is the responsibility of the student, the institution’s administrators, and all who provide academic advising. Through teamwork the student can be a successful learner and continue to do so after graduation.
Sample Protocol Outline: e-Folio evidence: Learning to construct meaning
Meet Students: Initial greeting from the academic advisor and other members of the collaborating team.
Collaboration team establishes what goes in the e-Folio
- Write template guidebook
- Test online learning system to be used, e.g. Blackboard
- Attend required IT services training session
- New students complete training session (Ideal time during Orientation)
- Students schedule meeting times with academic advisor and/or members of collaboration team
- Students record personal characteristics in e-Folio
- Personality traits
- Family
- Pertinent cultural elements
- Race
- Gender identity
- Religion/spiritual/other
- Socioeconomic information
- Well being
Students receive before initial advisor meeting
- "Bring the First Meeting" packet
- Class schedules
- Work schedules
- Transportation information
- Artifacts Academic
- Assignments
- Pieces of creative work
- Sample work across academic studies
- Academic Reflection
- Day-to-Day
- Week-to-week
- When students should receive reflection direction
- How do you feel about...?
- What did you take away (learn) from your courses? (core or major)
- Personal
- Artifacts (Initial meeting with students)
- Personal characteristics
- Personality
- Family
- Cultures
- Academic
- Reflection
- What is happening in your life this week that shows you are changing?
- Moving away from what you have always thought.
- Intrapersonal
- Within your staff
- Interpersonal
- Classmates
- Friends
- Clubs
- Significant others
C. Annette Wilson
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Assistant Professor, Department of Childhood and Exceptional Student Education
Theresa Gerson
Graduate Student
Kansas State University
References
Association of American Colleges and Universities . (2002). Greater Expectations a new vision for learning as a nation goes to college. Washington, D. C.: Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2009, Nov-Dec).The activity of meaning making: A holistic perspective on college student development. Journal of college student development.50(6), 621-639.
Chickering, A. W. & Reisser, L.(1993). Education and identity. (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching. (2nd ed.) Alexandria:
Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). The flat world and education how America’s commitment to equity will determine our future. New York: Teachers College Press.
Huba, M. E. & Freed, J. E. (2000). Learner-Centered assessment on college campuses: Shifting the focus from teaching to learning. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J. & McTighe, Jay. (1993). Assessing student outcomes performance assessment using the dimensions of learning model. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Zubizarreta, J. (2009). The learning portfolio reflective practice for improving student learning.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Suggested resources
Annotated bibliography
Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2009, Nov-Dec).The activity of meaning making: A holistic perspective on college student development. Journal of college student development.50(6), 621-639.
- The author identifies reflective conversations as self-authorship and self-development. Academic advising teams reading this work will help students know what they know and how to grow, change, and learn socially.
Chickering, A. W.(1969). Education and identity. (1st ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- This author is a source to help advising teams refocus on the characteristics of students entering our institutions as a revitalized generation. An advising team should read this book because Chickering (1969) outlines elements of the “young adult” prevalent in institutional populations. The book has a good foundation. Concepts of emotions, autonomy, and identity are but a few of the areas advising teams should add as focal points for professional development.
Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching. (2nd ed.) Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
- Introduces a ‘framework for teachers” but serves as a guide academic advising teams should use in designing protocol and assessment objectives for e-Folio learning outcomes. The elements and standards in the book show grounded components necessary to document successful student transitions through an academic program and first year career choices. Reflective techniques are significant to the success of assessment.
Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). The flat world and education how America’s commitment to equity will determine our future. New York: Teachers College Press.
- Academic advising teams should find in this book guiding language to help design what matters in the future of America regarding the preparedness of students and institutions.
Huba, M. E. & Freed, J. E. (2000). Learner-Centered assessment on college campuses: Shifting the focus from teaching to learning. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
- In Huba and Freed the authors have created an organized system for developing perspective related to the needs of the learner. The author’s have categorized learning that will require a shift as the author’s call “... paradigm shift through assessment...” (Huba & Freed, 2000) aligned with evidence from feedback in student centered portfolios. This book was used for a grant as a year-long training resource for assisting institutions in developing campus initiatives for better student centered teaching. It provides a “... focus shift from teaching to learning...” (Huba & Freed, 2000)
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J. & McTighe, J. (1993). Assessing student outcomes performance assessment using the dimensions of learning model. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
- Assessment links in this book should assist academic advising teams with developing performance guidelines for the e-Folio. The book provides for an institution specific trends and values that serve goals and objectives related to student assessment and learning.
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J. & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
- Based on over ten years of research on assessment, this book should assist academic advising teams in identifying and applying research to specific strategies to increase student achievement. This book should serve as a guide for possible professional development with the assistance of faculty development under the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Oropeza, M. V., Varghese, M. M., & Kanno, Y. (2010). Linguistic minority students in higher education: Using, resisting and negotiating multiple labels. Equity & Excellence in Education, 43(2), 216-31.
- The responsibility of the academic advising team should include planning for the inclusion of all minority participants. Teams should prepare for and should be professionally guided in the needs of minority students. This article provides insight and experiences to use as possible preventive guidance for advising teams.
Reynolds, A. L., Sneva, J. N., & Beehler, G. P. (2010). The influence of racism-related stress on the academic motivation of Black and Latino/a students. Journal of college Student Development, 51(2), 135-149.
- This article describes research on the effects of racism-related stress. The academic advising team in accordance with faculty development should use this article to contribute to the literature regarding the cultural aspects of assessment through e-Folio reflections.
Zubizarreta, J. (2009). The learning portfolio reflective practice for improving student learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
- This book is a comprehensive guide for creating the e-folio. Professional advisors and advising faculty have access to specific components and levels of reflective writing for students. Zubizarreta (2009) stated, “The learning portfolio is a flexible, evidence-based tool that engages students in the process of continuous reflection and collaborative analysis of learning.... The portfolio focuses on purposefully and collaboratively selected reflections and evidence both for improvement and assessment of students’ learning” (p. 20) For the purposes of this writing, it was intended to provide the advising team several levels of possible reflection to choose from in developing an institutional e-Folio protocol guide book.
Suggested questions for discussion with campus advisors:
- How do you departments assessing student success related to lifelong learning competencies?
- What feedback mechanisms are in place for departments to retool a student as competencies are not met in relationship to following advice of the academic teams in the institution?
- How does the advising team see reflection as an instrument for getting to better know a student?
- Does the advising team feel comfortable with “sharing the student” in a team advisement model?
- From what you have read so far what training is needed for the advising team that relates to adopting an e-Folio assessment instrument as a method of getting to know the student?
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