IUPUI eportfolio Grants Request for Proposals for Deadline: March 1, 2018

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1 IUPUI eportfolio Grants Request for Proposals for Deadline: March 1, 2018 Purpose IUPUI eportfolio Grants are intended to support the eportfolio Initiative s mission: The IUPUI eportfolio Initiative advances the use of eportfolios at all levels campus-wide to support and demonstrate student learning, academic success, and personal, intellectual, professional, and civic development, and to help all students make the most of the distinctive opportunities available at IUPUI. To that end, eportfolio Grants fund experimentation, planning, implementation, and assessment aimed at ongoing adoption of electronic portfolios in academic programs, courses, and cocurricular activities. Grants may also support Scholarship of Teaching and Learning projects focused on effective eportfolio practices. Sponsored by the IUPUI eportfolio Initiative, the grant program provides resources to faculty, academic administrators and staff, and units within undergraduate, co-curricular, graduate, and/or professional programs. For , we are especially interested in supporting planning and implementation of eportfolios in capstone experiences or throughout undergraduate degree programs. We will consider all proposals that show promise for advancing the successful adoption of eportfolios across the campus. (Please see Appendix 1 for the entire Mission, Vision, Values Statement for the eportfolio Initiative.) Project Objectives One-year grants will be made in two categories: Pilot and Implementation. 1. Pilot Grants are oriented to those who have not previously used eportfolios and may have two trajectories, depending on scope: a. One-year projects involving a single course or learning experience, in which project directors will study eportfolio pedagogy, learn about eportfolio technologies, establish student learning outcomes for initial use of eportfolios in the course or activity, pilot-test use within the course, and evaluate project results. b. One-year projects involving a sequence of courses or learning experiences or an academic program (certificate, minor, major) in which project directors will learn about eportfolio pedagogy and technology, establish both learning outcomes and unit objectives for intended use of eportfolios, and develop a comprehensive plan for the program. This plan should include one or more working prototypes for the eportfolio experiences to be piloted the following year. 2. Implementation Grants will be based on eportfolio groundwork already completed (with or without eportfolio Initiative funding). A second year of funding may be available for project directors who successfully complete a Pilot Grant project in Prospective applicants, especially those interested in program-level adoption, are strongly encouraged to review carefully the Considerations in Appendix 2 before developing a project

2 2 plan. Preparing to implement a program-wide eportfolio often requires more time in group work than anticipated, causing delays and frustration. The questions posed in the Considerations identify decisions needed to construct appropriate eportfolio interfaces for student, faculty, staff, and/or evaluator use, particularly when assessment is a main purpose. In selecting projects to be funded, preference will be given to units that have already begun planning and have met with a member of the eportfolio team to understand the capabilities of various platforms and potential applicability to the instructor s or the department s needs. Expectations of Grantees 1. Departmental match: The project director s/directors department or division must provide matching funds or equivalent matching in-kind release time for the project director(s) to successfully accomplish the grant project. 2. Leaders of the project will work closely (group and individual meetings and/or consultations) with campus eportfolio leaders and staff as the project develops. 3. To the extent possible, project leaders will participate in relevant professional development programs. Dates for these events will be announced well in advance. 4. The project director(s) will submit a two-page mid-year update and four to five page final report at the end of the project year, including an evaluation of the pilot or implementation project, and a plan for sustaining or expanding eportfolio adoption. 5. Project leaders will share their work with IUPUI and external colleagues in appropriate venues, including campus workshops, conferences, and committee meetings, and external conferences as opportunities arise during and following the grant period. Available Funds and Project Duration Grants to individuals for planning or pilot grants will not exceed $5,000 for a one-year period. Implementation grants will typically be for $5,000, although proposers may request up to $10,000 for particularly complex projects or large programs. Work may begin in Summer Conceptual, Technical, and Pedagogical Support/Guidance Each grant project will have access to the resources of the Center for Teaching and Learning (including technical and instructional design assistance), online resources from UITS, and expertise of campus eportfolio leaders (including project management and evaluation practices). Eligibility and Criteria for Awards Awards will be made to departments, schools, or other units. Faculty or staff from any IUPUI or IUPUC academic or learning-focused unit are eligible to apply. The major criteria for the award are:

3 3 1. Quality of the plan to achieve project goals (including the amount of planning already accomplished, substantial time commitment from project leaders, and feasibility of expectations and timeline). Program-level projects are advised to designate at least two or even three project leaders to help assure sustainability. 2. Departmental or unit commitment to the project, as indicated by meaningful departmental support (for example, matching funds, course release, merit consideration and recognition in the annual review for those most directly involved in the project, plans to give high priority to the work of faculty engaged in planning, and collegial support within the unit). 3. Probability that the project will continue beyond the funding period as evidenced by the proposal s plan for evaluation and sustainability. A small team of knowledgeable IUPUI faculty and staff will select proposals for funding, based on the above criteria. Components of Proposal (3-5 pages) 1. Completed proposal cover sheet (please use the cover sheet template at the end of this document), including name(s), department(s), and contact information for faculty and staff who will work directly on the project; 2. Letter of commitment from Chair or other appropriate unit leader confirming the matching funds and other specific support to be provided for the project director(s); 3. Explanation of why the department/unit is interested in this grant, the outcomes desired from eportfolio adoption, and the advance work the unit has undertaken to prepare for use of eportfolios; 4. Description of the unit s project objectives, implementation plan (including timeline and designation of responsibilities), and plan to evaluate the project; 5. Expectations and plans for sustaining the use of eportfolios after conclusion of the project; and 6. Budget explaining the intended use of the total grant project funding (including match plus funds requested from the eportfolio Initiative). Allowable expenditures include faculty course replacement, summer salary or stipend, and/or student assistance. Under University policies, hospitality is not an allowable expense. If you are considering developing a proposal, you are strongly encouraged to contact Susan Kahn, Director, eportfolio Initiative, at or skahn@iupui.edu. Additional Support For additional assistance on applying for eportfolio Grants there will be two workshops available through the Center for Teaching and Learning. Advance registration is available at the CTL website. Applying for a Course Development Grant Workshop : December 8, 2017, 10:30-12:00, UL 1116 January 10, 2018, 12:00-1:30, UL 1116

4 4 Deadline for Proposals and Notification of Award Proposals should be submitted as attachments to Susan Kahn at by March 1, Please be sure to include the proposal cover sheet found at the end of this document. Departments will be notified of application outcomes on or before April 15. Appendix 1 IUPUI eportfolio Vision, Mission, Values, and Strategies August 22, 2017 Background Electronic portfolios (eportfolios) at IUPUI support the campus s vision and mission to advance students intellectual growth and academic success and provide an innovative and distinctive urban education experience. They both arise from and encourage a campus culture of learning, including the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. As a recognized High-Impact Practice, eportfolios, when thoughtfully implemented, enhance and deepen student learning and engagement; support students personal and intellectual development, both in and out of the classroom, and in other High-Impact Practices; and prepare students to be lifelong learners. By encouraging reflection and metacognition, eportfolios empower students to integrate their learning experiences, and articulate the ways in which these experiences have equipped them to contribute to the cultural, civic, and economic well-being of their communities. Well-designed eportfolios catalyze course, program, and co-curricular improvement and highlight the distinctiveness of an IUPUI education. At the same time, they are a means for documenting and demonstrating student learning, including learning of the PULs, PGPLs, and PCLs; they provide valuable information for improving learning; and they offer opportunities for faculty and staff to engage in SOTL work that enhances learning. Our vision and mission statements are intended to support all IUPUI students, faculty, and staff in realizing the potential of eportfolios as described here. Vision IUPUI envisions a campus culture in which eportfolios are used pervasively to support student learning, development, and empowerment in academic and co-curricular settings. In this vision, all IUPUI students have ongoing opportunities to engage with reflective eportfolios and access to support for developing such eportfolios, and all faculty and academic staff have ongoing opportunities to engage with eportfolio teaching and learning through professional development and campus communities of practice. Mission

5 5 The IUPUI eportfolio Initiative advances the use of eportfolios at all levels campus-wide to support and demonstrate student learning, academic success, and personal, intellectual, professional, and civic development, and to help all students make the most of the distinctive opportunities available at IUPUI. Values Multiple opportunities for all students, faculty, and staff to engage with eportfolios Widespread engagement with eportfolios among students, faculty, and staff Ongoing professional development to help faculty and staff enhance their understanding of the value of eportfolios for teaching, learning, and scholarship (i.e., SOTL) Use of eportfolios to support and demonstrate reflective and integrative learning Effective use of eportfolio pedagogies, informed by both scholarship and practice, to support student learning, development, and success Technology as secondary to teaching, learning, and student development. Ideally, eportfolio technologies are transparent, enabling users to engage in eportfolio activity with minimum difficulty or constraints. Strategies and Activities To carry out its mission and realize its vision, the eportfolio Initiative adopts a range of strategies that align with key campus strategic priorities: Build understanding and appreciation of the value of eportfolio learning in all disciplines and co-curricular activities Develop eportfolio expertise and capacity to support effective integration of eportfolios in academic, co-curricular, and experiential programs, including intentional scaffolding of reflective learning Promote informed use of eportfolios for assessment and improvement Encourage and cultivate faculty/staff research on effective eportfolio practices Support research on meaningful measures of impact of eportfolios on student learning and ways to facilitate effective eportfolio practices Disseminate IUPUI eportfolio scholarship, theory, and practice beyond the campus Provide expertise and leadership for campus discussions of/decisions about eportfolio platforms to support the various purposes and uses of eportfolios Specific activities, often pursued in collaboration with other campus units and improvement initiatives, typically address some combination of these strategies, and include: Provide resources, consultation, and professional development for faculty, staff, and units at novice to advanced levels of eportfolio practice Sponsor symposia and showcase events that highlight diverse uses of eportfolios Through grants and other mechanisms, support faculty and staff participation in campus, national, and international communities of eportfolio practice and scholarship to expand

6 6 their own learning, to contribute to the body of research in the field, and to disseminate IUPUI eportfolio work Advocate for appropriate types and levels of campus support for students engaged in developing eportfolios Work with vendor to advise and advocate for improvements in eportfolio technology to support IUPUI s eportfolio vision, mission, values, strategies, and activities Appendix 2 Considerations These considerations are particularly intended for proposers designing an eportfolio to be used for program assessment purposes. (There are, of course, other equally valuable uses for eportfolios, and these are also eligible for eportfolio Grant funding.) Typically, designing an eportfolio for assessment of a major or minor, for accreditation, or for evaluation of institutionwide outcomes requires considering somewhat different issues from course-level concerns. Adoption of eportfolios may require some rethinking of customary procedures and involvement of at least two or three faculty project co-directors. The following questions may help you think about these topics: When and from where will student work be collected? Are there specific assignments that correspond to specific goals? Is the same assignment provided in different sections of a course by different faculty? Is there a rubric for this assignment that might help standardize scoring? Do you need assistance in designing rubrics? Who will evaluate student eportfolios, when, and at what points in the curriculum? Will there be external evaluators? Will portfolio components be evaluated within particular courses? Will whole eportfolios be assessed at some point? If so, according to what criteria? Who will have access to student eportfolios at what points? Which faculty in your department or school must adopt eportfolios to ensure that the needed student data are collected? Is there need to have department/program-wide consensus before your eportfolio project can be implemented? If so, how will you go about ensuring buy-in and adoption? What training needs do you anticipate? Faculty training? Student training? What are your pilot plans? How will you structure the pilot to ensure that eportfolios will meet your unit s assessment goals and/or provide evidence of student learning? What reports will you need to generate? The above questions are adapted with permission from the author, Dr. Edward Watson, then of Virginia Tech. Copyright 2007, Educational Technologies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. All rights reserved.

7 7 IUPUI eportfolio Grant Proposal Cover Sheet Project Title School/Department/Unit Project Director(s) (If there will be two or more faculty or staff engaged in the project, please list the primary Project Director first. If there are more than four such participants, please add rows to the table as needed.) Name Unit Phone Type of Grant Requested: Pilot Implementation Project Start Date: Project End Date: Total Funding Requested from the eportfolio Initiative (Your budget explanation in the proposal narrative should also include the total departmental match, which should at least equal the amount of funding requested.) Funds Transfer Information School/Department/Unit: Account number: Fiscal Contact Name: Fiscal Contact

USING EPORTFOLIOS TO PROMOTE STUDENT SUCCESS THROUGH HIGH- IMPACT PRACTICES

P a g e 1 ALBERTUS MAGNUS COLLEGE USING EPORTFOLIOS TO PROMOTE STUDENT SUCCESS THROUGH HIGH- IMPACT PRACTICES PROJECT REPORT, JUNE 14, 2012 STATUS OF PROJECT GOALS With the support of the Davis Educational