Revised - August, 2006

Thesis Project or Portfolio Assessment Guidelines

Master of Science in Educational Technology

Eastern Connecticut State University

            The document is designed to introduce the culminating assessment process for candidates seeking the Master of Science in Educational Technology degree at Eastern Connecticut State University.  As all efforts in Education, this document and the processes describe are evolving and will be enhanced and refined as this new program (established June 2002, revised March 2006) continues to develop.

            In this document, students enrolled in the MS in Educational Technology are referred to as graduate candidates or candidates; students in PK-12 schools are known as students.

Assessment Options (Revised Spring 2006)

All master's candidates completing the Master of Science in Educational Technology at Eastern Connecticut State University must complete either:

a research project in educational technology with an educational technology faculty member within EDU 696 and a final project documenting the ISTE standards - the revised program's culminating options

OR one of these culminating options from the former program for those enrolled before May 2006:

complete another graduate course selected in consultation with the candidate's advisor, and EDU 570 - Capstone Course, and complete a portfolio assessment reflecting their competencies in fulfilling the standards outlined in the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) and Performance Indicators for the Educational Technology Foundations for All Teachers, found at http://cnets.iste.org/teachstand.html, and the Connecticut Common Core of Teaching.

or

a thesis project through guided study within EDU 698 - Thesis I and  EDU 699 - Thesis II.  (This thesis option would be rarely pursued for it requires strengths in educational research, skills in writing research reports, approvals for research at an educational setting, and persistence.  The thesis option is a year-long project.)

The Research Project

(revised program after 2006)

A research project is designed to provide the candidate with the opportunity to explore an educational technology application or idea in an educational setting.   Past research projects have included a survey of a district's music teachers on their current and projected applications of educational technology in their curriculum and a survey of special education teachers on their and their students' skills in integration technology in the curriculum. 

Candidates accepted before 2006 have an option to complete this research project.  Candidates filing a revised program plan of study in 2006 will be required to pursue this option.  This project will be about a six month project that will be completed by the candidate in consultation with one educational technology faculty member.  The steps for this project will include:

1) Completing the project proposal form -  GRADUATE INDEPENDENT STUDY/RESEARCH AND READINGS OR THESIS PROJECT -   which may be downloaded from  http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/edtech/thesisform.doc .

The proposal should provide information on -

1) objectives of the project,

2) research to be studied - a few initial key studies on this topic,

3) methods of the project - timeline of key points in the study,

4) what will be the overcomes of your study, and

5) next steps in the process.

The planning in these initial phases of the project, the easier the projects will be.

Select an educational faculty member and contact them with your plan.  The faculty member will complete the part of the form that requests - Advisor's evaluation of proposal (to be completed by faculty advisor).  Please send a paper copy of the form with the advisor's evaluation and your signature to the faculty member.  The proposal will then be signed by the faculty member if approved and reviewed by the Graduate Division.   If accepted, the candidate will be granted permission to enroll in EDU 696:  Research and Readings with the advisor. 

This project should be based on a good, solid research foundation. Educational Technology research cited should be recent with most not more than 3 years old.  We encourage the inclusion of both online and paper sources for the research.  There is an expectations of at least 15 citations of research to support the project. 

This research project is a collaborative project between the candidate and the advisor/faculty member.  The candidate should be in continual contact with the faculty member as the project develops.  For completion of the project, the candidate should provide a completed draft of the project no later than a month before the end of a semester. 

What is a Comprehensive Portfolio? 

(after 2006, final project documenting ISTE standards)  

A portfolio is a collection of materials--bound in a single document--that shows what candidates know and are able to do as teachers. It is a picture of professional competence-a detailed snapshot of candidates' unique skills, understandings, and dispositions. All portfolios will be quite different, as they represent the distinct abilities of individual candidates. However, there are elements common to each. In the portfolio for the MS in Ed Tech program , candidates must demonstrate their acquisition of competencies outlined in the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) and Performance Indicators for the Educational Technology Foundations for All Teachers and the Connecticut Common Core of Teaching. 

            The portfolio contains the following sections:

1.)     a cover page and table of contents,

2.)    a matrix documenting the candidate's fulfillment of  the standards, referencing page numbers within the narrative or exhibits in the portfolio,

3.)     a resume,

4.)     a narrative - responding to the six themes of the ISTE and CCT standards with references to classroom applications and graduate studies,

5.)     a statement of professional goals

6.)     a print-out of a curricular project developed using educational technology applications, may be an online curricular unit, with a detailed description of the process of development, implementation with students, evaluation, and revision, and 

7.)     a collection of other documents--samples of professional work, drawn from classes and teaching experiences, which demonstrate specific competencies.

            The documents comprise the largest section of the portfolio and may include such items as lesson plans, curriculum webs, constructed instructional materials, samples of children's work, photographs of classroom activities, software reviews, resource files, and other artifacts that show candidates' abilities. All entries in a portfolio are authentic-that is, they are drawn from real life situations and reflect candidates' very best thinking and teaching. All entries will be captioned as explained later in this handbook.

How is the Portfolio To Be Used?

            The portfolio will be used in four ways:

1.)    It will be evaluated by faculty to ascertain whether each master's candidate has acquired all necessary competencies in the program to become certified.

2.)    It will guide self-reflection. As candidates make choices about portfolio entries and prepare the completed document, they must identify their own professional knowledge, understandings, strengths, beliefs, and dispositions and review their accomplishments during the program.

3.)    It will be used as a tool for presenting one's professional competencies to future or current employers. Candidates will use their portfolios to demonstrate beliefs and abilities during job interviews. Once candidates are employed in teaching positions, their portfolio may serve as a starting place for on-going, life-long professional assessment. Many schools and centers now use portfolios in the evaluation of teachers. The Connecticut State Department of Education requires a portfolio in the assessment of all new teachers through the Beginning Educator Support and Training (BEST) program.

4.)    It will serve as the university's master's degree comprehensive exam. The narrative will be guided by questions developed and distributed by faculty and the Graduate School (explained below).

Steps in Portfolio Construction 

            The following are major steps in the construction of the portfolio:

            Step 1: Starting Early/Collecting Artifacts: The portfolio process begins at the time the candidate enters the MS in Educational Technology program. Candidates should identify a container-perhaps a large file box-in which to store papers, research reports, projects, and teaching materials from all courses and experiences of the program (as well as from any professional experiences outside the university). We would also encourage candidates to develop a web-site with all of their projects and course documents.  A good idea is to have six files representing the six standards so as materials are collected candidates are organizing them by each standard and will therefore be able to identify areas of need. Later, these materials will be weeded and organized, but in this step all materials should be saved.

            Step 2: Photographing Work: The adage, "show, don't tell," is very apropos in portfolio development. As candidates begin to collect artifacts, they should take digital photographs of as many accomplishments as they can. In all field and classroom experiences, photos of classroom interactions should be taken. (Guidelines for maintaining confidentiality and seeking parental permissions will be presented in all classes.) Learning materials and projects developed for classes should also be photographed-particularly those items that are too large to place in a portfolio binder. Even in-class projects - collaboratively developed websites developed with other MS in Educational Technology candidates, for example, or materials and games constructed with peers within the classroom-can be photographed. All photos should be saved in the file box or on the candidate's website . Candidates should informally caption photographs to ensure that they later do not forget the activity or how it demonstrates their understanding/application of a standard (described below).

            Step 3: Buying and Organizing a Binder: As candidates progress in the program, they begin to make decisions about which documents to include in the portfolio. It is suggested that they purchase a professional-looking, three-ring binder--no later than halfway through the program--and begin to place in it their very best examples of their materials developed in courses and while teaching. As candidates choose items to place in the binder, they should keep in mind the required competencies, described below. Over time, candidates will remove some items and replace them with others. They will continue to add new documents throughout the program.

            Step 4: Writing Preface Documents: In the program's prerequisite courses, candidates should begin writing three important portfolio documents: a resume, a philosophy statement, and a professional goals statement. Guidelines for writing these are provided in various courses. Furthermore, in each graduate course candidates should identify two (2) to three (3) documents that demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and use of at least one of the standards (below). These artifacts must also be captioned as described below.

            Step 5: Reviewing the Portfolio using the "Value Added" Principle: Throughout the graduate program, candidates review and reorganize the documents in their binder, based on three criteria:

1.)   Are all required competencies (described below) addressed in the portfolio?

2.)    Is there at least one entry for each course of the program?

3.)      Do all items adhere to a "value added" principle? This principle holds that each entry reveals something new and different about the candidate's professional competence. If two items are found to show roughly the same thing about a candidate, one should be removed. In this step the portfolio should be transformed from a collection of many of materials, to a sleek, organized, focused expression of professional abilities.

            Step 6: Captioning Entries:  Throughout the program, candidates should be identifying and captioning possible portfolio entries. A caption is a two or three sentence statement, placed just before each item, that tells three things:

1.)    What the document is (e.g., a photograph of a science learning center, a lesson plan that shows adaptations for children with special needs, a review of developmentally appropriate software), and  

2.)    What the document shows about the candidate as a teacher (e.g., her/his commitment to diversity in the classroom; learner-centered instructional methods; constructivist approach to instruction (including literacy development); and the infusion of educational technology in the classroom and the curriculum). The following is a sample caption: "This is a photograph of, and a written plan for, a multicultural lesson which I developed in a second grade field placement. It shows my commitment and ability to infuse multicultural perspectives in a developmentally appropriate way in an elementary classroom, and

3.)    How does the document demonstrate your understanding of one or more of the key elements listed under each standard and/or the Common Core of Teaching (e.g., the adaptations to this lesson plan demonstrate my understanding of the key element; Development, learning, and motivation -ACEI 1.1; CCCT,I.1)

The following is a sample caption:

(1)    This is a lesson plan with adaptations, using educational technology applications, I developed to meet the needs of a child in my second grade field placement.

(2)    It shows my knowledge, understanding, and use of educational technology to allow for individualized curriculum.

(3)    The educational technology adaptations to this lesson plan demonstrate my understanding of the key element of ISTE Standards VI.

A checklist will be provided to you (see Appendix 1) and will allow you to confirm that all standards are represented and by which documents. The checklist will be both a working tool for candidates and an assessment tool for faculty. Therefore, it is to be included in the portfolio.

Step 7: Graduate Candidate Narrative:

Overview 

            Graduate candidates will write an in-depth narrative to accompany their portfolio entries. This narrative will be an elaborate statement of beliefs about teaching, learning, and development. It will show how candidates' thinking has been influenced by current research and theory and the classroom discussions, activities, and assignments in their graduate program. The following are required features of the narrative:

1.         The narrative must be organized, well written, fully referenced in APA style, and of graduate-level quality.

2.         The narrative must be a thorough and thoughtful piece of writing that includes in-depth reflection on issues and topics in the field.

3.         The narrative must include ideas gleaned from all courses in the graduate program. (Direct reference to specific courses is encouraged.)

4.         The narrative must make reference to readings, including key works in the field of educational technology.

5.         The narrative must make reference to the artifacts that have been submitted. (In the text, direct reference should be made to specific items--e.g., "See the thematic unit in Appendix C for evidence of my understanding of meeting the needs of diverse learners.")

Guiding Questions

In the narrative, candidates will express their dispositions and knowledge about applications of educational technology to enhance student achievement, guided by the following questions:

1.         How have you grown in your applications of educational technology from the beginning of this course of study until your reflections preparing this culminating portfolio?

2.         How do you plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology?  What research resources have supported these initiatives?

3.                  What strategies and methods in educational technology have you used to maximize student learning?  Please provide examples for your recent teaching experiences.

4.                  How have you applied a variety of strategies and educational technology tools to strengthen assessment in classrooms and schools?  How might the involvement in the assessment process by families and other professionals be enhanced using technology?

5.                  How have you used technology to enhance your productivity and professional practice, your reflection as an educator, and your leadership and collaborative skills?

6.                  How have you applied your understanding of the social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools in your practice as a teacher?

            Step 8: Evaluation of the Portfolio: When completed, candidates will submit their portfolio to the faculty for review - in a paper format and as a CD. Two faculty members will independently score the portfolio. Based on the outcome of this scoring, portfolios will be judged as: Exceeds Criteria, Meets Criteria, or Does Not Meet Criteria. An evaluation rubric is described in a later section.

Timeline for Completion

            Candidates will complete their portfolio following this timeline:

Immediately:

           Begin collecting projects, papers, and learning materials-from each class-in a storage box or file system. In each class you will identify and caption at least two artifacts that demonstrate your knowledge, understanding, and applications of the Connecticut Common Core of Teaching (CCCT), the Performance Indicators of the Connecticut Teacher Technology Competencies (CTTC), and the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) - National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) and Performance Indicators for the Educational Technology Foundations for All Teachers. 

            Begin photographing projects and experiences in classes and field settings.

            Write a draft of a philosophy statement.

            Collect additional entries- from each class.         

Between 15 credits and the completion of the program:

            Purchase a binder and begin to place preliminary items in it.

            Begin to weed and organize the portfolio, based on the "value added principle."

            Revisit and revise the philosophy statement.

                     Continue captioning items.

                     Write drafts of a resume and a professional goals statement.

During the last courses and the Capstone seminar:

            Collect additional entries.

            Complete the organization and weeding of entries.

            Continue to write, revise and polish captions.

Write final drafts of a resume and professional goals statement.

Prepare a cover page and table of contents and make tabs for sections of the portfolio.

After the Capstone seminar

      Submit completed portfolio, including the matrix, narrative, and supporting materials, for evaluation during the mid-term week during the semester ending in the intended graduation date.

A Matrix of Standards from the Connecticut Common Core of Teaching (CCCT), the Performance Indicators of the Connecticut Teacher Technology Competencies (CTTC), and the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) - National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for the Educational Technology Foundations for All Teachers (NETS-T) 

also posted separately as http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/edtech/edtechmatrix.htm

Candidates should complete the Portfolio Evidence column by hyperlinking the evidence to documents that they had developed within the program as a guide for the evaluators as they assess the portfolio.