On Episode 612, I welcome Lynn Mead, Teaching Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas and author of Professional ePortfolio, to Teaching in Higher Ed. We explore the power of ePortfolios for making learning visible, both for students and faculty. Lynn shares those early signs she was destined for teaching and how today she guides students to bridge academic learning with career readiness. She describes how ePortfolios blend curated artifacts and reflection, allowing students to retain and make sense of their learning beyond transient assignments locked in learning management systems.

Resources from the episode:

• Building a Professional Portfolio (OER Book) by Lynn Meade
• University of Arkansas Student Portfolios (portfolio.uark.edu)
• Award-Winning ePortfolios Highlight Student Talent and Career Readiness
• Fulbright College Team Outlines ePortfolio Initiative
• Multiple New U of A ePortfolio Resources Available for Students and Faculty
• Beyond a Resume, Part One: ePortfolios in Higher Ed (podcast)
• Beyond a Resume, Part Two: ePortfolios in Higher Ed (podcast)
• ePortfolios Overview (AAC&U ePortfolios Topic Page)
• Poll Everywhere
• Reese W. is Here to Boost My Writing Career, by John Warner
• The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns
• Nancy Duarte on LinkedIn
• Video on Box Breathing

Episode topics:

• Making Learning Visible with ePortfolios
• Bridging Academic Learning and Career Readiness
• Unlocking Student Work from Digital and Physical Archives
• Reflection as Essential to Deep Learning
• Connecting College Experiences to Career Competencies
• Authenticity in Portfolios Amidst AI Advancements
• Teaching Responsible AI Use in Student Writing
• Faculty Portfolios for Promotion, Tenure, and Storytelling

Discussion questions:

1. Lynn Mead describes the ePortfolio as more than a scrapbook or journal, but a curated collection and reflection of learning across the college experience. How do you see the ePortfolio transforming the traditional assignment and assessment model in higher education?
2. Reflecting on Lynn Mead's classroom experience, why do you think students struggle to identify concrete examples of skills like teamwork and communication from their coursework? How might ePortfolios address this gap?
3. The topic of authenticity and AI’s role in student learning surfaced in the conversation. How might educators balance the use of AI as a helpful tool with the need for authentic student reflection and representation in ePortfolios?
4. Lynn Mead shared a multi-step writing and feedback process that included peer review and professional input. What are the key advantages of this approach, and how could you adapt it to your own teaching or learning environment?
5. Lynn Mead suggests that faculty should also consider building their own portfolios, not just students. What could faculty gain from this process, especially in relation to tenure, promotion, or personal reflection?

Related Episodes

The more we move toward assignments that might be contained in an ePortfolio, the likelihood that our pedagogical approaches could benefit from alternative grading approaches increases. If you would like to learn more about the common features of alternative grading systems as described inGrading for Growth, by Robert Talbert and David Clark, Episode 588 is a great starting point.

Emily Pitts Donahoe shares what we can learn about grades from an “emerging failure” on Episode 588 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast. She lists the four Pilars of growth-oriented grading systems as follows: “…marks that indicate progress, reattempts without penalty, clearly defined standards, and helpful feedback.” Emily asserts that:

One of the most important functions of grades or marks given on individual assignments is to communicate to students about how they're progressing in a certain subject. Traditional grades don't serve this communicative function very well.

I encourage you to check out Emily’s Unmaking the Grade newsletter, despite the fact that she’s taking a break to “tend to some growing things.” Of course a related newsletter well worth a look is Grading for Growth, from Robert Talbert and David Clark.

Next Week’s Episode

On the upcoming episode of Teaching in Higher Ed, Marc Watkins joins me to explore the importance of skepticism and curiosity in the age of AI.

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Affiliate income disclosure: Books that are recommended on the podcast link to the Teaching in Higher Ed bookstore on Bookshop.org. All affiliate income gets donated to the LibroMobile Arts Cooperative (LMAC), established in 2016 by Sara Rafael Garcia.”

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