News & Events
$3 Million ePortfolio Program Empowers Students
at New York City College of Technology/CUNY
Calixto
Ellis
St. John-Broomes’ ePortfolio homepage
Antonio Calixto recently earned his bachelor of technology degree in communication design at New York City College of Technology (City Tech). In his subsequent job search, he used all the tools at his disposal -- including a web-based ePortfolio -- to land his current position as a graphics designer at the newspaper Hoy. Calixto and others are benefiting from a $3.1 million City Tech program, now in its third year, called ePortfolio. Participants create online electronic portfolios in a multimedia, state-of-the-art computer lab. Using photography, sound, movement, links, 3-D animation and multi-colored graphics, and other technologies, they design their own websites and create portfolios that include research papers, accounts of internship experiences and multimedia presentations.
According to City Tech Provost Joann La Perla, the program has really taken off, surpassing all expectations. This fall, 400 students will begin creating e-Portfolios, bringing the total number of students involved in the project to 1,600, which is more than 10 percent of the student body. Eighteen additional faculty members will join 40 colleagues who have incorporated ePortfolios into their curriculum.
Also this fall, a new ePortfolio initiative called eTutor will be piloted. It will enable students in the project to submit writing assignments online to be reviewed by writing tutors and faculty members, who will respond online with suggestions for improvement.
The beauty of the program is that even students who haven’t studied web design or have little or no computer training can create an ePortfolio. Expert staff is always available, either in person or via an e-mail helpdesk, and the lab’s flexible hours include Saturdays. In addition, there are self-guided tutorials, a template to take the guesswork out of website design, and technological tools including scanners, digital cameras, zip drives and CD burners. Faculty members help students master the newest technologies, and City Tech maintains their websites for two years after graduation.
“ The ePortfolios allow students to showcase their work and present themselves in a unique way to prospective employers,” says Program Director Karen Bonsignore. “A student with an ePortfolio can, in a sense, interview virtually without leaving home. With a click of the mouse, an ePortfolio can be sent to potential employers anywhere in the world, who can then see evidence of the student’s creativity, work and academic success.”
According to Provost La Perla, “City Tech now features more than 100 courses in seven participating disciplines that include e-Portfolio projects as part of the curriculum.” The participating programs are communication design, computer systems, hospitality management, human services, legal assistant studies, architectural technology, and career and technology teacher education.
Funded by a five-year U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Title V collaborative grant to City Tech and LaGuardia Community College, the program aims to improve educational outcomes. It is one of only five such projects DOE funded in 2001/02 and the only one on the East Coast.
The grant is expected to boost graduation rates at both colleges and substantially increase the number of LaGuardia students who pursue baccalaureate programs at City Tech. La Perla explains, “While several colleges have used electronic portfolios to conduct assessments leading to improved student learning, City Tech uses this technology with the specific aim of helping students attain their career goals.”
Students from varying disciplines, levels, cultures and career paths are proving that the program is effective. Javed K. Ellis, 21, who arrived from Trinidad & Tobago in 2000, says his website shows not only what he can create, but also how he has sharpened his skills. “A design company executive saw my work online and contacted me to discuss what sounds like a very promising internship.”
Cheryl St. John-Broomes, a Barbados émigré in 1998, completed a bachelor of science degree in technology teacher education in June 2004, with a 3.90 GPA. “My website showed samples of my work from four semesters, so prospective employers could see how my later lesson plans were more professional and polished than when I began.” St. John-Broomes shared her e-Portfolio with potential employers during her job interviews and landed a full-time teaching position with the New York City Department of Education.
Kurt McDonald, originally from Jamaica, is a senior majoring in architectural technology. He pinpoints his specific needs: “Since I am a night student, it’s a great help that the lab is open on Saturdays, and that I can communicate with faculty 24/7 via e-mail. Having my own website, sponsored by my college, says that my college is really behind me.”
Faculty cite many reasons for the program’s success. Dr. Justine Pawlukewicz, Department of Human Services, comments, “The program challenges students to perfect their writing skills to be viewed in a public forum.”
According to Professor Tanya Mayulta, Department of Computer Information Systems, “This project takes student presentations to an absolutely new level. Viewing and discussing together portfolios that include their biographies, goals and dreams is very moving, and allows us to learn more about one another.”
Professor Aida Mysan, advertising design and graphic arts, has incorporated ePortfolio technologies in her curriculum since Fall 2002. Mysan affirms, “Creating an ePortfolio requires students to develop specific sets of skills related to critical thinking, writing and self-assessment. They also gain significant experience in information technologies. These skills are transferable beyond their academic careers. Going beyond the traditional paper résumé is a powerful paradigm.”
Bonsignore has observed that students enjoy creating ePortfolios and sharing them with peers, teachers and family, regardless of their level of prior computer training or chosen career path. As a result, they often complete more of the assignment than is required each semester. “Knowing that their goal is to use the ePortfolio as a dynamic résumé in a competitive job market keeps students focused,” she says.
Please note: The City Tech ePortfolio website at http://eportfolio.citytech.cuny.edu includes highlights of the project, including a number of actual student sample ePortfolios.
9/21/04
