1. Virginia Tech – School of Education Instructional Design and Technology PhD Program Blacksburg, April 12th, 2010. Pre-Prelim Examination Student’s name: Elza Helena Cruz Committee Chair: Dr. Mike Moore Committee Members: Dr. Barbara Lockee, Dr. Kathy Cennamo, Dr. Ken Potter UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM

2. Title: An investigation of ePortfolios as a tool to fight learned helplessness and boost student’s autonomy. Explaining the title: I would like to investigate if the process of creation of an ePortfoliocan help students from low socioeconomic status fight the effects of learned helplessness, improve their academic achievement, change their attitude towards the relevance of schooling in the real world and restore their identity as autonomous individuals. UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM

4. As young adults, they are challenged with huge life interests and needs that conflict with school schedule.UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM

6. They may not be able to afford their basic needs or their families’ needs;

7. They may end up in need of government assistance;

8. They may become a burden for the society.UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM

9. My First Assumption: If learned helplessness is caused by repeated experiences of failure over time, it may be reversed if the student is presented with real opportunities of repeated experiences of success over time. My second Assumption: The process of creation of an ePortfoliohas the potential to provide the concrete evidences of competence that the students need in order to (re)gain the confidence they need to overcome the effects of learned helplessness. UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM

11. Measures;

12. Interventions;

13. Reversibility.UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM

14. What I want to do in my study (continued): I intend to examine the affordances of ePortfolios to verify if the ePortfoliohas the potential to be used as an effective tool to provide students with the conditions they need to break the cycle of low achievements and learned helplessness. UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM

15. What I want to do in my study (continued): In case I find positive indications that the process of creation of ePortfolios can be used in the mitigation of learned helplessness, I will attempt to identify some conditions that should be in place during the ePortfolio creation process so that it can be effective for that desired outcome. UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM

16. What I anticipate I will need for my Focused Literature Review UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM

17. What I anticipate I will need for my Focused Literature Review (continued) UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM

18. What I anticipate I will need for my Focused Literature Review (continued) UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM

19. Intended Exams Timeline UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM UT PROSIM