1. ePortfolio
Department of Arts & Administration
School of Architecture & Allied Arts
University of Oregon
GTF Fall Report – 2005-6
Allison Bryan
•The position of ePortfolio GTF became active in the second week of the Fall Term,
2005. This was a retroactive contract, so much of the first couple weeks of this position
were spent researching ePortfolios and familiarizing myself with the concept of the
ePortfolio. I went to both Lori Hager and Eric Schiff’s classes in order to introduce
myself to the students and get a grasp on where they were coming from, and what
type of work they were doing. Because Lori’s Internship Class had upcoming
presentations, I became familiar with what they were trying to accomplish in order to
provide sufficient help to the students.
•The next couple of weeks I met frequently with the Internship II students by
appointment only. Many of them had technical questions concerning their websites,
such as links not working, etc. I spent much of the time helping the students to
organize their files in a simplified manner, allowing them to better understand how
their ePortfolio was working on the web. Students had questions about how they
should organize their information and how much of it should be on-line. I tried to
help students keep only content that pertained to their focus, as well as trying to
keep it to a minimum since we were dealing with a time restraint for their
presentations. Some students had simple questions regarding programs such as
Microsoft Powerpoint and Photoshop.
•Lori Hager and I met very often, sometimes several times a week in order to
brainstorm about where this project was going, and what needed to be done to get
it there. The ePortfolio team met weekly in order to recap the week. I touched base
regularly with the ePortfolio tutors regarding any questions or concerns.
•A large part of my efforts this term was spent working with Lori and Media Services
learning wordpress, as well as trying to sort out the kinks in the website in order to get
www.eportfolio.uoregon.edu where it needed to be in terms of content and visual
aesthetic. It was very important that I gained administrative access to the ePortfolio
server in order to achieve these goals. This took much more time than we had
bargained for, thus, the website remained stagnant for a portion of the term. When I
was finally given admin access to the server, I was able to update the necessary
content, and add image links to the AAD students’ ePortfolios in time for their
Internship Presentations.
•A good deal of time was spent researching rubric systems for the ePortfolio
standards system. Most of the research I was doing was on-line and through
educational institutions. By the end of the term I had complied a packet of research

2. materials, and began developing a general overview of the ePortfolio standards.
While creating this overview, I kept in mind the various departments within the AAA
that ePortfolio could be working with, and how the standards would differ within each
field of study.
•On a regular basis, was compiling data from student evaluation sheets, as well as
tutor evaluation sheets. When all of this data was compiled, I was able to make line
graphs and charts recording all of the information. This was very helpful for the team
in order to see what was working with the students, and what was not. (ie: lab hours,
what programs they needed help with, etc.)
•Lori Hager and I met a few times with Kassia Dellabough, the director of the PODS
program within the AAA. (Office of Professional Outreach and Development for
Students). During these meetings, we spoke about the potential of ePortfolio
collaborating with PODS in order to teach a series of workshops on the ePortfolio
process during the Winter Term of 2006. These workshops would be taught by Erin
Walrath, Colin Williams (ePortfolio tutors), and myself.
Observed Improvements:
•As the team settled into more of a routine, things became more productive.
Communication improved immensely; fewer emails were sent and when things
needed to be discussed they were placed on the agenda for the weekly meeting. I
think that it became clearer to everyone what their job responsibilities were, thus
making it easier for everyone involved.
•The first half of the term consisted of hurdles in the realm of communication among
our team and those who were technologically linked to the project. It was very
important that we learn how to successfully communicate with these parties in order
to achieve progress within the ePortfolio website. After much correspondence, we
were able to have successful meetings. I think for everyone involved, there is much
more clarity regarding the website and what needs to be done in order for it to be
properly maintained.
What could we do better?
•There is always room for improvement in communication when it comes to a group
project that is growing at the rate in which ePortfolio is growing. This is in regards to
the ePortfolio team in general, as well as with outside parties. Positive and successful
communication will greatly benefit the ePortfolio project itself, as well as those
involved in the project’s development.