Colleagues: this is my 15-slide presentation created for my 20-minute Adobe Connect presentation in the AU EdD program Candidacy Examination (July 27, 2018).

1. 1
An Examination of the Development of Reflection of
Master’s Students Completing a Capstone
Electronic Portfolio: An Online Ethnography
- my journey to date -
EdD Candidacy Defence
Rita Zuba Prokopetz
July 27, 2018
Committee Members:
Dr. Susan Crichton (External)
Dr. Jane Arscott
Dr. Pamela Walsh
Dr. Debra Hoven (Supervisor)
Image source: Clipart

2. 2
Capstone Electronic Portfolios of Master’s Students:
An Online Ethnography
Community
of learners
Image source: Clipart
Photo: courtesy of RP

3. 3
 Introduction and context of proposed Study
 Problem Statement
 Significance of the Study
 Literature Review
 Evolution of the ePortfolio Terrain
 Impact of ePortfolio Use
 ePortfolio as a Capstone Project
 Research Design
 Research Questions and Methodology
 Theoretical Framework / Epistemological Approach
 Limitations and Delimitations
 Possible Outcomes

4. 4
 Problem Statement
 Difficulty thinking through experiences to date
 Struggle aligning competencies with experiences
 Challenge articulating achievement of competencies
 Significance of the Study
 Make overt attributes of students
 Elucidate the role and value of reflection
 Validate importance of feedback interactions
 Initiate discussion on educational assessment reform
 Stimulate discussion on a more contemporary theory of learning
Photo: courtesy of RP

5. 5
 Evolution of eportfolio terrain
 Early 1990s three-ring binder
 Originally used for assessing and showcasing
 Ground-breaking innovative technological tool
 Steady growth worldwide
 Formation of eportfolio coalition, organization
 Sophisticated field of inquiry
 Research, conferences, publications
Batson (2018)
Cambridge (2010)
Danielson and Abrutyn (1997)
Light, Chen, and Ittelson (2012)
Lorenzo and Ittelson (2005)
Pitts and Rugirello (2012)
Ravet (2005)
Educational
Innovation
Image source: Clipart

6. 6
 Impact of eportfolio use
 Assessment, instruction, professional development, research
 Learning and teaching
 Feedback from peers and instructors
 Challenges of eportfolio use
 Developing a process eportfolio
 Learning the technology
 Learning with the technology
 Supporting students, educators, administrators
Becta (2007)
Danielson and Abrutyn (1997)
Mitchell (1992)
Shepherd and Bolliger (2011)
Introduction
Artefact 1
Artefact 2
Artefact 3
Artefact 4
Artefact 5
Conclusion
Image source: Clipart
Photo: courtesy of RP

7. 7
 ePortfolio as a capstone project
 Evidence of learning
 Connection with peers and instructor
 Collaboration and interaction
 Giving and receiving feedback
 ePortfolio as a high-impact practice
 Promotion of reflection, critical thinking, digital literacy
 Integration of collaborative projects
 Demonstration of higher-order thinking
AAC&U (2008)
Kuh (2008)
Morreale, Zile-Tamsen, Emerson, and Herzog (2017)

8. 8
 Possible Methodological Approaches
 Phenomenology: describing how things are being or becoming
 Grounded theory: analyzing data through open coding, axial coding, and
selective coding
 Appropriateness of Online Ethnography
 Adaptable to computer-mediated interaction
 Description of the culture-sharing group
 Analysis of how students construct things
Dahlberg and Dahlberg (2003)
Hine (2016)
Vagle (2014)
Silverman (1997)
Wolcott (1999)
Image source: Clipart
Photo: courtesy of GP

9. 9
Layers Research Question Data Source Data Analysis
Q1: Primary
central
question
What are the overall perceptions of
the development of reflection in
an online eportfolio project by
Masters-level students
participating in a capstone project
as an instance of Internet culture? Observation of
Adobe Connect student
presentations
Open-ended
questionnaires
In-depth semi-structured
interviews
(proposal, p. 114)
Emerging themes
will be identified
from data being
collected, and
will assist with
data organization
Q1.2:
Sub-
question
What value do students perceive of
the reflective process as they
develop their capstone eportfolio
project?
Q2:
Secondary
question
To what extent does giving and
receiving feedback provide
students with a sense of being a
part of a subculture of an online
community of learners?
Q2.1:
Sub-
question
How do students perceive their
experiences as peer-feedback
givers in the development of
reflection as they participate in an
online Master’s capstone
eportfolio project?
Q2.2:
Sub-
question
How do students perceive their
experiences as peer-feedback
receivers in the development of
reflection as they participate in an
online Master’s capstone
eportfolio project?

10. 10
Online Ethnography: A Qualitative Approach
Open-ended questionnaires In-depth semi-structured interviews
Online observations Adobe Connect student eportfolio presentations
Participation in: ePortfolio Ecosystem as a Manifestation of Internet Culture
Observation of: Community of Learners as a Subculture of ePortfolio Internet Culture
Framework (proposal, p. 104)
Data Collection Techniques (proposal, p. 80)
Kirmayer, Rikhel, and Rahimi (2013)
Porter (1997)
Wulf (1993)
Internet Culture
Reflection Interaction
Community of Learners
Technology Pedagogy
Capstone ePortfolio Projects

11. 11
ePortfolio
Ecosystem
Social
Constructivism
Ecological
Constructivism
Bloom's
Taxonomy of
the Affective
Domain
Individual
Constructivism
Bateson (1972)
Bloom, Englehart, Furst, Hill, and Krathwohl (1956)
Capra (2002)
Hoven and Palalas (2011, 2016)
Krathwohl, Bloom, and Masia (1964)
Internet culture
Community of
learners
Technology
Pedagogy
Reflection
Interaction

12. 12
Bloom’s Taxonomy of the
Affective Domain
Learner is:
-Becoming aware of environment
-Internalizing the phenomenon
-Willing to accept
-Choosing to respond
Constructivism / Interpretivism
Ecological Constructivism
Learner can:
-Act alone or in collaboration
-See constant, subtle changes
-Perceive, construe
-Be part of an ecosystem
Bloom et al. (1956)
Hoven and Palalas (2011, 2016)
Krathwoh, Bloom, and Masia (1964)

13. 13
Logistic
o Gaining access to the course site
o Receiving official confirmation by the gatekeeper
Verification and Trustworthiness
o Maintaining a reflexive journal
o Relying on personal skills
o Including multiple data sources
Delimitation
o Restricting transferability of results due to constrained number of
participant pool
Baron (2008)
Marshall and Rossman (2016)

14. 14
The study will rely on the input of the participants to:
contribute data-rich source
enable analysis of the experiences
assist with future course iterations
contribute to eportfolio scholarship
The results of the study may contribute toward discussion on:
educational assessment reform
broader application of capstone eportfolios
importance of reflection and feedback interaction
a more contemporary theory of learning

15. 15
EdD Candidacy Defence
Rita Zuba Prokopetz
July 27, 2018
Capstone Electronic Portfolios of Master’s Students:
An Online Ethnography
- Thank you for your interest in my journey to date -
Image source: Clipart
Committee Members:
Dr. Susan Crichton (External)
Dr. Jane Arscott
Dr. Pamela Walsh
Dr. Debra Hoven (Supervisor)