My Digital Learning + Leading Capstone Project

Author's note: This narrative is background of creating an ePortfolio initiative at the University Press newspaper and the Department of Communication at Lamar University.

I began the idea in to create an ePortfolio requirement for students working for the University Press (UP) student newspaper. The students contributed for a variety of purposes including academic credit, income and general interests. My motivation came from observing students approaching graduation and applying for jobs without any tangible display of their learning at Lamar (ASNE, 2015).

I observed students having difficulty when supplying prospective employers application-related materials and not always being able to clearly state and define their university experience in interviews (Graves & Epstein, 2011). Additionally, I thought that if students were not adequately showing visible learning achievements and experiences and, that perhaps, as instructors and as an institution we aren’t adequately visible how we are effective teachers (Hattie, 2014).

Additionally, I wanted to document the community of practice and culture of the UP as a model to organize and enhance newsrooms as significant learning environments and effective content producers (Sonderman & Rosenstiel, 2015).

At this point, I had already started discussing my ideas with stakeholders including College of Fine Arts and Communication (CoFAC), Dean Derina Holtzhausen, Communications Department Chairperson Natalie Tindall and several faculty and staffers, especially my colleague, supervisor, co-adviser and Director of Student Publications Andy Coughlan. I knew what I wanted to do, but I was not entirely sure of how to implement it.

The IP is designed to implemented at any time during any academic calendar. The example I use primarily focuses on a summer to fall semester transition for learners and instructors.

The plan was first implemented with students in Spring 2016 with the UP editor, managing editor, sport editor, business manager and the advertising assistant. All of the students were enrolled in the 3130 Practicum course.

In fall semester 2016 all students at the UP working for internship credits were required to create ePortfolios for internship credits. This expanded my IP into development for departmental and CoFAC-wide initiatives for journalism, advertising, public relations and graphic design students from the department of art and college of business majors in business and marketing. The initiative increased participation from five students to 14 students in two semesters. By spring 2017, an additional 11 students were using ePortfolios.

A challenging aspect of this initiative at the UP is the numbers of our student staffers changes every semester. Some students were beginning to build their ePortfolios earlier in their degree plan than other students. Most students at the UP are classified as juniors or seniors — one to four semesters to build and curate their ePortfolios by graduation.

This arrangement does create anxiety and tension for students beginning their ePortfolios, especially if they are nearing graduation and do not have an account of previous work. This situation is suited especially for peer-learning and instruction opportunities (Ring, 2015).

As my concept began to take shape, I met Dr. Tilisa Thibodeaux through Dr. Wallace and Dr. Cummings. Dr. Thibodeaux explained the purpose of the Digital Learning and Leading (DLL) program and encouraged me to apply to the graduate program.

In EDLD 5302 we were introduced to the grownth mindset concept and learning processes of the program by Dr. Thibodeaux and she began to explain how incorporating choice and voice (COVA) in creating our coursework was going to be an important factor throughout the DLL program and as a means for using digital innovation and change in our current workspaces (Harapnuik, 2016).

Dr. Chris Penny outlined the concept of ePortfolios and digital artifacts and how our coursework would be compiled and evaluated in EDLD 5303. This is where many students began researching hosting sites and platforms for housing their ePortfolios

EDLD 5305 was the most challenging class to this point and where the hard task of constructing the tangible components of my innovation plan and engaging in formal processes to implement my IP with stakeholders (Karimi & Walter, 2015). This is also when the most relevant and substantial research of literature and supporting information for my plan took root and I began to frame my IP with specific learning theories. At this point I began to feel more confident and determined about my plan.

Additionally, this is where I create my framework of learning theories that I incorporate in my own instruction methods and those exemplified in my IP. My philosophy is a terrace of constructivism, social learning, cognitivism, behaviorism and connectivism environment to create a significant learning environment (Siemens, 2005).

I see my role in the classroom as that of a coach — to guide learners to achievement that aligns with their personal learning goals. I present an environment make-up that is experiential (authentic) in nature, and students learn by doing and their work is a visible artifact that is published for an audience.

My IP was revised with every course I took. I did not see this as an obstacle, but an opportunity to refine my plan to be efficiently compartmentalized. Additionally, the first phase of my IP was implemented at the UP and my department chair Natalie Tindall approached me about how to expand my IP into a departmental initiative.

The next course was EDLD 5304 exposed to “Critical Conversations: Tools for Talking when Stakes Are High” and “Influencer: The Power to Change Anything” (Patterson, et. al., 2012, 2013) and learned how culture can be influenced and how behavior of people can be changed. Another key element was to develop leadership structure and a process for implementing my IP.

In EDLD 5313, I was able to really start digesting and synthesizing my research and that of others to reinforce my ideas and my implementation plan. This section was challenging because this is when I encountered my significant dissenters and I was concerned that departmental leadership did not have a sense of urgency (Covey, et. al., 2012).

My next course was EDLD 5315 where we presented a formal presentation of our Action Research Plan to the class. It was at this time, I began to make formal presentations to key stakeholders and I was still having concerns about sustaining the need for urgency in my plan and I seriously wondered when I could implement it on departmental scale (Patterson, et. al., 2012).

For EDLD 5314 we explored a variety of technology change initiatives and learned what worked and what could be done better. In addition, we developed a major literature review documenting our research.

I was excited for EDLD 5388 because we were going to be able to create model online course content for authentic professional learning (PL) and to create a plan how to implement it. This was the course I was most anticipating because I would be able to immediately implement this model and receive feedback to enhance the model. This turned out to be the most disappointing, and at the same time, most revealing course in the program for me.

I chalk part of the experience to myself that perhaps I did not present my plan clearly to the instructor — conversely, perhaps, the instructor was not well-versed in the course content and the COVA concept. The feedback I received during the course was generic and unfocused. I think we were measured against a checklist versus a significant evaluation of our content and context. The material presented was not evaluated in context to the previous work presented in my IP.

The course was rushed and disjointed and learners were not given appropriate amounts of time to synthesize and implement material in a way that created an authentic, significant learning environment or experience. In addition, I felt that the spirit of the program, of COVA, were not applied in context of our own learning experience that had been heavily emphasized by every other instructor and every other course up to this point (Harapnuik, 2018). I scored well in the course, grades are not the issue, the feedback missed the mark and was out of touch of what we were authentically working on.

One of the most difficult and confusing aspects of the course was the role of the instructor versus that of the instructional associate because conflicting and vague information was being presented in course mass emails and course announcements on BlackBoard. When this issue was presented the response were unconstructive and not relevant to the questions posed, so I just shut down and waited for the course to be over and went my own way in developing my online model with the help of feedback and reflection of classmates.

What was revealing during that experience were the weaknesses of constructing a technology-based innovation plan. Some of the very challenges the DLL program highlights to learners were manifested in this course. (Thibodeaux, et. al., 2017). For example, the disconnect between verbal and non-verbal communication and learners might experience in a traditional in-person, intimate instructional environment and that of an online environment (Schweitzer, 2017).

We explored digital literacy in EDLD 5316 and I wonder if this course might be better used earlier in the program. There are several components within digital literacy that would be beneficial to students earlier, especially Ribble’s nine elements of digital citizenship (2015), that could enhance the understanding of COVA for learners in the program. However, I also

recognize that learner’s in the program might understand digital citizenship with deeper meaning because we have been exposed to other concepts first.

EDLD 5317 converged digital resource environments, innovation plan initiatives and learning theories into a conclusive theme for my IP and how to create communities of practice for learners and instructors. I had previously seen learner experiences and instruction practices and experiences as separate elements. I combined my concepts for innovation learning to include both components because I now see them as a congruent set of practices (David, 2014).

EDLD 5318 was a conclusion of all our IP planning, research, feedback and reflection throughout the DLL program. My IP has been a work in progress since I began the DLL program and with each step of the program, my project has evolved and become more curated and refined. My IP is in its fourth-generation and I’ve revised, edited and adapted elements and practices each semester of use. Instruction and learning should be fluid and adaptive and be student-centered.

The ability to share and have discussion with fellow students was useful. My observations are while many students engaged with each other, it’s challenging to measure how dialogue and understanding can be synthesized and how significant that experience will be over time. I think small cliques were engaged with more regularity — not necessarily as a positive or negative, or by length or frequency, but by context and tone. Interpersonal communication is abrupt and transactional — again, not necessarily negative or positive, but as a condition in the environment.

My observations were an important component of my overall effort in the DLL program. I learned many ideas from my cohorts — significant reflection and feedback. The achievement and efficiency of any IP is significantly defined by personal experience of the learner. COVA has been a significant influence on my IP at all levels.

The capstone course, EDLD 5320, is the culmination of our work and concludes with this final narrative of the overall experience. As instructors have added the ePortfolio initiative to their classes, we have learned how to tailor achievement outcomes to enhance student and instructor experiences.

I look forward, and to the future, to creating a high school journalism initiative to enhance journalism programs in Southeast Texas and beyond for advisers needing learning resources. I also plan to collaboration on a journalism teacher state certification initiative for the Lamar University Department of Communication. Additionally, I plan to refine my research skill to contribute articles for publication to a variety of academic and topical journals and outlets.

 

References

ASNE Newsroom Census (2015). American Society of Newsroom Editors 28 June 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2017 from http://asne.org/content.asp?pl=140&sl=129&contentid=129

Bambaeeroo, F., & Shokrpour, N. (2017). The impact of the teachers’ non-verbal communication on success in teaching. Journal of Advances in Medical Education & Professionalism, 5(2), 51–59

Covey, S., McChesney, C., & Huling, J. (2012). The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving your wildly important goals. Simon and Schuster.ISBN B005FLODJ8

David L, "Communities of Practice (Lave and Wenger)," in Learning Theories, July 16, 2014, https://www.learning-theories.com/communities-of-practice-lave-and-wenger.html.

Graves, N. and Epstein, M. (2011). E-porfolio: a tool for constructing a narrative professional identity. Business Communication Quarterly, Volume 74, Number 3, September 2011 342-346 DOI: 10.1177/1080569911414555

Harapnuik, D. (2016). CSLE + COVA website. http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=6988

Harapnuik, D. (2018 undated). CSLE website. Retrieved March 2018. http://www.harapnuik.org/?page_id=849

Hattie, J. (2014) Visible learning. Retrieved from https://visible-learning.org/john-hattie/

Karimi, J. & Walter, Z. (2015). The Role of Dynamic Capabilities in Responding to Digital Disruption: A Factor-Based Study of the Newspaper Industry, Journal of Management Information Systems 2015, 32, (1), pp. 39–81. Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, ISSN 1557–928X (online) DOI: 10.1080/07421222.2015.1029380. Retrieved http://content.ebscohost.com Lamar University library share January 23, 2017.

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., & Swizler, A. (2012). Crucial conversations: tools for talking when stakes are high. (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill New York, NY. ISBN-10: 0071771328

Patterson, K., & Grenny, J. (2013). Influencer: The power to change anything, Second Edition. McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN 0071808868

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know (3^rd ed.). Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education

Ring, G. L. (2015). Implementing a peer mentoring model in the Clemson e-portfolio program. ISSN: 0040-5841 print/1543-0421 online. DOI: 10.1080/00405841.2015.1077616. Published and retrieved ebscohost.com June 14, 2017, Theory Into Practice, 54:326–334, 2015, Changing Landscapes: The Impact of e-Portfolios on Teaching and Learning. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

Schweitzer, M. (2017). Non-verbal communication: Achieving personal and professional success specialization. Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. https://www.coursera.org/learn/wharton-communication.../nonverbal-communication

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. IJET Vol. 2, No. 1, January 2005. ISSN 1550-6908. http://www.itdl.org/journal/jan_05/article01.htm

Sonderman, J. & Rosenstiel, T. (2015). “A culture-based strategy for creating innovation in news organizations.” Published May 27, 2015 American Press Institute.

Thibodeaux, T., Cummings, C., and Harapnuik, D. (2017). Factors that Contribute to e-Portfolio Persistence, International Journal of e-Portfolio, Volume 7, Number 1, 1-12. http://www.theijep.com ISSN 2157-622X