Technology used: Segue for student electronic portfolios

Reason for using the technology: Several years ago, the state of Vermont decided to approve the use of electronic portfolios to meet the state’s licensure requirements. Since that time, students in Education Studies courses related to teaching have created embryonic electronic portfolios using Segue.  Each portfolio needs to follow a prescribed structure and include categories relating to Teaching Episodes, Teaching over Time, Colleagueship and Advocacy, Self-reflection and Vision.

Because Segue is a relatively flexible environment in which to create web-based portfolios, the students were taught to use this tool in scheduled workshops that are part of the course syllabus. The portfolios are maintained by LIS for five years after graduation so that the students have the ability to update and keep current their biographical information and teaching experiences. This has proven to be particularly useful when the students go on the job market and can direct prospective employers to their electronic portfolio.

Anticipated Learning Outcomes: Students should be sufficiently familiar with Segue that they can include multimedia into their portfolios and keep them up to date after graduation.  This has proven to be the case although there are some issues with the accounts of student graduates expiring that we have to work around. The quality of the student portfolios has been quite high and is a very good way for students to integrate their teaching experiences, philosophy and biographical information to meet state requirements and to use as an online resume.

Upcoming Issues: Because Segue will be discontinued at some point in the next several years, we will need to find an alternative platform on which to base the student portfolios.