Using Personal Interest Portfolios to Promote Engagement and Improve Student Learning in a Large Undergraduate Course
Abstract
Portfolios are used for many purposes; however, data describing their utility in promoting student engagement and learning in large undergraduate survey courses have not been reported. A large survey course presents a number of teaching and learning challenges that portfolios help to address, such as the ability of the teacher to maintain student engagement and contribute to authentic in-depth learning. To evaluate the effects of portfolios on engagement and learning, 46 students in a large undergraduate course were surveyed about their experience with a personal interest portfolio project. Student responses indicated that creating portfolios increased their interest in the class and contributed to their self-awareness and learning. Benefits and challenges of instituting portfolios in large undergraduate courses are discussed.
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