Reflections on the Portfolio Workshop—Part 1

January 11, 2002

Having just finished the first workshop on developing course portfolios, I feel uneasy about several things. First of all, I think that I talked too much. Perhaps it’s because in the beginning there is some information that must be covered and I felt compelled to tell the group about it. Or, it may have been that I was just anxious about this first attempt at a portfolios workshop and maintained control of the process by talking and having a series of PowerPoint slides to guide (control) the flow.

The comments I got at the end of the session were quite positive and helpful. It seemed as if most participants had a sense of what was happening and where the workshop was going.

What do I do next? The second session needs to have more interactions by the participants, as opposed to “teacher talk” from me. I will plan some activities that enable everyone to use their course portfolios to plan teaching activities related to the outcomes envisioned in the syllabus and then design ways to assess what is happening. I will make the session more learner-centered (at the risk of giving up control and inviting chaos).