ETEC 590: Graduating Project

Description & Learning Objectives

ETEC 590 is designed to facilitate a broad-based demonstration of your theoretical and applied knowledge and the attainment of your own personal goals acquired during your Master of Educational Technology program. You may choose to complete this course as both a reflective capstone experience and for the opportunity it provides to gain knowledge in planning and designing web-based portfolios.

The culminating project, an ePortfolio, will be a reflection of yourself at the end of your Master of Educational Technology degree. It will highlight and showcase who you are as an educator as well as a researcher into the theory and practice of integrating technology into various contexts. The purpose of the culminating project is to gather, organize, analyze, synthesize, and present evidence to demonstrate your competencies, values, and beliefs regarding the integration of technology in various contexts.

Requirements

Because ETEC 590 is intended to be a culminating project of your experience in the MET program, it should be completed at the end of your program of study. You must have completed at least seven courses, including ETEC 500, before enrolling in ETEC 590.

Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the MET Academic Advisor. MET will review course records of registered students prior to start of term, and those who have not completed the necessary prerequisites will be un-enrolled.

Graduate certificate program students are not eligible to register into this course without transferring to the full Master of Educational Technology program.

Activities

As you proceed through the course, you will be led through a series of individual and group activities in which your participation is expected.

  • Tasks: Linked in to weekly modules and the calendar are seven ungraded sequential ‘Tasks’ to step you through a series of important design decisions and reflections in the development of your ePortfolio.
  • Weekly readings and group discussions: Many weeks include assigned reading. You will be guided to read these and participate in small group or whole-class discussions in response to discussion questions.

Readings & Resources

Examples of required resources

  • Hinton, C., Towell, J., MacFarlane, A., Refling, E., McCloy, U., & Amesbury, J. (2017). Student success ePortfolio: Student, faculty and employer perspectives on the value of ePortfolios in assessing the development of essential employability skills. Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.
  • Ng, C.K.C., White, P. & McKay, J.C. (2007). A review of the development of electronic portfolios in education and health care disciplines: Supporting students’ learning and continuing professional development. The Radiographer, 54(3), 24–29.
  • Brandes, G. M., & Boskic, N. (2008). Eportfolios: From description to analysis. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 9(2).
  • Morton, M. (2012). An example of an excellent ePortfolio [Video]. YouTube.

Examples of additional resources

  • Rowley, J. (Ed.). (2017). ePortfolios in Australian universities. Springer.
  • Jones-Kavalier, B., & Flannigan, S. (2006, January 1). Connecting the digital dots: Literacy of the 21st century. EDUCAUSE Review.

Assignments & Assessment

Your ePortfolio will reflect the quality of work, your level of engagement with the ideas explored in the course, the culmination of the issues you have reflected upon in the MET program, and the attainment of your goals. Your degree of contribution to this learning community through participation in online discussions and peer editing/reviewing will also contribute to your final assessment.

Seven ‘Assignments’ ask you to submit work and review peer submissions. Your instructor will assess your contribution to these Assignments as complete/incomplete, as well as giving feedback. These Assignments include:

  1. Submission of your ePortfolio proposal; review of a peer proposal.
  2. First submission of your draft ePortfolio; review of a peer ePortfolio.
  3. Second submission of your draft ePortfolio; review of a peer ePortfolio.
  4. Submission of a ‘video tour’ of your ePortfolio; review of several peer videos.
  5. Final submission of your ePortfolio.

The following aspects of your work and engagement will be considered:

  • Your ability to articulate your educational and professional goals.
  • Your familiarity with and understanding of theory/research in your field of study and how it facilitates meeting those goals.
  • Your ability to critically evaluate and draw conclusions about work you present in your ePortfolio in relation to goals, theory/research, and the courses you have taken.
  • Your ability to generate research findings and/or explicitly link theory and research to practice and skills.
  • Your creation of an ePortfolio that 1) demonstrates your learning and skills and 2) highlights your ability to derive and represent linkages and applications.

Minor course topic, activity, reading/resource, and assignment details may change from year to year.