This is the first draft of the quarter long Mini-Portfolio assignment. More details to follow.

At the end of every term Freshman Inquiry courses ask students to reflect on their own learning process and on their progress toward the four University Studies Goals.

In the Winter term you will complete an mini 0n-line portfolio as a webpage on which you will post an essay addressing your progress toward these goals as well as links to samples of your work. Please note that linking to copies your work is not enough: you must make an argument about why this piece of work represents your progress toward the goal. This will be tru about the larger Spring term portfolio as well.

Your portfolio should have the following parts.

1. A 2 page reflective essay (use first person or "I" voice). What were your beliefs about yourself as a learner when you entered the class? What have you discovered about yourself as a learner over the course of the term? Talk about how the specific tasks and skills demanded in this class have impacted you as a learner.

2. Explanations and samples of progress toward the 4 University Studies Goals. This will be organized as 4 introductory paragraphs plus links to samples of your work.
   • Ethical Issues and Social Responsibility.

     Students will expand their understanding of the impact and value of individuals and their choices on society, both intellectually and socially, through group projects and collaboration in learning communities.

     What are some of the ethical issues at stake in the work of design? How do you see the role of the designer in addressing the ethical issues? What ethical issues do you feel you have a new or different understanding of? How has your sense of what accountability means changed in response to being part of project-based group work? What have you learned about being accountable or holding others accountable in class and in life at large?

     Include a link to 1 piece of coursework in which you felt like you were addressing some aspect of this goal and explain how this piece demonstrates your work toward the goal of Ethical Issues and Social Responsibility.

   • The Variety of Human Experience.

     Students will enhance their appreciation for and understanding of the rich complexity of the human experience through the study of differences in ethnic and cultural perspectives, class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and ability.

     How has your understanding of the relationship between design and human experience changed over the year? Where do you see class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and ability being impacted by design and vice versa?

     Include a link to 1 piece of coursework in which you felt like you were addressing some aspect of this goal and explain how this piece demonstrates your work toward the goal Human Experience

   • Inquiry and Critical Thinking

     Students will learn various modes of inquiry through interdisciplinary curricula "problem-posing, investigating, conceptualizing" in order to become active, self-motivated, and empowered learners.

     In what ways do you see yourself becoming a critical thinker? Have your reading and thinking skills changed? Has your ability to respond thoughtfully to scholarly texts changed? Have you become more capable of making and supporting arguments and doing analysis? In which assignments did you find yourself actively engaged in investigating, problem-posing, or conceptualizing?

     Include a link to 1 piece of coursework in which you felt like you were addressing some aspect of this goal and explain how this piece demonstrates your work toward the goal of Inquiry and Critical Thinking.

   • Communication

     Students will enhance their capacity to communicate in various ways—writing, graphics, numeracy, and other visual and oral means—to collaborate effectively with others in group work, and to be competent in appropriate communication technologies.

     What media did you use to communicate in this class? Did using these various media (written, graphic, computer, oral) change your sense of your ability to communicate in a variety of settings? How do feel about yourself as a writer and how do you see your writing process after this term? What areas of communication would you like to keep working on?

     Provide 3 links. One link for each of the following:

     1. An assignment that demonstrates written literacy (this should be the piece of writing that you feel is strongest from this term).
     2. An assignment that demonstrates quantitative literacy (ex. The chart from the “member testing” assignment or a spreadsheet from the bridge project).
     3. An assignment that demonstrates graphic work (could be your chair sketch or your bridge design).

     Also provide a link to 1 piece of coursework in which you felt like you were addressing some aspect of this goal and explain how this piece demonstrates your work toward the goal of Communication.

Back to theDaily Record.

Back to the class web-page.