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ePortfolio Community Profiles: Alex Miller
Courses and Assignments
The Chicago Quarter is a part of the First-Year Program at DePaul. These courses not only introduce incoming students to Chicago but also address areas of university life that are key to college success. Integrated into these courses are “Common Hours” led by trained student mentors, who cover topics like academic success skills, opportunities for educational and career planning, and health & wellness information. As a part of their work, Chicago Quarter Mentors create and maintain ePortfolios that document their growth and reflection as student leaders. Alex Miller, an Associate Director for the Office of New Student & Parent Engagement, leads the training and development of new Chicago Quarter Mentors.
Integrating Knowledge
Portfolios can be powerful tools that help students integrate knowledge gained from formal learning experiences (e.g., course materials and lectures) as well as more informal life experiences. For Chicago Quarter Mentors, ePortfolios allow them to document and reflect on what they learned from their required training course and, later, from their own experiences as “Common Hour” leaders. In their ePortfolios, mentors are asked to identify their own values, examine how their values affect their actions student leaders, and share their knowledge with DePaul’s community of learners.
“Students are able to build upon their experiences year to year and quarter to quarter using ePortfolios, adding to them throughout their time at DePaul and even during their professional lives.”
Identifying skills, shaping leaders
In addition to articulating their growth and development as student leaders, Chicago Quarter Mentors are encouraged to think about their futures after DePaul. Mentors work with their instructors and Career Center staff to construct résumés that reflect their employment history and leadership experience. Posted online as a part of their ePortfolios, these résumés can give students broader exposure to professional opportunities after college.
“ePortfolios can allow students to articulate the transferable skills they've learned in their undergraduate and graduate careers, helping them connect to jobs in the marketplace.”
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