Learning Portfolios and Individualized Learning Plans: Faculty as Coaches and Collaborators

Open College faculty play a special role in guiding students through meaningful reflection through the documentation of prior learning (EL206), and through the development of Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) and documentation/assessment of new learning for Bachelors of Science in Professional Studies (BSPR) enrolled students. In EL206, students and faculty work together to collaborate in the learning process by developing stronger connections between critical reflection and analytical skills needed to craft a quality portfolio; BSPR students work one-on-one with faculty to create a customized degree plan centered around the student’s professional goals (ILP), and to identify potential skills gaps for new learning. This presentation focuses on the roles faculty play as coaches and mentors in the creation of experiential learning portfolios, through the development of ILPs, and ways to assess new learning acquired through completion of a portfolio assessment (or PANeL) and the overall importance of meaningful reflection in learning.