Frequently Asked Questions: Students
General
1. What is PS?
Portfolio Seminar is one of two senior-level capstone courses (along with Evaluating Writing) in the Writing Arts major. Portfolio Seminar is a one-credit course for which you submit an electronic portfolio of work (five pieces) completed during your career as a Writing Arts major. The portfolio is then reviewed and evaluated by your advisor.
2. How come there are no meeting dates for PS on my schedule?
PS is set up much like an independent study. You will meet once as a large group with other PS students near the beginning of the semester (you will be contacted via email concerning possible meeting dates and times), but the rest of the work is completed at whatever pace works best for you.
3. How do I find out who my advisor is?
Look at the list available on Canvas for your advisor.
Portfolio Seminar is one of two senior-level capstone courses (along with Evaluating Writing) in the Writing Arts major. Portfolio Seminar is a one-credit course for which you submit an electronic portfolio of work (five pieces) completed during your career as a Writing Arts major. The portfolio is then reviewed and evaluated by your advisor.
2. How come there are no meeting dates for PS on my schedule?
PS is set up much like an independent study. You will meet once as a large group with other PS students near the beginning of the semester (you will be contacted via email concerning possible meeting dates and times), but the rest of the work is completed at whatever pace works best for you.
3. How do I find out who my advisor is?
Look at the list available on Canvas for your advisor.
The Analysis Statement
4. What exactly is the analysis statement in PS?
The AS draws on your five portfolio pieces to demonstrate that you have achieved the outcomes of the core values. See ”The Analysis Statement” on the Portfolio Seminar webpage for more information.
5. I’ve finished a draft of my analysis statement. Now what do I do?
Contact Dr. Reed via email ([email protected]) He will place you in a group who will peer review your statement (as you will peer review theirs) electronically via Canvas or Google Drive.
The AS draws on your five portfolio pieces to demonstrate that you have achieved the outcomes of the core values. See ”The Analysis Statement” on the Portfolio Seminar webpage for more information.
5. I’ve finished a draft of my analysis statement. Now what do I do?
Contact Dr. Reed via email ([email protected]) He will place you in a group who will peer review your statement (as you will peer review theirs) electronically via Canvas or Google Drive.
The Portfolio
6. When should I start my portfolio?
You should have set up your portfolio during the Technologies and the Future of Writing module of Introduction to Writing Arts. You should have begun, and continued until now, to store assignments, drafts, and important URL links there. If you aren’t saving your work someplace other than on a hard drive, you could lose everything if the hard drive crashes, rendering it impossible for you to pass Portfolio Seminar!
7. What should be included in my portfolio?
Information on what goes in the portfolio can be found at “Portfolio Contents and Uploading Hints” on the Portfolio Seminar page listed above.
Unless a paper falls under the situation discussed in question 9 below, it should be converted to a pdf before uploading it to your portfolio.
8. How do I save my files as pdfs?
Most applications like Microsoft Word give you the option to either “save as” a pdf, or to “print” the document as a pdf.
9. What if some of my “papers” exist digitally on the web?
No problem. Just supply the links as part of the portfolio.
You should have set up your portfolio during the Technologies and the Future of Writing module of Introduction to Writing Arts. You should have begun, and continued until now, to store assignments, drafts, and important URL links there. If you aren’t saving your work someplace other than on a hard drive, you could lose everything if the hard drive crashes, rendering it impossible for you to pass Portfolio Seminar!
7. What should be included in my portfolio?
Information on what goes in the portfolio can be found at “Portfolio Contents and Uploading Hints” on the Portfolio Seminar page listed above.
Unless a paper falls under the situation discussed in question 9 below, it should be converted to a pdf before uploading it to your portfolio.
8. How do I save my files as pdfs?
Most applications like Microsoft Word give you the option to either “save as” a pdf, or to “print” the document as a pdf.
9. What if some of my “papers” exist digitally on the web?
No problem. Just supply the links as part of the portfolio.
Peer Review
11. How do I get placed into a group for peer review?
You need to contact Dr. Reed when a draft of your analysis statement is complete. After she gets enough people to form a group, she will create the group in Blackboard and ask you to complete your group work within 7-10 days.
12. How do groups function in Canvas?
You will click on your group on the left hand side of Canvas, then find your Peer Review group. You should have options for discussions there.
13. How do I use the comment feature on Word?
With PCs, highlight the area of the text you want to comment on. On the “Review” tab, in the “Comments” group, click “New Comment.”
With Macs, highlight the area of the text you want to comment on, drop down the “Insert” menu and then open “Comment.”
This should be similar on Google Docs, if you are using that to complete your peer review.
14. What if I am not receiving feedback from all of my group members?
As a group, set a date for how soon you want everyone to comment on the analysis statements. I suggest 7-10 days. Once the date has passed, try to contact anyone who hasn’t commented. If you don’t hear back, contact me. If after a reasonable amount of time, the person doesn’t get in touch with me or comment, we will consider them out of the group, and that person will not receive credit for group work. This will affect their grade in the course.
You need to contact Dr. Reed when a draft of your analysis statement is complete. After she gets enough people to form a group, she will create the group in Blackboard and ask you to complete your group work within 7-10 days.
12. How do groups function in Canvas?
You will click on your group on the left hand side of Canvas, then find your Peer Review group. You should have options for discussions there.
13. How do I use the comment feature on Word?
With PCs, highlight the area of the text you want to comment on. On the “Review” tab, in the “Comments” group, click “New Comment.”
With Macs, highlight the area of the text you want to comment on, drop down the “Insert” menu and then open “Comment.”
This should be similar on Google Docs, if you are using that to complete your peer review.
14. What if I am not receiving feedback from all of my group members?
As a group, set a date for how soon you want everyone to comment on the analysis statements. I suggest 7-10 days. Once the date has passed, try to contact anyone who hasn’t commented. If you don’t hear back, contact me. If after a reasonable amount of time, the person doesn’t get in touch with me or comment, we will consider them out of the group, and that person will not receive credit for group work. This will affect their grade in the course.
Sharing Your Portfolio
15. How and who do I invite to see my portfolio?
You need to invite your advisor and me. Use the list of advisors and usernames in Canvas to determine your advisor’s correct email. Mine is [email protected].
You need to invite your advisor and me. Use the list of advisors and usernames in Canvas to determine your advisor’s correct email. Mine is [email protected].
Due Dates
16. When does this all need to be done by?
The checklist, found on the Portfolio Seminar webpage, sets general parameters for completion of your work.
17. What if I am currently enrolled in Evaluating Writing and my major assignments aren’t due until later in the semester?
This may cause problems in completing your work in a timely manner. You will need to be flexible. You can certainly begin and complete most of your Analysis Statement without having this one paper.
The checklist, found on the Portfolio Seminar webpage, sets general parameters for completion of your work.
17. What if I am currently enrolled in Evaluating Writing and my major assignments aren’t due until later in the semester?
This may cause problems in completing your work in a timely manner. You will need to be flexible. You can certainly begin and complete most of your Analysis Statement without having this one paper.
Evaluation
18. How am I evaluated in PS?
Your advisor evaluates your Analysis Statement based on the rubric found on the Portfolio Seminar webpage. As long as you have completed the group work, I will, in all likelihood, honor that person’s grade. If you did not participate in group work, your grade will be lowered by 1/3 of a grade (B becomes a B-, for example).
19. I received an Incomplete in Portfolio Seminar. How come?
I cannot turn in any grades unless I turn in all grades. At the end of the semester, if I have not received a grade from an advisor, I enter it as an Incomplete so that others in the class receive their grades in a timely manner.
If you receive an Incomplete, first attempt to contact your advisor to find out why your work has not been evaluated before contacting me.
Your advisor evaluates your Analysis Statement based on the rubric found on the Portfolio Seminar webpage. As long as you have completed the group work, I will, in all likelihood, honor that person’s grade. If you did not participate in group work, your grade will be lowered by 1/3 of a grade (B becomes a B-, for example).
19. I received an Incomplete in Portfolio Seminar. How come?
I cannot turn in any grades unless I turn in all grades. At the end of the semester, if I have not received a grade from an advisor, I enter it as an Incomplete so that others in the class receive their grades in a timely manner.
If you receive an Incomplete, first attempt to contact your advisor to find out why your work has not been evaluated before contacting me.
Problems and Concerns
20. My advisor isn’t getting back to me. What should I do?
If after waiting a reasonable amount of time and having attempted to contact your advisor without success, contact me and I will find out what is going on.
If after waiting a reasonable amount of time and having attempted to contact your advisor without success, contact me and I will find out what is going on.
When PS is Offered
22. Can I take PS during the summer?
Yes. The department in no way wants to impede anyone’s progress towards graduation. Taking it during the summer may mean your advisor is not available, but that will be addressed on an individual basis.
Yes. The department in no way wants to impede anyone’s progress towards graduation. Taking it during the summer may mean your advisor is not available, but that will be addressed on an individual basis.
Taking PS While Student Teaching
24. Should I take PS while student teaching?
The rule is: you must complete PS before you student teach. The AS is a substantial paper—twelve to fifteen pages on average—and as one of the culminating experiences of your WA career, writing it requires a lot of synthesizing of ideas you have learned previously. That said, certainly nothing prohibits you from starting your AS prior to the semester you take PS!
The rule is: you must complete PS before you student teach. The AS is a substantial paper—twelve to fifteen pages on average—and as one of the culminating experiences of your WA career, writing it requires a lot of synthesizing of ideas you have learned previously. That said, certainly nothing prohibits you from starting your AS prior to the semester you take PS!
| faqs-students.doc |
The Analysis Statement
Core Values and Learning Outcomes
Questions Concerning Core Values
PS AS Peer Group Instructions
Portfolio Contents and Uploading Hints
Checklist for Portfolio Seminar
Holistic Grading Rubric for Portfolio Seminar
Commonly Asked Questions about Portfolio Seminar
By Students
By Instructors
Core Values and Learning Outcomes
Questions Concerning Core Values
PS AS Peer Group Instructions
Portfolio Contents and Uploading Hints
Checklist for Portfolio Seminar
Holistic Grading Rubric for Portfolio Seminar
Commonly Asked Questions about Portfolio Seminar
By Students
By Instructors