Digital portfolios are collections of images/graphs and explanatory text from student laboratory work. For example, possible entries include a student's first successful gram stain of bacteria from BIOL 101, video of termite behavior (BIOL 101), images of DNA gels from an independent project in Genetics and Evolution (BIOL 202), and images of field sites for ecological work. We are initiating a curriculum that requires students to maintain such a digital portfolio of laboratory work. This portfolio links learning throughout the biology curriculum and allows students to develop a sense of ownership of their work. Students are required to save images from inquiry-based laboratory exercises, research projects in several courses, and any independent work with faculty. In addition to the images, students need to provide a complete figure legend and to answer a series of questions about their work. Thus portfolios are a collection of images/videos as well as explanatory text. For courses without microscopy work, students make portfolio entries using graphs, figures, and images of field sites or organisms. Thus this requirement reaches ecological and organismal courses as well as those that use microscopy. We use consumer still and video digital cameras with both dissecting and compound microscopes, connected to Macintosh computers.

See links above for laboratory exercises using imaging stations, portfolio requirements, portfolio entry template, the imaging equipment we use, and examples of student work. This project is supported by NSF CCLI 0088638.

Questions or comments? Contact Nancy Staub at staub@gonzaga.edu.