Masters of Community and Regional Planning Digital Learning Portfolios

The Masters of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) Digital Learning Portfolio, designed in collaboration with UBC’s Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, supports students’ reflection on their attainment of program-level learning outcomes and provides program staff with evidence to assess student learning at the program level, particularly for Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) requirements.

Conceived as a purposeful collection of student work that demonstrates effort, progress, and achievement, the portfolio was designed to support students in documenting evidence of learning outcomes, engaging in collaboration and mentoring with peers and faculty, and developing skills as reflective practitioners.

To develop their digital learning portfolio, students were required to reflect in writing on the extent to which they had learned each of the 21 program level learning outcomes, and provide associated digital artifacts (e.g. essays, hand drawings, computer sketches, photos, videos, etc.) as evidence to demonstrate their learning for each program level learning outcomes. 

Students used a custom-designed web-based template in Wordpress (also developed with the support of the UBC Centre for Teaching Learning and Technology) to write their reflections and to attach artifacts, and students were provided with a detailed step-by-step guide for setting up and completing their portfolio. 

Students also received training on how to use Wordpress and how to write reflections using a given reflection framework modified from an existing reflective practice framework (see What, So What, Now, What; Borton, 1970). Portfolios were reviewed by faculty advisors and the MCRP Program Chair.

Impact was assessed through anecdotal feedback from students and faculty advisors, as well as formal feedback collected through student surveys. Feedback highlighted the value of structured reflection on learning, while also recognising the increased workload associated with producing and reviewing portfolio artefacts.

In response, the portfolio model was refined to remove the requirement for submitting artefacts. Students are now provided with dedicated class time to work on portfolios and to share and discuss reflections with peers. Portfolio data continues to be used to demonstrate student learning at the program level and to meet the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment criterion required by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB).

• Collaboration with the UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology
• Custom WordPress-based portfolio template
• Structured reflection framework (What, So What, Now What)
• Faculty advisor and Program Chair review
• Alignment with Planning Accreditation Board requirements