Week 3, Task 2:

My research as a Marine Biologist and even my work towards my graduate thesis for my PhD would all be applicable for an ePortfolio.  I think that using an ePortfolio to document my work for my graduate thesis and the reflections and evaluations of my work would be extremely beneficial.  The use of video, audio, and graphics would all be extremely useful in documenting scientific research and discoveries.  Since my focus in Marine Biology is on marine mammals, with an emphasis on dolphins and their social behavior and health, using video cameras to document the animals that I would be studying would be useful and possible because of the ePortfolio.  YouTube allows you to post videos and then post them anywhere, most likely in an ePortfolio as well.  The audio aspect of an ePortfolio could be used to document my personal observations.  For example; if I was out surveying a pod of dolphins or diving and observing them, using an audio recorder would allow me to document all of my observations down to a minute detail.  Then, taking those audio recordings and posting them along with my research on an ePortfolio, would create an even more in-depth look at the work that I was doing.  Following along these same thoughts, graphics would also be a great addition to my portfolio.  Graphical evidence is often used to document scientific research and provide hard data as proof, so posting this along with all my research would create even more depth within my research and allow any evaluators to see exactly what I was doing.  Said evaluators obviously being professors or a panel for my doctorate.  The video, audio, and graphics would be the best possible evidence of my learning and research within my ePortfolio.  Evolution of my learning is best summed up by my research itself.  Science is all about creating hypotheses, proving them wrong, learning from it, and adjusting your data and continuing from there.  That in itself is an evolution of learning shown through my own evaluation and adjustment of my research and my continued experimentation.  

Having my ePortfolio online would also give professors and peers the ability to access it and evaluate it for me before I even finished with my thesis and research.  That would allow for receiving their feedback and using it to make potentially vital adjustments to my work and the presentation of my work.  This also relates to showing my excitement about my work for others to see.  Marine Biology is obviously a huge passion of me and my research in itself and the dedication that it would document would be evidence of my excitement and love for my work.  Also, having that portfolio there to look back on would remind me of how much I love what I do whenever the going gets potentially tough.  Also, the ePortfolio would allow for other people, such as civilians or students, to see my research and learn from it themselves.  One of my focuses is on marine health and how we are affecting it, so conservation plays a key role.  Showing my own research in ways like video and audio make the situation far more real to people, and potentially have more of an impact on them.  Having my research inspire one person to watch what they dump down the gutter or pour down the drain would be a huge achievement and just another way to make a difference with my portfolio.

Dr. Lankford - Quick Q: You didn't want video and graphics in this correct?  We were supposed to look at it theoretically?  That's what I got from the assignment at least, let me know if I need to add anything! Thank you.