Portfolio Assessment for Asynchronous
Undergraduate Course
Timeline: 1 month
Model: Understanding by Design
Responsibilities: Instructional Design and Development
Tools: Canvas
The Subject Matter Expert of an asynchronous course on contemporary professional writing for undergraduate students in the School of Business at Notre Dame de Namur University consulted with me on ways to foster student engagement and collaborative learning. My suggestion was to redesign the course project by creating a better structure, providing more scaffolding, and fostering collaborative learning.
THE CHALLENGE
In Fall 2025, the Subject Matter Expert for BUS-2006, Contemporary Professional Writing, offered by the School of Business and Management to undergraduate students, requested instructional design support to enhance student engagement. The course utilized a portfolio assessment where student groups would select one of five projects (e.g., Marketing Communications and Business Consulting) and create a series of communication artifacts for their portfolio.
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To ensure student success, I proposed and implemented a new design strategy focused on two key areas:
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Scenario-Based Tasks: I developed a series of scaffolded, scenario-based tasks that guided students through the project over the duration of the course.
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Structured Collaboration: I created a system of assigning and rotating group roles to provide structure and accountability for their collaborative work.
ANALYSIS
INSTRUCTIONAL ANALYSIS
Informed by the course-level and the program-level outcomes, the portfolio assessment approach combines target writing and business communication skills. Students learn to use digital tools to craft written and oral communications that are both professional and ethical. Throughout the course, students demonstrate their skills in business writing by analyzing business documents, creating a diverse range of business communication artifacts, and delivering presentations that analyze a business scenario and articulate clear, effective solutions.
DESIGN
The portfolio assessment combines principles of asynchronous collaborative learning with the ARCS model.
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I have proposed five groups aligned with the five portfolio topics (e.g., the Marketing Communications Portfolio), which students can self-select based on their learning interests. Each group begins with a scenario that immerses students in the case and introduces the project task.
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The project moves through distinct phases, each following a consistent format: (a) asynchronous or synchronous group discussion, (b) collaborative development of a communication artifact, and (c) a presentation to the class to gather peer feedback. throughout these phases, students rotate through different roles (such as 'Campaign Architect') to complete tasks that contribute to the final portfolio.
DEVELOPMENT
To facilitate asynchronous group work and the successful completion of all project phases, I utilized Canvas Groups and Microsoft Suite. I also provided technical guides to minimize barriers and ensure students can complete the assignments successfully.
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Students navigate their group's Canvas homepage to learn about the project goals and phases, and Canvas Group pages to access task instructions for each phase. They also utilize group discussion boards for case analysis.
To manage participation, a Role Assignment Sheet (MS Word) allows students to rotate responsibilities weekly and enables the instructor to monitor workload distribution. Each week follows a consistent cycle:
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Strategize: All members participate in a discussion board to analyze the weekly task.
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Create: A designated student (e.g., the 'Campaign Architect') utilizes the provided templates (Word/PowerPoint) to develop the required communication artifact, while teammates provide constructive feedback.
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Present: A different member presents the final artifact to the class for peer review.
For example, in Week 1, the Aura's Marketing Communications Team is expected to:
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Participate in an asynchronous discussion to analyze the Campaign Kickoff Memo and reach a consensus about the plan.
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Then, the team's "Campaign Architect" develops the Marketing Plan document in the provided Word document.
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Finally, another group member records and shares a pitch of the plan and shares it with the rest of the class.
IMPLEMENTATION & EVALUATION
The group work is implemented in Canvas Groups. This assessment approach provides students with a new and dynamic learning experience that does not resemble the past course. Students develop communication and collaboration skills, and the various communication channels provide them with flexibility.
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To ensure that the design supports learning, I administered a survey. The survey results indicate that established communication channels and asynchronous summaries were highly effective, allowing teams to collaborate efficiently without constant meetings. While students found value in specific practical elements like the crisis simulation and leadership roles, the "collaboration personas" were largely seen as ineffective for improving feedback. To improve the course, students strongly suggested restructuring the group work—either by shortening projects, rotating members, or separating disciplines—and requested a walkthrough video to clarify complex course logistics.