1. replant technology The Matrix Revealed Open Source Portfolio Information Architecture for Beginners Nathan Angell and Wende Morgaine

2. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture What is the Matrix? The matrix is often a visual representation of the requirements of a program or department. This visualization is often helpful to students in understanding a department or program more deeply. The matrix is basically a grid into which students can upload work samples that demonstrate their proficiency in goal areas the matrix displays. The matrix also provides access to forms in which the student can reflect upon anything and everything—from making a work sample, to lessons learned from a learning experience, or whatever a department or program would like to capture.

3. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Get it Right the First Time The matrix is a structure in to which data is uploaded. If you create one matrix, use it with students, and then next year change the matrix, but want the first year students to be able to access their first year work, you will create a data migration problem. Because of the potential data migration problem, we highly recommend that each department or program that creates a matrix pilot that matrix with less than 5 classes initially. Also, because of that data migration problem, we recommend that students using a pilot matrix be informed that they are contributing to a pilot and that their data will not be accessible in future matrices. Make small messes because they are easier to clean up than large messes.

4. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Different Kinds of Matrices Goals in rows, measurement in columns Goals in columns, measurement in rows Workflow matrices Course-based matrices In this session, we will only address program or department based matrices.

5. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Rows The rows of a matrix are most often where program goals are articulated.

6. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Rows As higher education becomes more and more driven by assessment needs, it has become common for teams of faculty and administrators who are developing language for the goals (or rows) of a matrix to use extremely specific, rubric-oriented language. Language for rows of a matrix should be as general and “big picture” as possible to allow minor changes that will needed after pilots. The generality of your matrix architecture should also correspond to its scope and lifespan. Often, faculty can generate better, more general language for matrix goals/rows by discussing open-ended questions about what they would like to see in student work samples and intellectual growth.

7. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Open-Ended Questions What are your expectations/requirements for this student/course/program? What is it that you’d like to see accomplished? What’s the most important priority? Why? What would you like to see improved? How do you measure that?

8. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Pair Questions Is your institutional need to use a portfolio driven by: –a program need? –an accreditation need? –a course need? –a student need? –a faculty need? –something else? Some needs have already stated goals. If your need does, do you want to use the goal language as your row “labels?” Your need may not have already stated goals. If not, share the end result you hope portfolios will generate. Your desired end results and hopes are often good row “labels.”

9. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Columns The columns of a matrix are most often where the way a goal is measured is articulated.

10. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Types of Goal Measurement There are two very common ways to measure goals: –Proficiency –Time

11. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Cell Workflow Matrix cells can also be designed to structure user workflow. The initial states of cells can be set to “ready” or “completed.” Cell state changes can trigger state changes in other cells. For example, when an instructor marks a student’s cell “completed,” the cell in the next column of the same row can be changed from “locked” to “ready”.

12. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Pair Questions Will your institutional need be better met if you measure goal by proficiency or time ? One way to determine whether you should measure goals by proficiency vs. time is to consider when in the course of the program you want to evaluate a collection of work samples. Will you want to evaluate work samples at the end of each course? At the end of each term? At the end of each year? Or will you want to evaluate work samples when students have reached a level of expertise that doesn’t necessarily correspond to a uniform time period.

13. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Reflection In each matrix “cell”, there is an opportunity to reflect. Each cell can contain a reflection form that is different than the form contained in other cells in the same matrix. Each reflection form can contain as many reflection prompts as desired.

14. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Reflection Reflection questions are difficult to craft. Some programs choose to use language from an existing rubric or assessment requirement. For a less assessment-driven approach, see “Reflection Question Homework”.

15. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Pair Questions Imagine yourself reviewing reflections. What do you want to find? What will you want to discover about the student’s work sample process? Your answers to these two questions will likely lead you to some information, or experiences that you would like to prompt for. Once you identify your desired end results, reflection questions will write themselves.

16. replant technology Matrix Information Architecture Questions? replanttechnology.com info@replanttechnology.com 503.616.2987