Designing Reflections + Final Portfolio Project

Designing Reflections + Final Portfolio Project

Sean M. Landers

Entertainment Technology / Emerging Media Technology at New York City College of Technology (CityTech)

Design Foundations I

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

This activity is a capstone portfolio, the culminating synthesis for a foundation course built on iterative design, thinking through media, and developing a reflective practice. Throughout the semester, as students engaged across rapid prototyping across media, they were tasked to complete preliminary freewrites and post-activity response writing.

This final activity gathers and makes use of those scattered pieces, making a final argument for the use and necessity of such reflective writing, even (especially!) in an age of AI.

Students document what they've made and design the presentation of that work, using their previous fragments of writing as a structure and support. This encourages to students to make sense of what they've made, to design the presentation of that work, and to draw meaning from the sequence and structure of the semester itself. The project is an archive and an interface, a user-centered reflection of their own design identity. The portfolio becomes a creative product and a reflective narrative: students explain their decisions, apply visual composition principles, and reflect on their identity and development as designers.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Students will:

synthesize work from across multiple project types and media;

understand and apply the principles of design thinking;

communicate ideas through formal and informal writing;

apply core visual composition & interaction design principles to create a cohesive user experience;

reflect on learning, growth, and process;

demonstrate an understanding of interaction design and design fundamentals;

engage with tools (Notion, Trello, Figma) introduced during earlier modules in a real-world, self-directed project;

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This is a culminating assignment that comes it at the conclusion of the semester, but is most effective when the groundwork for it has been laid over the course of the semester in previous units, allowing students to accumulate a substantial body of writing to feed the process of reflection.

Assigned: Week 14
In-Class Support: Week 14–15 (Portfolio Inspiration, Artist Statement, Draft Workshop)
Final Due: Week 16
In-Class Time: ~3 sessions
Out-of-Class Time: ~5–8 hours over two weeks

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Preparation: Students must have previously completed core projects (in the case of this course, three course projects, but it could be more or less), all of which include instructions that request brief (250-750 word), structured reflections on their process and product.

Instructor provides a structure, examples, and a sequence of scaffolded mini-activities (portfolio inspirations, artist statement, reflection prompt) both in previous activities and in this activity.

Instructions to Students:

Collect and describe each of the three projects completed during the term, which you have previously submitted in the form of project folders

Compose a 500–700 word reflective essay on design identity and learning

Apply principles of visual composition and interaction design to structure and present your work

Use any platform of your choice (PDF, website, slide deck, Figma file); justify that choice

Final portfolios must feel designed, not just assembled

This is the final assignment and represents 20–25% of the course grade; the other assignments represented in it previously accounted for ~50% of their course grade.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

I began with

Clarity and Structure (30%)
Is the portfolio organized, legible, and navigable? Are sections clear?
Application of Design Principles (30%)
Are visual composition principles and interaction design principles applied thoughtfully across the whole portfolio? Does it reflect design thinking in its structure and layout?
Process Reflection (20%)
Is there thoughtful reflection on what you’ve learned and how your process evolved?
Representation of Design Identity (20%)
Does the portfolio communicate something meaningful about you as a designer?

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

This activity emerged from a desire to ensure that low-stakes reflections (e.g., freewrites), which had yielded thoughtful and interesting results in previous iterations of the course, were not merely disposable assignments. I hoped that incorporating them into high-stakes creative production as a precursor and an opportunity of reflection could yield a final expression of iterative design thinking; moreover, that it could take the format of the 'portfolio assignment', which sometimes feels stapled on and hastily presented and elevate it into a suitable capstone (which can model the skills and process necessary to succeed in subsequent high stakes capstones that they may be required to produce in subsequent course work).

The success of the activity lies in the clarity with which students articulated their growth, when given structured space to reflect. They learned to consider their audience in new ways, even when the audience was themselves, or potential employers, investors, or collaborators.

Challenges included time management — things get hectic at the conclusion of the semester. This is where it is helpful that so much of the material had already been produced; that this was, in large part, an exercise in structure and curation, and an opportunity to revisit and reflect on writing previously written. There was also the issue of tool friction — many of the authoring tools on offer had only previously been explored in project 3, and this assignment not only came on the heels of it, but had a substantial overlap between completion of project 3 and introduction of project 4 — that means there was a great deal of conceptual fuzziness as students tried to conceive of what their portfolio was and what it could look like. It also took a great deal of time to create the understanding of how this was more than just a cluster of previously completed assignments, and how it could be a designed experience; this was addressed most effectively through in-class checkpoints and exemplars.

Flexible submission formats were useful, but sometimes too much flexibility can be as frustrating as too little flexibility; next time around, I'll provide clearer tracks that I'll ask students to commit to early in the process, as well as a modification of the overall assignment write-up tailored to each track. This will also give the students communities of practice operating in the same mode of production; peer groups can perform reviews, share insights, and have informal working groups to share questions, concerns and frustrations with.

Next time, I plan to incorporate an early-semester preview of what a “design reflection” looks like to give students more scaffolding throughout the term; I also intend to introduce the formal writing component of overall reflection earlier in the process and request that students take their drafts to the writing center, in order to provide a more structured and comprehensive instruction in writing than I was capable of fitting into the semester.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

I'm sharing links to the course OpenLab, as well as a page of the course assignments (Activities, low-stakes activities which structure their work overall, and Projects, which are the high stakes activities that demonstrate mastery) as well as the assignment for Project 04, the portfolio project.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/mtec1101-hd03-sp2025/

Menu Ingredient Pricing & Unit Conversions

Menu Ingredient Pricing & Unit Conversions

Alejandro Cantagallo

Hospitality Management, Professional Studies

Food and Beverage Cost Control

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Groups will be responsible for researching and documenting the pricing of all identified ingredients required for the term project menu, categorized by type. They will create a complete and organized list that accurately reflects purchasing specifications and applicable unit conversions.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Students will work in groups to research and collect pricing information for a set list of ingredients across various categories in the requisition sheet. The data gathered will be used as the standard pricing for the entire class’s term project. Additionally, students will convert the ingredient costs into consistent units of measurement for inclusion in a collective Excel worksheet.
Broadly speaking students will learn about group work, current pricing for food and beverage items and how to calculate costs related to food and beverage operations.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

This is assigned on the 5th week of the semester with a week to complete and with half of the subsequent class time to complete the work in class with guidance anc coaching from the instructor.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Students will be divided into groups. Each group will be assigned specific categories from the requisition sheet (e.g., Dairy, Produce, Proteins, Dry Goods).

Each group will designate members to the following roles:
Ingredient Collector: Confers with all students in the class to ensure the requisition sheet includes all ingredients needed for their term project recipes. Ensures no required ingredient is missing from the sheet.
Verifier: Confirms the accuracy of the ingredients listed. Checks the pricing data collected for consistency and reliability.
Scribe: Ensures all collected information, including pricing and unit conversions, is recorded accurately in the shared Excel worksheet.
Review the assigned category in the requisition sheet. Identify all specific ingredients you are responsible for pricing. Research current pricing for each ingredient. Use reliable sources such as: Local grocery stores (in-person or online platforms like Instacart or FreshDirect), Wholesale suppliers (e.g., Restaurant Depot, Sysco, or local distributors), CLT price list
Then document the price per unit (e.g., per pound, gallon, dozen) and ensure consistency across items.
This is a low stakes assignement that is not graded, but required because the resulting price list will be the source of truth for pricing that all students will need in order to complete their term project.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

I will use the Quantative Literacy Value Rubric
Interpretation: The ability to explain information presented in mathematical representations.
Calculation: The ability to convert relevant information into various mathematical forms, including standardized costs.
Application and Analysis: The ability to make judgments and draw appropriate conclusions based on quantitative data.
Communication: The ability to express quantitative evidence effectively to support the purpose of the project.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

I decided to keep this assignment ungraded partly because it was my first time running it and partly because we’re still considering whether to integrate it into the department’s standard curriculum. The assignment was introduced in one class session, and in the following session, we spent half the class troubleshooting, refining, and finalizing the pricing together. This structure allowed students to get started independently, recognize potential challenges, and then work collaboratively—both in small groups and as a class—to resolve any issues. This felt like an almost magical moment, because the students took a lead in correcting their own work and encouraging each other to get the work done well.
A key takeaway from this assignment was that it also served as an introduction to using formulas in Excel. Interestingly, a few students realized they actually enjoy working with numbers, which was exciting and reaffirmed the value of incorporating this type of work into the curriculum.
Moving forward, I’d love to deepen the integration of this process into my future classes and, ideally, see it become a standard part of how this course is taught. Beyond the core learning objectives—such as group collaboration and real-world research—the ability to work with Excel is an essential skill that will benefit students in their careers.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

NUR 1130 Clinical Assignment case study

NUR 1130 Clinical Assignment case study

Kalliopi Parginos

Nursing/New York City Tech College

NUR1130

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Interactive Case study on Type 1 Diabetes with short answers

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Top 5 Ways Nurses Can Improve Critical Thinking Skills
Case based approach
Practice self-reflection
Developing a questioning mind
Practice self-awareness in the moment
Use a process

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

The Importance of Enhancing Critical Thinking Behavior
Independence of thought
Impartiality
Perspicacity into Personal and Social Factors
Humble Cerebration and Deferral Crisis

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

review the case study
answer the 4 questions
Choose the correct answer for two multiple choice questions

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

Grade the questions
Plan to include it future clinical sessions either on the pre or post conference with the students

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

6/6 students completed the questionnaire
The case study will be repeated on the fall semester 2024
Plan to incorporate it different interactive case studies
Students work as a team

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

Rubric: Critical Thinking Value Rubric was utilized

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

NUR1130 Clinical Assignmemt

NUR1130 Clinical Assignmemt

Kalliopi Parginos

NURSING DEPARTMENT/City Tech

Living lab

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

Clinical assignment for students

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

Improve the understanding in Diabetes and the administration off different insulins

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

Close to the end of the semester

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

Study of Diabetes pathophysiology
Difference between Type 1 and Type 2
Administration of different insulins

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

Case study and Multiple choice questions

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

No challenges were identified

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

N/A

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab

The Process Letter

The Process Letter

JHON SINGLETON

English Department/New York City College of Technology

ENG 1101- E093

Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity

The Process Letter is a formal exploration of the student's personal writing process journal within a semester. Think of it as a "love letter" to self and future composition level 2 instructor.

Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?

1. Students will be able to reflect and highlight thoughts and perceptions about the course content.
2. Students will express in writing their understanding of, reflections on, response to, or analysis of difficult writing academic concepts.
3. Students will express in writing their understanding of, reflections on, response to, or analysis of difficult writing moments.
4. Students will express a writing paragraph sample completed during the semester, showing editing and revising prowess that adheres to MLA format.
5. To further their academic writing journey, students have the opportunity to contribute to their future professor's itinerary/discussions for future lessons. This continues with Paulo Freire's "non-banking" system.

Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?

I introduce The Process Letter activity once the research project has been talked about. It occurred during the 10th week of the semester. We went through the 6-paragraph process step by step using a student sample/ example. this takes about a class session. However, students are encouraged and welcome to discuss the parts of the letter during a 15-minute open forum with the remaining class session. Students are entitled to complete two rough drafts before I grade the final draft. 2 hours is expected over 5 weeks is expected. It is due along with the research project.

Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?

The preparation that is required is completing at least 70% of the course material to the student an opportunity to express a full reflection.
As mentioned above, I go through through the 6-paragraph process step by step using a student sample/ example. this takes about a class session.
I will consider this a "middle stakes" assignment because it is worth 10% of their final course grade, Most of the assignment is personalized and only ONE paragraph requires MLA format.

Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?

There is a rubric for this assignment. It is based on a 10pt analysis of the student's presentation. Because of college-wide general education assessment initiatives, I believe a rubric is mandatory.

Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?

My students love this activity. It allows them to have a pow-wow with their classmates about their triumphs and difficulties during the semester. I even learn how to improve the course for the following semester. The challenges were few but there were about 4 students who kept putting the project off until the last minute even with positive encouragement. They thought the letter was an easy A and completed it late.

Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.

Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab