This page is dedicated to housing the training module materials for teachers who are new to language learning portfolios. Each training module has three learning targets, and users experience the learning targets in four phases: Self-Assess, Acquire, Observe, and Apply.

Self-Assess

Assess your current knowledge. The key concepts covered in this module are:

• I can explain the purpose and benefits of language learning portfolios like Pulsar.
• I can perform and explain the basic functionalities of Pulsar.
• I can create an approach for the implementation of Pulsar in my classroom that fits my specialized context.

Acquire

• Explain the Purpose and Benefits of Pulsar: Read Overview of Benefits and Purpose of Pulsar and respond to these questions:
  1. In your own words, what is the purpose of Pulsar?
  2. Scenario: A student establishes a goal of being able to ask for help in a supermarket in which the target language is spoken. After he has the conversation successfully, he uploads a photograph of his receipt as evidence to Pulsar. He sets his Can-Do status at Can-Do Well. You review his evidence. How should you respond?
  3. What are the benefits of using language learning portfolios like Pulsar in the classroom?

If you want to check your answers, view Purpose and Benefits: Answer Key.

• Perform and Explain the Basic Functionalities of Pulsar: The best way to learn Pulsar is to use it! At a minimum, teachers need to be able to 1) create their own accounts; 2) register students (or have students register themselves); and 3) review students’ evidence. Please take some time to review the PDF tutorials below.
  • • Account Registration (Instructors)
    • Adding and Removing Students
    • Resetting Passwords 
    • Evidence Review 
    • Account Registration (Students)
    • Uploading Evidence: Web 
    • Uploading Evidence: iOS 
    • Uploading Evidence: Android 

Now, please answer the questions below. Check your answers with Basic Functionalities: Answer Key.

1. What is/are the recommended ways to create student accounts?
2. What is required for valid usernames and passwords?
3. What happens after you review student evidence?
4. Do you have to review all evidence that students upload to Pulsar?
5. What is the Pulsar app for?

• Create an Approach for the Implementation of Pulsar: Designing your implementation approach for Pulsar is relatively simple! You just need to decide upon 1) the frequency with which your students will upload evidence, 2) the type of evidence students will upload and save, and 3) the tools (computers, mobile devices, or both) that you will use for evidence capture.

Read Considerations for Implementation, our Computer Lab Implementation Guide and our Mobile Device Implementation Guide. Then, answer these questions:

1. What is the minimum number of times that your students should upload evidence to Pulsar?
2. What are some ways to facilitate efficient evidence capture and upload?

Observe

• Explain the Purpose and Benefits of Pulsar: Watch this Pulsar Promotional Video and answer these questions:

1. What is the purpose of Can-Do Statements?
2. How is Pulsar beneficial for self-directed learning?
3. What platforms can students use for uploading evidence to Pulsar?
4. After your Program Can-Do Statements are entered into and approved in SOPHIE, how can you get them into Pulsar?

• Perform and Explain the Basic Functionalities of Pulsar: Please watch the videos below to improve your understanding of Pulsar’s basic functionalities.
  • Account Registration (Instructors)
  • Adding and Removing Students
  • Resetting Passwords 
  • Evidence Review 
  • Account Registration (Students)
  • Uploading Evidence: Web 
  • Uploading Evidence: iOS 
  • Uploading Evidence: Android

Now, please answer these questions:

1. Do you have any additional insights about the basic functionalities of Pulsar?
2. Now that you have see both video and PDF tutorials, which one will you use with students? Why?

• Create an Approach for the Implementation of Pulsar: Please take a moment to read over this completed implementation plan. Then, answer these questions:
  1. How does this implementation plan relate to your context? Would you require different resources?
  2. What challenges do you foresee? How might you respond to those challenges?

Apply

• Explain the Purpose and Benefits of Pulsar: Please take a moment to respond to these tasks:
  1. Write or outline a short introduction to Pulsar that you can use with students.
  2. Think of activities you could do with students to familiarize them with Pulsar, reflection, and what constitutes language proficiency. We recommend allowing about 30 minutes for these activities.

When you are done, check out our example speech and activities for introducing Pulsar and compare them to your own.

• Perform and Explain the Basic Functionalities of Pulsar: Please complete these basic tasks using Pulsar. Then answer the question below.
  1. How well (This is a goal. / Can do with help/ Can do/ Can do well) were you able to complete the tasks in the document?

If you had any trouble, remember that your program director has to create the group before you sign up for it. Also, usernames and passwords have to have at least six characters, and the language on your student account has to match the language of the group you created in order to successfully upload evidence.

• Create an Approach for the Implementation of Pulsar: Please take some time to respond to these tasks.
  1. Provide a brief description of your program or class. This description will inform how you implement Pulsar. Make sure to think about the language(s) taught, target proficiency level(s), the length of your program, the theme of your program, and how instruction is delivered (fact-to-face teaching, online, etc.).
  2. Fill out the Implementation Plan Template for your context.

If you are unsure of how you responded to these tasks, consider our completed implementation plan, the Mobile Device Implementation Guide, and the Computer Lab Implementation Guide.

Congratulations! You are ready to get started with Pulsar! If you need help, please email us anytime at pulsar@uoregon.edu.