ePortfolios Help Clayton State University Assess Student Learning and Program

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ePortfolios Help Clayton State University Assess Student Learning and Program

9/16/2005

By Martha Wicker,
Director of the Center for Instructional Development,
Clayton State University

Clayton State University's core mission is to provide superior career-oriented studies that will prepare its students to succeed in the world of work in the 21st century. A member of the Georgia University system with an enrollment of approximately 5,700, Clayton (www.clayton.edu) required its students to bring a laptop to campus as early as 1998. Now Clayton is introducing ePortfolios to campus, adding additional value to the students' use of their computers and providing a mechanism to document the outcomes of their education. Currently, we are using the portfolios in our department of Dental Hygiene and In the Department of Teacher Education.

To help assess student learning and program outcomes, the University is using iWebfolio's (www.iwebfolio.com/login/index.jsp) electronic portfolio management system in Dental Hygiene and Teacher Education. iWebfolio is a Web-based solution that enables our students to store and present evidentiary files documenting their educational and professional growth in a personalized, flexible portfolio. iWebfolio also helps faculty members, departments, and schools meet institutional and accrediting goals, review student work, and provide feedback. SunGard SCT offers the solution through a strategic alliance with Nuventive.

Sharable assessment of student learning is becoming increasingly important in response to a combination of forces including accreditation guidelines, demands from prospective employers and alumni, and competition for recruitment. Prior to implementing iWebfolio, Clayton State used various forms of portfolios. However, the assorted methods fell short in one way or another. For example, there was not enough structure and the assignments were not linked closely enough to competencies. In contrast, iWebfolio has a reporting capability that helps us match competencies with individual assignments.

Other features of iWebfolio that awere attractive to the university include its consistent structure, Web access, links to program outcomes, electronic feedback, cost, off-site hosting, layering and download capabilities, and data mining potential.

Today, our Department of Dental Hygiene uses iWebfolio to document students' attainment of program outcomes as they progress toward their goal of professional accreditation. Students complete assignments, projects, and case studies, and then upload their completed work to their electronic portfolios. Students receive faculty feedback and can view the rubrics used to measure each outcome. The resulting portfolio enables students to track their growth as professionals during their junior and senior years.

Students in middle grade teacher education in the Department of Teacher Education submit a course portfolio containing samples of assignments, lab activities, lesson plans, and reflections that demonstrate their proficiency in the GA-International Society of Technology in Education (GA-ISTE) standards. These portfolio applications are essential to exposinge our students to the use of e-portfolios not only to validate student competencies, but also to demonstrate their merit for teaching.