Meeting the Accountability Challenge by Implementing a Campus-Wide ePortfolio

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Meeting the Accountability Challenge by Implementing a Campus-Wide ePortfolio

2/24/2006

4) Most of our future students are technologically advanced and expect technology to be used in their education. With the rapid growth of computer ownership and Internet access, universities must adapt their processes to meet student expectations of technology use in their learning environment.

5) Many of our future students will be first generation college students. Many of these students lack a general understanding of a college degree, what it will take to complete a college program, or the value of a college education. Presentation of an ePortfolio is one way to show students the overall process, how to succeed in college, and the skills and knowledge earned through a college degree.

6) Accreditation requirements, whether at the program level or at the campus level, are changing. Most accreditation agencies now focus on identifying outcomes in student learning and have de-emphasized reporting inputs. ePortfolios contain outcomes data to help meet these accreditation requirements.

7) Accountability has moved to the forefront in education, with No Child Left Behind the most prominent example in the United States. There are comparable endeavors internationally. The use of ePortfolios allows higher education to respond to demands for accountability on its terms, rather than relying on ill-fitting standardized tests. We can show our constituents and policy makers that we are eager to document our student and faculty contributions and growth through ePortfolio in a rich and persuasive manner.

Although we currently are knee-deep in implementation, we recognize the value of research as well. Documenting the impact on students, faculty, and the institution, while identifying ePortfolio best practices is required for this initiative to succeed. Our university's research questions include: How d'es the learning process change as a result of embedding learning activities into an ePortfolio? Can embedding learning activities in an ePortfolio change the quality of reflection and contribute to deep learning? Do instructional methods and curricula change when an ePortfolio is used? Do students more quickly master the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in their major when they are involved in the ePortfolio process?

While we are conducting several ePortfolio research projects and have an evaluation plan in place to help answer these questions, UNO is excited to be in the National Coalition of ePortfolio Research, which currently consists of eighteen higher education institutions focused on different ePortfolio research questions. Sharing research results will help all us all better understand ePortfolios and their relationship to learning and campus change.

As higher education institutions adapt to society's current and future needs and expectations, implementing robust ePortfolios will increase effectiveness and document our value to our students and communities. We must be proactive to show policy makers that we embrace our changing world and that we are committed to excellence, both for our students and our institution. Maintaining the status quo and awaiting mandated change is not a future I wish to contemplate.

Neal W. Topp (ntopp@mail.unomaha.edu) is the director of the Center for ePortfolio-Based Assessment (CeBA) and Varner Professor of Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

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"Meeting the Accountability Challenge by Implementing a Campus-Wide ePortfolio," Campus Technology, 2/24/2006, http://www.campustechnology.com/article.aspx?aid=40740

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