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University of Washington: Students Showcase Achievements Online
12/30/2002
After 18 months of research and
collaboration with student interest groups, career counselors, and academic
leaders, the University of Washington (UW) launched the Catalyst Portfolio Tool—an
electronic archive of work produced by students—in September 2002.
Web Publishing Made Easy
The Catalyst Portfolio Tool uses UW network and storage infrastructure
and allows students to compile any electronic files of their work. Using nothing
more than a Web browser, students can save and organize papers, pictures, audio
clips or any other documents they produce. The beta release has a temporary
storage quota of 10MB per student, but by the end of January, it will increase
to 250MB to 500MB per student. Unless students exceed this quota, no limits
will be placed on the size and type of the files. A system is also being built
to allow students to store large streaming media files in another university
archive without using their quota.
"They get to keep everything they've done on campus in an online environment where they can access it quickly. They can do all of this without knowing anything about Web publishing," explains Mark Farrelly, coordinator of the Portfolio Tool project at the UW office of Educational Partnerships & Learning Technologies. Templates and style sheets are provided to format and customize each portfolio, and students can re-organize and align their learning artifacts however they like, so that each portfolio they publish is unique.
If students need help, technical assistance is provided in a couple of different ways. Student helpdesk employees have been trained in each of the largest student computer labs on campus to provide face-to-face support. Materials, including online help and documentation (developed by four student employees and one editor) are also available. In addition, students can contact the developers of the Portfolio tool by e-mail or telephone (four software developers and one student helper are available for e-mail help).
Showing What You Know
Farrelly says the new portfolios are a reaction to the need to provide better
ways to show achievement. Increasing competition in everything from top-paying
jobs to entrance in exclusive schools is putting the emphasis on physical demonstrations
of what you know. Grade-point averages and test scores, while still important,
are being complemented by concepts like the final project and the work portfolio.
"I think this is certainly a way for students to tell you, ‘These are my skills,'
instead of the increasingly less-meaningful grades," Farrelly explains.
Because the Catalyst Portfolio Tool is not tied to any particular program of study at the university, any instructor can use the tool to offer assignments designed to go into the portfolios, and to give students feedback online. Once compiled, students will be able to show off their portfolios to anyone in the world with a connection to the Internet. Each portfolio (there are no limitations to the number of portfolios a student wishes to publish) has a unique URL, and by the end of January a password-protection option will be added.
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