Meeting the Accountability Challenge by Implementing a Campus-Wide ePortfolio
By Neal W. Topp
University of Nebraska at Omaha
The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), a state-supported campus
in the University of Nebraska system with 15,000 students, has begun a campus-wide
ePortfolio initiative. The project is spearheaded by faculty, staff, and administration,
and includes all colleges, the Vice Chancellor's office, and the Information
Technology Services division. Currently, more than 2,000 students populate several
types of student ePortfolios, and more than 400 faculty members are building
ePortfolios to be used in their annual review process. Our goal is to include
all faculty by the 2007 annual review. The faculty ePortfolio implementation
will give our instructors valuable first-hand experience and will help them
understand the potential of student ePortfolios.
The campus-wide student ePortfolio will be in alpha stage by fall 2006. This
portfolio system will allow programs or departments to customize the portfolio
to meet specific needs, while still reflecting campus-wide expectations such
as general education requirements. In addition to improving student assessment
and communication with our constituents, we anticipate improved curriculum,
course instruction, and student learning outcomes accruing from this process.
Many U.S. colleges and universities are using ePortfolios, but most have implemented
the process with relatively few students or within an isolated program, department,
or course. Few institutions have implemented a coordinated campus-wide ePortfolio
for all students and faculty. We believe that creating an "ePortfolio culture"
will help meet the goals of our institution's strategic plan which places students
at the center of its enterprise, promotes academic excellence, and fosters deeper
engagement with our community.
Why focus so much attention and so many resources on this large ePortfolio
project? We believe that a convergence of factors makes implementing ePortfolios
possible and important at this time. Seven of these factors are:
1) Advancements in technology now facilitate ePortfolio use. Computers are
generally available, students have the necessary skills, digital storage is
cheap, and current data base technologies can support ePortfolio implementation.
2) The work of Ernest Boyer and Mary Huber (along with many others) on the
scholarship of teaching and learning has helped higher education focus on improving
student learning. ePortfolios are one excellent method to document learning
outcomes and the teaching that promoted that learning.
3) The national work of the Partnership of 21st Century Skills has been accepted
by many in the P-20 educational community. The skills people will need to succeed
include information and communication skills, thinking and problem solving skills,
and interpersonal and self-directed skills. Measuring and documenting these
skills is difficult with many assessment methods, but can be addressed through
a robust ePortfolio process.
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 ([email protected])
is the director of the Center for ePortfolio-Based Assessment (CeBA) and Varner
Professor of Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
