Campus News

Westminster Researches E-portfolios as Assessment Tool

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2010

How Do You Evaluate Student Learning?
Westminster Researches E-portfolios as Assessment Tool
College Joins Inter/National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research

SALT LAKE CITY – Take a quick quiz: Which is the best way to evaluate student learning: a.) a multiple choice test, b.) an essay, c.) a group project, or d.) a student-developed electronic portfolio?

Many educators are working to answer just this question. One such group, the Inter/National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research has selected Westminster College to research the impact of e-portfolios on student learning and their effectiveness as a means of educational assessment.

New means of assessing student learning have become increasingly important in education circles, in part due to calls for accountability from government and the public. Additionally, employers want more and better evidence than can be provided by grades alone. They want to know the degree to which college graduates have the skills needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Through the use of e-portfolios, students collect and display artifacts of their best work relative to particular learning goals. These artifacts are then examined and evaluated by faculty.

Westminster is ideally suited for this research, as the school has taken a leadership role in defining student learning goals and pursuing assessment tools that measure student outcomes. For the past five years, the college has connected specific learning goals to each course the college offers. Every academic and co-curricular program measures its performance against these learning goals. In 2009, the college began a pilot program using e-portfolios to assess student learning, and achievement of course, program, and college-wide learning goals.

“Westminster has created a set of college-wide learning goals that we expect every student to achieve prior to graduation,” said Cid Seidelman, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “These learning goals, which include critical thinking, communication and leadership skills and the ability to work collaboratively, cannot be measured adequately through traditional methods, such as tests—especially since not all learning occurs inside the confines of a classroom.”

Other institutions that will be participating in the research on assessment through e-portfolios include: Bowling Green University, Curtin University of Technology (Australia), Goshen College, Indiana University /Purdue University Indianapolis, Lamar University, Northeastern University, Portland State University, University of Georgia, University of Michigan, University of Mississippi, and Virginia Military Institute.

About Westminster College
Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information visit www.westminstercollege.edu or follow WestminsterSLC or WestminsterPR on Twitter.