Program Learning Outcomes Eportfolio Pilot Project Justice Center Ronald S. Everett Deborah K. Periman

Project Goals Use Evidence-Based Practices to: – Improve Justice Center Program Assessment – Improve Coherence and Measurability of Program Outcomes – Improve Program Coherence and Content: Engage Faculty in Linking Outcomes to Course Content and Student Assignments – Make Program Outcomes More Visible to Students: Increase Student Engagement in Learning

Research Supporting Eportfolios Accountability in university education increasingly rests not on what an institution offers students, but on convincing evidence that students are learning. “Assessment goals and objectives should focus on ‘what students will be able to demonstrate that they know, believe, and can do....’” (N. Buzzetto-More, The E- Portfolio Paradigm: Informing, Educating, Assessing, and Managing with E- Portfolios, 208 (2010). Eportfolios provide immediate access to content/capacity to include audio/video demonstrations of student work/activities. Id. Eportfolios are “especially effective when they are part of an ongoing assessment process from the time students enter a program until they complete their studies.” Id. Implementing eportfolios in multiple courses in a program provides a highly visible indicator of whether the curriculum is complete/cohesive or whether there are gaps or redundancies that should be addressed.

The Heart of the Eportfolio Keyed to Program Mission and Content Measurable Develop SLO’s measures across multiple courses Integration of SLOs into Core Curriculum Faculty identify SLOs when developing course content Link course assignments to specific SLOs Develop multiple measures within courses Developing Appropriate Outcomes

Developing Outcomes-Based Assignments Gaining faculty buy-in Assignment coordination Assignment assessment Artifact collection Student permissions Artifact retention

Considerations in Platform Selection General Considerations Faculty Learning Curve University Support Student Learning Curve Student Access Portability Platforms Evaluated Maraha Adobe PowerPoint (LiveText at Brandman University)

Justice Program Assessment Portfolio

Justice Portfolio Content Program History and Mission Program Outcomes Outcome Measures – Student Portfolio – Graduate Survey – Graduate Exit Exam – Course Artifacts Assignments and Evaluation Rubrics Student course work – Graduate Focus Groups

Paralegal Studies: Portfolios within Portfolios Program Assessment Eportfolio Student Outcomes Eportfolios as Artifacts of Program Eportfolio

UAA Legal Studies Program Assessment Portfolio

Student Outcomes Portfolios

Template or No Template? Considerations – Faculty burden: easier to design or write clear instructions – Student frustration vs. creativity – Locked format vs. flexibility in format – Instructional Goals: Paralegal soft skills

Faculty Reflections: Benefits Program/Faculty Benefits – Highlights gaps or redundancies in program – Provides focal points for developing assignments – Allows insights into student integration of instruction Student Benefits: – Outcomes visible at outset – Link coursework to personal/academic development – Prepared to discuss strengths in graduate or employment interview – Skills artifacts collected/readily displayed or submitted with applications

Faculty Reflections: Challenges Student Contribution – Accumulating artifacts across courses and over time – Identifying courses and specific SLOs – Demonstrating learning Faculty Contribution – Thinking about SLOs when designing courses – Developing specific measures of SLOs – Making SLOs explicit to students

Eportfolio Resources Links from Dr. Helen Barrett: Alternative Assessment & Electronic Portfolios Alternative Assessment & Electronic Portfolios – marks.html marks.html – links to student career portfolios – portfolio use for assessment es/admuses.html es/admuses.html – Truman state analysis of senior portfolios -- ortfolio/CH14_2008.pdf [good!] ortfolio/CH14_2008.pdf – Kansas state eportfolio resources o/intro.html o/intro.html The Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based Learning,