Common Assessment Methods
cuPortfolio and Assessment
Overview
cuPorfolio is Carleton’s own e-portfolio software. It is a student-centred, online tool that allows students to create a personalized record of their learning activities and achievements.
How It Works
Students place ‘artifacts’ (assignments, images, text, video, etc.) that they feel demonstrate their learning process, an achievement or a final product. The learning artifacts are frequently accompanied by reflective writing that helps provide the context and a deeper understanding of why the artifact is representative of the student’s learning.
Many courses have successfully used cuPotfolio as a platform to showcase student work, bring together many different types of information about a topic, and or allow students to make meaningful reflections on their learning experiences. More recently, several programs on campus have used cuPortfolio to document student learning across the entire degree. This approach gives students a platform to integrate what they have learned throughout their degree programs, and leaves then with a more cohesive and meaningful product by the end of their degree.
Using cuPortfolio to Assess Program Learning Outcomes
However cuPortfolio is used, it can be a great source of information about the learning outcomes of your program. Aside from being a handy repository of examples of student work, the reflections that accompany that work can provide insights into your students’ thought processes. Reflective writing is also an effective way of determining if your student’s have adopted certain values (i.e., valuing the scientific method, valuing ethical research, etc) associated with the discipline.
Selected Papers on e-Portfolios
Keller, P. A., et al. (2004). Using Student Portfolios to Assess Program Learning Outcomes. In D. S. Dunn, C. M. Mehrotra, & J. S. Halonen (Eds.), Measuring Up: Educational assessment challenges and practices for psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Holt, D. M., McAllister, P., & Ingram, E. C. (2001). Technology 2000: Using Electronic Portfolios for the Performance Assessment of Teaching and Learning. Computers in the Schools, 18, 191-204.