Integrated Information Literacy Assessment using ePortfolios

Abstract

ePortfolios continue to gain strength in higher education as a viable and relatively quick method for assessment of student work. Miami University recently implemented Chalk & Wire as its ePortfolio system for the entire campus system of 21,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students. Numerous programs and departments have embraced assessment using ePortfolios. One of the earlier adopters was the Honors Program, with a philosophy that focuses on student development in seven outcome areas (URL). Students create ePortfolios that demonstrate their growth in each outcome during the school year, and these ePortfolios are assessed by program staff and affiliated faculty.

The libraries have partnered with the Honors Program to utilize ePortfolios for the assessment of information literacy skills. Artifacts from three of the seven Honors Program outcomes (communication, inquiry, and critical/integrative thinking) are automatically forwarded to a team of librarians that assess the work using the Information Literacy rubric developed by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). These artifacts are the same that are submitted to the honors program, and are tailored for our purposes.

This poster will further explain the project, detail the results from initial assessments, and expand on how the data was used to enhance information literacy concepts in the Honors Program curriculum. Furthermore, the poster will describe future implications for the project, including the feasibility of expanding the program to additional departments.