Paper
Sunday, November 4, 2007
260
Changing Definitions of Portfolio Assessment: One School of Nursing's Experience
Julie Fisher Robertson, EdD, RN1, Judith Hertz, PhD, RN1, Stacie Elder, PhD, RN1, Jeanette Rossetti, EdD, RN1, Mary Elaine Koren, RN, DNSc1, Sharon Coyer, PhD, RN1, and Bradley Peters, PhD2. (1) School of Nursing, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA, (2) Writing Across the Curriculum, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| Learning Objective #1: describe different definitions of portfolio assessment. |
| Learning Objective #2: describe important factors to consider when developing portfolio assessment programs. |
One of the national trends in program assessment in higher education is the use of portfolios to measure student learning. Northern Illinois University (NIU) School of Nursing has used portfolio assessment since 1994. Although the initial portfolio program had many positive aspects, there were ongoing problems with faculty and student buy-in. In 2003, the NIU School of Nursing implemented a new portfolio program, which constituted a major shift in how portfolio assessment was defined and conducted. The purpose of this presentation is to describe why and how the definition of portfolio assessment changed in the NIU School of Nursing and how that change affected the format, application and rationale for using portfolios. The presentation also addresses important factors to consider when developing portfolio assessment programs.