last altered 5/1/07
The electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) demonstrate professional, academic, and personal progress toward a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science.
The ePortfolios consist of two components a) a private collection of reflections and artifacts (known as the 'competency ePortfolio' or the 'reflections'), and b) a public collection of artifacts and narrative that might serve to showcase a student's knowledge, learning, and experience to future employers and others (known as the 'professional ePortfolio').
The reflections are part of the assessment of a student within SIRLS. They are private between the student and an evaluator. The evaluator will judge whether each reflection is satisfactory or not. And the student will need to produce 4 satisfactory reflections, as detailed below, to meet the School's ePortfolio requirement.
The public showcase of a student's work and abilities is not assessed (although the evaluator, the student's advisor, and other members of faculty, will be available to assist the student in producing a public professional ePortfolio of quality). The public showcase will be maintained, and be accessible, on the School's servers for as long as the student wishes (and policy and resources permit). The professional ePortfolio will also be editable throughout its life.
Reflections
Reflections are detailed narratives in which students self-evaluate and consider their learning.
The SIRLS Master's Degree focusses on 10 competencies. Self-reflections are an analytical tool organized around these 10 competencies. They help students provide an overview of what the students have learned. They give evidence of a clear understanding of various topics, issues, challenges, and procedures in LIS. Self reflections also give insights into decision-making and examples of how information learned in courses would apply to information specialists. The reflections illustrate the development of competencies at various stages in the degree program (i.e. foundation course level, mid-program, and final reflection). Reflections describe how coursework, professional development, activities, internships, and other learning experiences prepare a student for a career as a librarian or information specialist. Through reflections, students demonstrate their intellectual development and their understanding and knowledge of subject content.
Reflections and artifacts
Within the infrastructure used here to support reflections, reflections can have attachments (rather like email, familiar to all) and reflections can also link with their body to other documents, images, spreadsheets, etc. Thus, a reflection can have associated artifacts. And there is often benefit in providing associated artifacts. For example, in a reflection a student may discuss how a particular paper that the student wrote for a particular course gave them special insight, in which case it would be very natural either to attach that paper to the reflection or to link to it.
Artifacts might be written papers, power point presentations, images, bibliographies, links to web pages, etc. Students, ie you, do not create artifacts here and now for the purpose of your ePortfolio. Rather, you produce artifacts for your courses, as part and parcel of your studies as you journey through the School. You may also encounter artifacts in your professional development activities or your readings. Then, as you self assess, you reflect, in part, on those artifacts. (Librarians would say that the artifacts are the data, and the reflections are the meta-data.)
Types of reflection
504 class reflection:
This reflection indicates the deep learning that has occurred during the foundations class. It is not a summary of what has been learned, but a narrative that demonstrates the depth of understanding of the content presented during the course. The self-reflection presents your personal views of topics covered in the course and discusses how and why you developed these views. It gives insights into your personal learning through the course content. It should be tied to the appropriate competencies.
Mid-program reflection:
The mid-program reflection will occur when a student has completed half the coursework. This reflection should be substantive, describing the courses the student has taken and ways the coursework has begun to shape the student's understanding of library and information science at mid point of the degree. The mid-program reflection should also describe how the coursework, and other learning experiences outside the classroom, have contributed to progress toward specific competencies.
Professional development reflection:
This reflection indicates the learning that has occurred during a professional development activity (such as attending a research presentation or an AZLA meeting). Such a reflection is not a summary or mere description of the activity, but a narrative that demonstrates the depth of understanding of the significance and value of the activity.
Final reflection:
The final self reflection is a comprehensive, well organized and clearly written essay about a student's learning experiences at SIRLS. The student will have completed 36 hours of coursework in library and information science. Therefore, the essay should include a discussion about learning experiences, challenges, and statements about the student's understanding of the field. This reflection should be a clear indication of the student's preparation as a professional. Final reflections should also document that the student meets the entire list of program competencies.
Some details on timing and deadlines
The 504 reflection is done as an assignment in the 504 course
The Mid-program reflection is due the semester in which 18 credits are completed.
Please note this is also the time students' Plans of Study (POS) are due.
The professional activity reflection may be done at any time, but it needs to be completed before the final reflection is assessed.
The final reflection must be submitted by the following dates:
If graduating in Spring, the final reflection is due by April 1st.
If graduating in Fall, the final reflection is due by Nov. 1st.
If graduating in Summer, the final reflection is due by July 1st.
Completion of Degree Requirement forms will not be certified until the final reflection has been completed satisfactorily.
The professional ePortfolio
Students are encouraged to prepare a Professional e-Portfolio. Its role for those seeking new employment or promotion is similar to that of a CV. The goal of the Professional e-Portfolio is to present an academic picture of you to a potential employer and to document your professional development through the SIRLS program.
There is much flexibility as to the form of a professional ePortfolio. Essentially the student is free to create as they wish. We will be providing certain templates and samples, which students may adapt or use (these are not ready as of May 2007).
What your professional e-Portfolio is:
- a web-based electronic tool to save and access professional and academic information about you.
- a way that you can express key points in your curriculum and learning.
- a place to show your career readiness, leadership, academic progress, social responsibility, technology literacy, reasoning ability, and communication skills.
- a place to keep the following information:
- resume
- key research papers, essays, academic journal entries, and the like
- a running record of your volunteer and community service, abstracts of your ongoing research, your involvement in creative activities, etc.
- work in key classes, seminars, etc.
- self-assessment
- a map of your career plan and the steps you plan to take to reach your goal
What a professional ePortfolio is not:
- not a personal web page that includes information other than professional and academic material.
- not the official record of your academic record, which is only available through means designated by the Office of the Registrar.
- not the place to store all your academic work in an electronic format.
How others do ePortfolios
