Assessing Student Portfolios for College Credit

Portfolio assessment is an important strategy that supports retention, persistence, and adult student success. Assessing Student Portfolios for College Credit: Everything you Need to Know to Ensure Academic Integrity in Portfolio Assessment, unlike many books on higher education that are written with an emphasis on theoretical constructs without concrete examples, includes actual student portfolios and discusses how to effectively assess students' portfolios. The author, Dr. Leader Kelley, also addresses the myths that have grown up around prior learning assessment, allaying the fears of faculty and administrators through concrete evidence of the value of using portfolio assessments to help adult students succeed. Translating, deciphering, bridging, and/or equating what a learner knows and can do in order to receive college credit can be tricky, daunting, and even overwhelming. Without integrity, the process can undermine the value of the credentials it seeks to make accessible. At its best, the process can provide an academically responsible, motivating, and meaningful bridge to postsecondary education. If taken to scale, this process can unleash unrealized talent and light a pathway toward more meaningful personal and professional lives for millions of individuals, especially adults with some college and no degree. This book provides a valuable resource for a wide range of individuals. Administrators and practitioners will benefit from the pragmatic and accessible information embedded in the multiple portfolio examples. Faculty members can view examples of portfolios that mirror their own syllabi, providing evidence of learning through a written narrative and supportive documentation. The portfolio examples demonstrate how students meet and exceed the learning outcomes for real college courses. - Scott Campbell, Vice President for Higher Education, CAEL.