Asynchronous assessment: using electronic portfolios to document and assess student learning outcomes

Summary form only given. Portfolios are not a new concept in the assessment of educational outcomes. They have been widely used in US elementary and secondary schools for over a decade. The current interest in the use of portfolios to document student outcomes in engineering education has been driven by the adoption of revised engineering accreditation criteria, Engineering Criteria 2000. This paper discusses the experience of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in the selection and development of an electronic portfolio (RosE-Portfolio) system designed to document, assess and evaluate student outcomes. A brief demonstration of how students, faculty and raters will use the RosE-Portfolio is given. Lessons learned during the development process and the identification of the elements to consider when designing an electronic portfolio process are also discussed. The implications for the use of industry and alumni "raters" in the assessment of the portfolio submissions in an "asynchronous" environment are highlighted.