Portfolio
Assessment
Goodwin College appreciates
that many times the college-level learning we have gained in our life did not
always come out of the classroom. When
credit-by-exam is not an
option then portfolio assessment may be the right option for you.
What is a portfolio?
A portfolio is either a paper or electronic book that describes and documents
your learning for the purpose of fulfilling a course requirement. In other
words it provides evidence of what you know and can do to demonstrate that you
do not need to take the course at Goodwin because you already have the
competencies that the course would give you. A typical portfolio contains: an
introduction, resume, credit request summary, and learning descriptions,
letters on your behalf, and work examples.
Is portfolio assessment right
for me?
Determine if your life experiences
equate to college-level learning by asking yourself:
- Are my knowledge and skills related to a subject taught at Goodwin College?
- Can I apply my learning to situations other than the one in which it was
learned?
- Can my learning be verified by a qualified person (e.g., would an expert in
the field write me a letter)?
- Do I have examples or documentation that I could include in a portfolio to
help the faculty reviewers assess the breadth and depth of my knowledge and
skills?
In addition:
- Do you have at least 5 years work/volunteer experience?
- Did you complete CAP 100 & English 101 successfully?
- Have you discussed portfolio with you
Academic Advisor or
Program
Director/Department Chair to ensure this option works with your degree plan?
How do I get started?
If you answered yes to the questions above, your next step is to discuss how
portfolio credit would fit into your degree program with your advisor or
Program Director. If you both agree that that portfolio assessment is the best
option for you, schedule a final meeting with
Nichole Petersen (727-6719
npetersen@goodwin.edu) to obtain permission to enroll in the course Portfolio
Review for Experiential Learning and Credit. During this 1-credit course you
will create your portfolio(s) for eventual submission to a faculty assessment
committee.
How long does it take?
Portfolio assessment is not a fast process, though it can be a quick way to
gain a credit in comparison to earning the same amount of credits sitting in a
classroom. In order to pass the ASD 210 course you will have to complete at
least one portfolio by the end of the 15-week semester. Sometimes the process
can take more than one semester if you are creating multiple portfolios so you
have one academic year (two semesters) to submit all of your completed
portfolio(s) for assessment.
How much does it cost?
Standard tuition costs apply for the 1-credit course in addition to a $300
development fee, which can be included in financial aid coverage. Most
students at Goodwin will not see any change to their tuition by enrolling in
this course (with the exception of the development fee).
There is also an assessment fee
(which must be paid out of pocket) based on the number of credits you are
attempting to earn. This fee is not tied to the number of credits you are
awarded but instead on the number of credits you are asking to get EC credit
for:
Note: The College keeps the
portfolio indefinitely and award of credit is not guaranteed. If you are
successful, the credits are designed as EC on your transcript.
