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.
The College is a member of The
Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) and all portfolios are
developed and evaluated by Goodwin faculty according to CAEL standards.
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 credit in
comparison to earning the same amount of credits sitting in a classroom. In
order to pass the mandatory PORT 101 course you will need to have completed
the entire portfolio you want to submit by the end of the 15-week semester.
Sometimes the process can take more than one semester if you are creating
multiple portfolios so under specific instructor approved circumstances you
may be given one extra semester (15-weeks) to complete your portfolio. Only
one portfolio can be submitted by a student during their time at Goodwin.
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
requesting to get EC credit for.
The assessment fee must be paid before the portfolio is submitted for faculty
review:
6 credits or less = $50 assessment fee
7 - 12 credits = $100 assessment fee
13 + credits = $100 per credit (e.g., a total of 13 credits = $200)
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. Please be aware
that portfolio credit may not be transferable to another institution.
