Use Of An Electronic Portfolio For Independent, Robust Direct Measurement Of Student Outcomes

Assessment of student outcomes continues to evolve in the Department of Civil Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT). Direct assessment of outcomes is facilitated by the RosE Portfolio. The RosE Portfolio permits student submittals to an electronic system that sorts submittals by specified outcome, making the submittals available for later assessment by an independent team. The department uses an independent faculty and a practitioner for rating engineering submissions. Use of the electronic portfolio is not without challenges. Student submittals must be made correctly to be fairly rated. The number of student submissions for rating must be adequate to assure reliable assessment of student performance, and the department must also identify successful and unsuccessful levels of student performance. However, used correctly and in conjunction with other indirect assessment, the electronic portfolio is a robust and flexible direct assessment of outcomes before graduation. The paper summarizes