Electronic portfolios: balancing learning and assessment

In 2006, our university instituted a requirement that all undergraduates create and submit a digital portfolio as evidence of academic and experiential mastery of academic competencies. The rationale for this ePortfolio Program is to build a mechanism through which core competencies (Written and Oral Communication; Reasoning, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving; Mathematical, Scientific, and Technological Literacy; Social Science and Cross-Cultural Awareness; Arts and Humanities; and Ethical Judgment) can be both demonstrated and evaluated. Although the ePortfolio was originally implemented as an assessment tool, its broader educational function is to make students' college education more meaningful and to assess the integrity of the educational process.