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Implementing the SPIF/ePortfolio Approach

To be successful, an international learning outcomes and assessment process should be endorsed by the leadership, situated in the broader institutional context for assessment, and supported by key stakeholders at the institution. Before plunging into the implementation of the SPIF/ePortfolio approach it is advisable to evaluate your institutional context for assessment, form a team, and develop an assessment plan.

When designing a SPIF/ePortfolio assessment plan, it is important to consider several areas that may be relevant to your institutional context. Critical areas for discussion include:

• Adapting tools to specific learning outcomes
• Determining appropriate parameters for implementation
• Establishing necessary infrastructure and funding
• Constructing a data collection process
• Acquiring IRB approval (if needed)
• Consulting faculty and students
• Orienting participants

Adapting Tools to Specified Learning Outcomes

The rubrics featured on this site were developed for a specific set of learning outcomes. Do you already have a set of accepted international learning outcomes that are explicitly included in courses and/or programs?

• If Yes: Adaptation of the sample rubrics will be necessary to align the rubrics with these learning outcomes. If you plan to adapt the rubrics, who do you need to engage in this work to maximize their acceptance by faculty and staff involved in teaching/designing international learning experiences?
• If No: You may want to adopt the rubrics to benchmark what is taking place implicitly, before an intentional introduction of international learning outcomes.

Determining Appropriate Scope and Scale for Implementation

The SPIF/ePortfolio approach was developed with the broadest potential applications in mind, but when piloted by institutions in the ACE/FIPSE project each institution set more specific parameters. More information about the project's projected and final samples is available. Your team will want to determine the most realistic parameters for moving forward with a SPIF/ePortfolio approach in light of what you know about your institutional context for assessment. Can the assessment of international learning be aligned with an institution-wide initiative already underway to use ePortfolios? Or should this be approached in an incremental way with a program, student sample, or faculty unit serving as a pilot?

If the incremental approach is most appropriate, then:

• Is there a logical international program/learning experience (i.e., an education abroad program, global studies general education requirement) that can serve as a pilot for this assessment approach?
• Is there a logical student sample that can serve as a pilot for this assessment approach? (i.e., education abroad students, honor students, global studies students, senior global students capstone course)
• Is there a group of faculty or administrators who will be receptive to piloting this approach?(i.e., global studies faculty, intercultural communication general education faculty, resident director for education abroad)

Many find it useful to begin with the questions that they will ultimately ask of the resulting data. For sample questions that data generated from the SPIF/ePortfolio approach can address, see Sample Results and Analysis.

Please direct questions about this page to:
jill_wisniewski@ace.nche.edu | Staff Contacts
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This page last updated on: 09/03/2008