Creating an Engineering Web-Based Portfolio
Matthew I. Campbell, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, September 9, 2002
OVERVIEW: With the beginning of a new academic year, we are kicking off our Faculty Innovation Seminars on Monday, September 9th. Please join us for lunch and soft drinks in the large conference room on the 10th floor of ECJ to hear about our College's exploration of electronic portfolios. The Mechanical Engineering department, with funding from Ford Motor Company, is creating an electronic portfolio in hopes of encouraging both teachers and students to focus more on projects as a means to foster active experimentation.
In other domains such as graphic design, projects are the true focus of education as opposed to class work. This is evident in the culminating efforts of student portfolios. Using project-based education as a model, Dr. Matt Campbell is currently heading a group of faculty and FIC staff to develop a method for constructing engineering student portfolios. The challenge in this endeavor is to develop a system that is fun and easy to use for the students and provides a thorough description of their accomplishments to potential employers. During this talk, Dr. Campbell will share with you the prototype electronic portfolio, describe initial student responses, and solicit your reactions and perspectives on this endeavor.