University of Houston Implements iWebfolio for Accountability and Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
University Writing Center Teams with Educational Technology & University Outreach Office to Spearhead College-Wide Electronic Portfolio Use for Major Assessment Initiative
PITTSBURGH, PA, July 25, 2007
– Nuventive, a leading provider of individual and institutional assessment solutions, today announced that the University of Houston will implement iWebfolio, an electronic portfolio management system that sets the standard for managing the process of individual and institutional assessment and continuous improvement.
The 550-acre campus of the University of Houston,
the largest and most comprehensive component of the University
of Houston System, is home to over forty research centers and
institutes. It offers 109 bachelor, 131 master, 51 doctoral,
and three special professional degree programs to more than
33,000 students through the university’s 12 colleges.
The institution is well-known as one of the nation’s most
ethnically-diverse research universities.
The University’s decision to pilot electronic
portfolios was driven by both the need to manage writing artifacts
in a campus wide writing program and the university’s
desire to utilize advanced technology for program improvement
and institutional accountability and assessment.
The Writing Center also investigated electronic
portfolios to support its writing instruction and Writing In
the Disciplines (WID) programs. iWebfolio was selected after
an extensive examination of viable electronic portfolio solutions.
The university will implement iWebfolio in a joint venture of
the Writing Center and the university’s Educational Technology
and University Outreach (ETUO) office. It will use portfolios
to assess college-wide student learning outcomes. The implementation
of iWebfolio will also feature a writing assessment component.
Writing and assessment specialists at the
University of Houston are convinced that the best response to
calls for accountability and assessment is a proactive and politically-inclusive
process for multi-dimensional formative assessment based upon
local needs and conditions. iWebfolio will enable the university
to demonstrate evidence of progressive learning and competency
by building and managing a structured repository of student
artifacts.
“Nuventive’s iWebfolio will facilitate
the Writing Center’s assessment of student writing and
critical thinking well beyond the boundaries of a single course.
The multifaceted, longitudinal capabilities of iWebfolio enable
students and faculty to chart outcomes and determine when and
where intervention is needed to advance improvement,”
said Marjorie Chadwick, Executive Director of University of
Houston’s Writing Center. “iWebfolio is a comprehensive
system that will enable the University of Houston to meet particular
student needs across the disciplines.”
Steven Liparulo, Program Director for Pedagogy
at the University of Houston Writing Center added, “The
introduction of electronic portfolios at the University of Houston
will add new vigor to our discussions of teaching and learning,
as we face new opportunities to describe what we want our students
to learn and how we can measure their learning. While that may
not be the most obvious impact of the implementation, it is
likely to be among the most profound.”
iWebfolio provides individuals with a personalized,
flexible web-based system to store and present a lifetime's
worth of educational and professional experience, while at the
same time enabling institutions to meet organizational and assessment
and accreditation goals. iWebfolio enables users to share and
receive valuable feedback on their accomplishments with faculty,
peers, mentors, potential and current employers, education providers,
accreditation and professional organizations and others.
“Leading Institutions recognize that
accountability and assessment are key components in the long-term
success of their educational programs”, said Dr. David
Raney, Nuventive CEO. “We are very pleased that Nuventive
was chosen to assist the university in achieving its program,
college and institutional objectives.”
About University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier public metropolitan
research and teaching institution, is home to over forty research
centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships
with corporate, civic, and governmental entities. UH stands
at the forefront of education, research, and service and offers
a full range of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and special
professional degrees.
www.uh.edu
About Nuventive
Nuventive is a leading provider of comprehensive, integrated real-time solutions that enable its customers to support the continuous process of assessing, managing and improving learning. Nuventive customers are institutions, faculty, administrators, students and private sector users in over 20 countries. Institutional customers include Western Michigan University, the 14 campus Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, Delgado Community College and Providence College. Nuventive maintains strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as the European Institute for E-Learning (EIfEL).Thousands of users around the world have licensed Nuventive products and the Company has received industry as well as customer recognition for its innovative solutions.
Nuventive is headquartered in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, with distribution in Europe, the Middle East,
Africa and Asia Pacific regions. For more information, please
visit www.nuventive.com or call +1.412.847.0280 or 1.877.366.8700.
Nuventive, the Nuventive logo, and the marks relating to other Nuventive products and services referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Nuventive LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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