07/19 - Technology Enters the Job Market

The University of Scranton has been awarded $137,281 from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to fund an initiative to help future job seekers in northeastern Pennsylvania develop "electronic portfolios," computerized samples of an individual's work and accomplishments.

The "Performance Assessment of Students through Technology (PASsTech)" is a pilot program aimed at training over 100 University of Scranton students, faculty and area school teachers to use electronic portfolios.

"The initiative will train 100 University of Scranton students and faculty members from three disciplines on the technology and then incorporate the use of electronic portfolios as part of their coursework," said Kathleen Montgomery, D.Ed., associate professor of education, who co-authored the grant proposal with David A. Wiley, Ed.D., professor and chair of the Education Department of The University of Scranton.

Seniors in education, news/radio communications and the Business Leadership Program will be the first participants in the program that The University of Scranton plans to introduce throughout its curriculum.

According to Dr. Montgomery, electronic portfolios encourage students to incorporate technology into their academic work. For instance a research presentation may include photographs, video and audio elements. The technology also provides a means of capturing this type of complex, multi-media learning for future review and evaluation.

Participating students will collect samples of their work in an interactive electronic portfolio that later will be burned onto a compact disc. Portfolios typically include demonstrations of a student's work, such as research projects and presentations. Portfolios may also include examples of extracurricular activities, such as service trips, athletic events, or musical performances.

Students will be encouraged to include information that presents an all-encompassing view of themselves and demonstrates their capabilities. Future employers can then interactively view and evaluate the student's accomplishments.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education already requires teachers to provide evidence of their ability. According to Dr. Montgomery, teachers frequently use videotapes of their classroom performance as proof.

Employers in broadcast communications also routinely ask for taped samples of student's work.

"Electronic portfolios provide an efficient and effective manner of gathering this type of demonstrative information," said Dr. Montgomery.

The pilot program will also include several area teachers involved with The University of Scranton's student teachers who will bring this tool into their classrooms.

"In Pennsylvania, high school juniors must complete a comprehensive project in order to graduate. Typically students make presentation posters of their research that include photographs, graphs and tables. This type of complicated project would lend itself well to the electric portfolio format," explained Dr. Montgomery.

The project will begin this summer and continue through the 2002/2003 academic year.