Teaching portfolios: suggested contents - Brief Article

College Student Journal, June, 2002 by Thomas R. Syre, Jacqueline A. Pesa

Teaching portfolios are performance-based assessment tools which promote quality teaching at the college level. When used effectively, teaching portfolios lead to an enhanced focus and a further professionalization of teaching at the college level. The contents of teaching portfolios are discussed in this paper.

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The teaching portfolio is a performance-based assessment tool used to promote quality teaching at the college level. Teaching portfolios emphasize teaching effectiveness and, by their use, encourage educational institutions to make teaching a central value in hiring, promoting, and tenuring. Their use encourages faculty members to focus on teaching quality. Importantly, teaching portfolios enhance and further professionalize college teaching.

The contents of a teaching portfolio can vary from institution to institution. There are, however, basic contents and these contents are listed below. By no means an exhaustive list, in combination, these areas provide the college teacher with a good beginning in the development of teaching portfolios.

* Listing of course taught, credit hour produced, and student enrollment numbers with brief course descriptions and syllabi for each course taught.

* Discussion of teaching innovations used in the classroom.

* Samples of student essays, research-based term papers, grant proposals, and fieldwork reports.

* Samples of course materials prepared for classroom teaching such as coursepacks or copies of MS PowerPoint [C] presentations.

* Information on instructor availability to students including holding and keeping office hours.

* Descriptions of how personal computers and selected discipline-based software is used in both teaching and in learning.

* A list of books and journals related to teaching improvement read on improving teaching.

* Records of involvement in associations or societies concerned with the improvement of teaching and learning.

* Examples of web-based courses and evaluations of their effectiveness.

* Participation in seminars, workshops and professional meetings intended to improve teaching.

* Copies of manuscripts and other contributions to professional journals on teaching one's subject.

* Keeping teaching evaluations from students which rate students' satisfaction with teaching.

* Maintaining unsolicited written evaluations by students including letters received after courses have been completed.

* Honors received from students and by colleagues, such as being selected "teacher of the year," "distinguished teaching professor" or similar awards for teaching efforts.

* Statements from colleagues who have observed your teaching.

These suggestions constitute a solid beginning for teaching portfolios and the development of an annual teaching portfolio can consume several hours if it is done well. Teaching at the college level has to be viewed as a value.

Significant progress in the improvement of college teaching will occur when teaching portfolios become a valued facet in considering pre- and post-tenure performance and evaluation. Additional information on teaching portfolios can be located by visiting the American Association of High Education web site at www.aahe.org.

THOMAS R. SYRE, MPH, PH.D.
James Madison University

JACQUELINE A. PESA, PH.D.
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis