A Proposal for Educational Reform in Higher Education: A innovative use of e-portfolio - Show case at Kanazawa Inst. of Tech.

Abstract

Education in graduate school is expected to catch up rapid changes of social needs and to assure educational opportunities for various carrier goals of students. At KIT(Kanazawa Institute of Technology), we started a new program based on portfolio system of course management for strengthening our graduate course in 2004. In this program we built system for 'KIT Portfolio Intelligence' which makes possible systematic procedures to evaluate whole course activities step by step using competency modeling and PDCA circles. Closely collaborations among students, teachers and staffs are essential to obtain successful results. System for KIT Portfolio Intelligence, originally created by KIT, is an educational system which evaluates skills and knowledge obtained during courses as well as thesis accomplishment. Portfolio approaches are also introduced in the system, which work for clarifying skill development and achievement objectively. Several years practice of the system at our graduate program show effectiveness in developing professional skills in short term.