North Country Community College (New York) implemented a model of general education specifying competencies to be achieved in liberal arts courses. Introductory psychology students were pre- and posttested on competencies of knowledge (objective and subjective), critical thinking, and writing, using an objective test and essay. Significant gains…

Although teaching portfolios are now used widely in North American colleges and universities, origins can be traced to an initiative of the Canadian Association of University Teachers in the 1970s. Reasons for development of the teaching dossier are outlined, and the evolution of the concept is chronicled. Some unresolved issues in their use to…

Questions raised frequently by college and university faculty about use of portfolios to document effective teaching are answered. The questions address such issues as how the portfolio is organized, what it should reflect, how and by whom it is used, preparation time, the mentor's role, reliability, subjectivity, maintaining the portfolio's…

Based on the idea that the skills needed to mentor a college faculty member in development of a reflective teaching portfolio are similar to those a composition teacher uses for student consultation, the process and guiding principles used by one mentor are described. Issues of portfolio organization and sources for objective feedback are also…

Drawing on experiences of a Concordia University (Ontario, Canada) task force in considering the teaching portfolio as an instructional evaluation tool, several issues are discussed: the place of teaching in an academic culture; how teaching is and should be evaluated; and possibilities for changing the status quo. Issues in implementation and…

Circumstances leading to 1992 adoption of teaching portfolios for faculty evaluation at the University of Kentucky are outlined, the implementation process is described, and results of a faculty survey following the first round of portfolio development are reported. Despite some obvious difficulties, responses to the portfolio approach were more…

The three-year Miami University (Ohio) project to develop teaching portfolios is described. The department-based approach acknowledges that departments and disciplines have different cultures, and that departments are where rewards are determined. Issues in portfolio development and use, including benefits and problems, are discussed and…

At the University of Maryland University College, teaching portfolios are used for professional development of adjunct faculty in continuing education, and for determining annual teaching awards. The faculty development program offers workshops, information packets, and sample portfolios to potential award recipients and other faculty, provides…

An alternative method for college faculty to develop teaching portfolios is outlined, with the objective of minimizing professional risk. It is recommended that faculty work on course portfolios privately rather than in an organizational project, and that teaching philosophy be written last, not first. A two-year curriculum for developing a…

Describes a schedule for college classroom "preventive maintenance" that focuses on four classroom components: classroom community; students; course content; and faculty. A checklist allows assessment of these components during specific time periods in the semester, and a tune-up kit that includes diagnostic questions, sources of relevant…