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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Ruth Cox, PhD, Catherine Magee, MPH, and Mary Beth Love, PhD. Department of Health Education, San Francisco State University, HSS 326, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132, 415-405-2416, ruthcox@sfsu.edu

Background: Health education departments in higher education have historically employed the use of professional portfolios as a means of assessing the skill levels graduates have achieved. Typically paper-based, these portfolios presented evidence of students' knowledge of responsibilities and competencies as public health practitioners. With constant innovation in technology, professional portfolios are swiftly moving to web-based formats, allowing for a more dynamic presentation of student and faculty work through the creation of individual websites. These sites, or electronic portfolios, are defined by the National Learning Infrastructure Initiative as “a collection of authentic and diverse evidence, drawn from a larger archive representing what a person has learned over time on which the person has reflected, and designed for presentation to one or more audiences for a particular purpose.”

Project Overview: In 2004, the MPH Program at San Francisco State University joined a growing international practice across many disciplines in requiring students to prepare an electronic portfolio. During the three-year MPH program, students use their portfolios to archive evidence from academic classes, practice courses, internships, and culminating experience projects. The electronic format allows students to present a wide range of information, utilizing different types of media—from text to multimedia presentations, and to move, archive and share their work with others worldwide. The MPH E-folios have been designed to support assessment, reflection, and academic and professional development, ultimately demonstrating core competence in Community Health Education. This session will include an overview of the MPH E-folio project and examples of student sites.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, participants will be able to

• Demonstrate familiarity with the electronic portfolio development process.
• Describe how e-portfolios provide a unique opportunity for authentic assessment and professional development for students in a Masters of Public Health program.

Keywords: Health Education, Technology

Related Web page: catherinemagee.sfsu.myefolio.com

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation