Local Vision

rSmart would like to see OSP evolve as a set of well coordinated tools that can be combined and used with other CLE tools to accomplish three portfolio-type uses:

1. The personal/individual portfolio. Individuals use the tools to collect and organize documents, media, and other information across educational experiences and use these items to construct presentations of their work to represent themselves to various audiences. To serve this purpose well, the system must give the individual an ability to be creative and represent themselves independent of any one educational or professional activity.

2. Teaching and learning. Instructors use the portfolio tools to construct a scaffolding around the learning experience that clearly illustrates learning objectives, reflective practices, and integrates formative and summative assessment opportunities that document progress over time. These may be used in a course or across courses.

3. Multi-level organizational analysis and reporting. At the course, program, college, or institutional level, users can construct reports and analyze data and authentic evidence of learning. These tools may be used in accreditation processes, program review, course/curriculum review, etc.

We believe the majority of institutions need #1, and #3 today, and that OSP is currently best suited to accomplish #2. While #2 may truly represent the highest potential impact on improving teaching and learning, many institutions are not ready for this. So by providing a set of tools that allow a given institution to start where they are ready, and grow into any of these three uses or hybrids among them, OSP will be more widely adopted and successful.