Portfolio (MDiv)

the MDiv Portfolio

The Portfolio

The MDiv Portfolio provides you with an opportunity to formulate and pursue a strategy for ongoing formation. The MDiv program prescribes a number of Outcomes, for each of which you must exhibit an adequate level of proficiency. The Portfolio provides a means of demonstrating your growth towards and mastery of the program goals. Although you receive periodic grades and other evaluations in particular courses and in co-curricular activities, the Portfolio is a means of exploring and expressing your growth at the program level. Ongoing critical reflection on your progress will help you personally integrate the diverse facets of the MDiv program as an experience of ministerial formation. As you post artifacts in the Portfolio you will reflect on them, interpreting their significance for your own growth and providing a rationale for understanding the artifacts as evidence for having satisfied MDiv standards. The Portfolio is a student-centered approach to assessment, rather than an attempt to grade your performance on a project assigned by the teacher. Much of it will consist of the artifacts you choose, along with reflection and rationale statements that you compose. It is progressive, since you develop it throughout your program and use it to illustrate a process of growth. Within specified parameters, you will create your own Portfolio. Assembling a good Portfolio will require that you remain attentive to the experiences of your own formation, that you learn to interpret and evaluate those experiences, and that you take initiative to ensure that your program experiences address the prescribed formational aims.

Fundamental Principles:

  • student-centered
  • ongoing and progressive
  • integrative correlation of artifacts, experiences, and reflection

 

Artifacts

An artifact is a product that demonstrates proficiency in the competency. Some of your artifacts are prescribed, such as your ongoing reflection on assigned cases and your statement of vocational discernment. Required artifacts are listed on a link in the right sidebar. However, you will choose many of your own artifacts—they may include papers, audio files, lesson plans for Bible classes you have taught, sermons, reports on volunteer or ministerial work done outside the classroom, photos illustrating cross-cultural experiences, and so forth. It is up to you to make the connection. Your Portfolio is not a static assessment process. Many of your artifacts will be regularly updated. You may move artifacts in and out of the Portfolio as you make progress through the program. It is your responsibility to save artifacts in electronic format so that they will be available for submission as part of the formal reviews. When you submit your Portfolio for review, include only the artifacts that you wish to be assessed (along with those that are required).

Rationale & Reflection

For artifacts that you select to include in your Portfolio, you must provide statements of accompanying rationale and reflection. In a brief document (about 1 page) accompanying the artifact, summarize and provide a context for understanding the artifact and its significance. Address the relevance of the artifact as a demonstration of your own growth towards expected levels of proficiency. At the beginning, indicate clearly and specifically which Outcomes (and possibly Indicators) you believe to be most evident (e.g. 2, 4, and 10b). A purposeful reflection will also include one or more of the following:

  • Analysis: describe and critically examine the components of the artifact and the learning, growth, or experience it represents
  • Evaluation: identify the most meaningful elements in terms of the personal successes, challenges, and growth represented by the artifact
  • Synthesis: demonstrate clear connections between the artifact, one or more specific Outcomes and Indicators, and other experiences in the curriculum (e.g. course content) and co-curriculum (e.g. field education)
  • Application: explain how you will apply the learning represented by the artifact in your continuing ministerial growth and practice

As you make progress in your program, strive to produce artifacts that will demonstrate an increasingly broad range of Outcomes. You should also synthesize by referring to your artifacts in those parts of your Portfolio where you reflect more broadly on your growth—such as your statements of formational goals, your reflection on vocation, and your theology of ministry.

Portfolio Design

A simple format that makes your portfolio easy to evaluate might look like the following:

  • A short entry naming and describing the artifact.
    • A link to the artifact. (pdf files are more easily downloaded and assessed than word documents)
    • If the artifact is updated, a second entry describing the update (especially areas of change and growth) will guide the reviewer.
    • Avoid lengthy entries on the front page of your portfolio
  • Use Categories to group artifacts into clusters on the menu bar  (i.e. Year 1, Year 2, etc.).
    • Again, updated artifacts should be saved as a new entry & file (i.e. MinistryIdentity_Year2.doc), leaving old file in Year1

Reviews

The Portfolio provides a student-centered process by which students, GST faculty, and practitioners may reflect on and evaluate the student’s formation process. Students will develop their portfolios as part of the Cornerstone class requirements. The Portfolio will be available for regular assessment throughout the student’s program, especially by the Portfolio Manager, Mentors, and the Advisor. However, the Portfolio is submitted for formal review on two (2) occasions:

  1. The first review comes in the last half of your first year (the same semester you take BIBM 657 Contexts of Ministry), when a two-member committee chosen from among your Mentor, Advisor, and other faculty assess your Portfolio. In a formative assessment of your progress, they will help you in your process of vocational discernment and will assist you in setting formational goals.  Your committee will assess your Portfolio, and other materials in light of Program Outcomes. Your Portfolio, your Mentor’s report, and other materials will provide the substance of your committee’s review. The review will determine your Candidacy status. In addition to the specific items prescribed, the Portfolio should include student-selected artifacts substantially satisfying at least six (6) of the Outcomes.  Post all your Required Junior Review Materials by March 21th.
  2. The final major review comes at the end of the program (the same semester you take BIBM 675 Ministry Reflection and Practice). A committee will assess the evidence of your progress in order to determine your success in meeting program goals. They will also assist you in formulating a strategy for ongoing ministerial growth and personal formation. The Portfolio should include artifacts related to every outcome. In combination with other prescribed Portfolio items, at this stage your Portfolio should substantially satisfy all program Outcomes at the expected level of proficiency. Post all your Required Senior Review Materials by March 15th.

Scoring

The following rubric will be used to assess your Portfolio. Individual competency scores will be averaged to determine an overall score. See Outcomes & Indicators descriptions for clarity regarding the standards in every area.

3            Expected level of proficiency

2            Appropriate development toward proficiency

1            Inadequate development toward proficiency