Date of Award

2002

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze how the adoption of an electronic writing portfolio led to institutional change at an institution of higherEducation that chose to adopt the Electronic Writing Portfolio (EWP) to assess the writing skills of their students. This study also analyzed the perceptions and experiences of key administrators and faculty that participated in the adoption of the EWP. The research questions addressed in this study were: (1) To what extent has the institution demonstrated that the EWP is linked to the mission of the institution? (2) What is the institutional evidence that faculty participated in the development of the EWP? (3) What is the institutional evidence that the EWP is institution-wide in conceptualization and scope? (4) To what degree has the development and implementation process been congruent with the Four-Frame Model for organizational change developed by Bolman and Deal (1997)? The research was a qualitative study using a case study design. Eastern Illinois University, located in Charleston, Illinois, was the case study institution. The case study was conducted in accordance with the protocol established in Research Designs by John W. Creswell (1994). Information was gathered from multiple resources. A literature review related to organizational change and assessment in higherEducation was conducted. A history of assessment at the university was conducted through examination of archival data. Minutes taken from meetings of the Committee for the Assessment of Student Learning were reviewed and analyzed. Minutes from the Writing Across the Curriculum and the Council on Academic Affairs were also reviewed and analyzed. Interviews were conducted with eight faculty members and administrators who serve on the Committee for the Assessment of Student Learning. In addition, interviews were conducted with eight faculty members who taught English 1001 and English 1002, the courses that initial EWP submissions were submitted from. The assessment practices were analyzed to evaluate their congruence with the Four-Frame Model developed by Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal (1997). The conclusions indicated that faculty and administrators consistently demonstrated in their interviews that the Electronic Writing Portfolio and the University's mission statement are linked. Faculty also consistently demonstrated that faculty was engaged in the development of the Electronic Writing Portfolio. Interviews also indicated, however, that administrators believe not enough faculty were engaged in the development process. The research also indicated, that, in the second year of implementation, the issue of second tier assessment has not been resolved. This indicated congruence with Bolman and Deal's (1997) political framework. This framework states that conflict is natural and inevitable.

Share

COinS