All students entering the MLS program in spring of 2006 and after will be required to compile a Competency e-Portfolio throughout the program, to be completed in the semester of graduation.  The Competency e-Portfolio documents the student’s learning in the area of the SIRLS competencies and is a culminating experience comparable to a comprehensive examination or thesis.  The audience for the Competency e-Portfolio is SIRLS faculty. Students will create a student homepage in IRLS 504 which will serve as the site for the Competency e-Portfolio.

The Competency e-Portfolio, like other e-Portfolios, consists of two types of documents: 

• artifacts, which are things like as papers, power point presentations, professional development reports, databases, web pages, and many other tangible products created for assignments, projects, assistantships and internships,
• reflections, in which students reflect on what they have learned, linking to artifacts that demonstrate that learning.

The Competency e-Portfolio requires three kinds of reflections:

• Reflections on learning for each of the 10 SIRLS competencies.
• Reflections on 10 professional development activities attended by the student.
• Milestone reflections: Reflections on the student’s understanding of their career goals and interests upon entering SIRLS, midway through the program and in the semester of graduation.

Each of these reflections links to one or more artifacts which demonstrate what the student has learned.