Western Carolina University – What’s in Your Briefcase?

At Western Carolina University the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a pathway to intentional learning, learning was developed to enhance the educational experience of students at WCU. One of the strategies to help students meet the goals of the QEP is the Educational Briefcase (eB). This tool, built on the Blackboard 9.1 Learning Management System, provides a place for students to collect and build "artifacts" from all aspects of their educational experience that demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge and skills from their academic and co-curricular experiences. Artifacts will consist of electronic files of original work - papers, graphics, photographs, videos, or music - plus a description of how the work represents one or more of the five QEP learning outcomes. The artifacts can then be combined into electronic portfolios that can be shared with advisors, faculty, and even graduate school recruiters and potential employers as a representation of the wholeness of the educational experience at WCU. Join us as we show how the eBriefcase was born, how it is utilized and how it will eventually be integrated into the student's life at WCU.