These are the main instructions that were available in SLIS organizations on Blackboard prior to our taking the FEP. The instructions were also made available in the FEP Blackboard submission site. You can download a copy of the original at FEP Instructions
TWU SLIS
Final Exam Portfolio Instructions
As part of the degree requirement, you must take the Final Exam Portfolio in order to graduate with your Master of Library Science degree from the School of Library and Information Studies at TWU.
To participate in the Final Exam Portfolio, a student must be enrolled in at least one class during the semester when the Final Exam Portfolio takes place.
If you are a student who is registered for and planning to graduate this semester and you have not yet taken the Final Exam Portfolio, you must do so this semester. Since you have registered for graduation, you will not need to complete an application form to take this exam.
If you are a student who has completed 24 hours but you do not plan to graduate this semester, you have the option to take the Final Exam Portfolio this semester. Note that you must also be enrolled in at least one course during the semester you intend to take the exam. You must first submit a completed Final Exam Portfolio application form. Where to retrieve this application form? Navigate to the Student Resources organization in Blackboard, and then click on Final Exam Portfolio in the Course Menu. Scroll to Application to take the Final Exam Portfolio. This form needs to be completed and submitted as a file attachment in the Blackboard Academic Advising organization in the Document Submissions area located in the Course Menu.
If you do not submit your completed application form that lists the courses you have taken, you will not be included on the Final Exam Portfolio Blackboard site for the semester you intend on taking the Final Exam Portfolio, and you will not be eligible to take the Final Exam Portfolio during that semester. You can, however, register to take it in any upcoming fall or spring semester, up until the semester you wish to graduate.
Any questions related to the logistics of Final Exam Portfolio should be directed to your faculty advisor.
Here are the details for the Final Exam Portfolio:
Students shall submit a Final Exam Portfolio consisting of two parts: 1) an essay and a set of Work Products, and 2) an essay presenting a Professional Development Plan. Please note that while there are no instructions for the organization of your Final Exam Portfolio, your work should be clearly organized and succinctly written.
Part 1: Work Products
A Work Product is a document produced as an assignment for a class in the MLS program. Students will submit an essay describing at least one Work Product prepared for each of three different LS classes. The Work Products will demonstrate different professional competencies. The essay will address the following questions:
- What was the class assignment that led to creation of each Work Product? That is, what is the context for the creation of the work?
- Why did you present each Work Product? That is, how does it exemplify your professional goals, learning, and accomplishments?
- To what professional competencies does each Work Product relate? Students must specify specific competencies formally adopted by a professional association related to librarianship, such as ALA, an ALA division, ASIST, etc. Identify specific competencies within the sets approved by professional associations, not categories of competencies.
- In what ways does each Work Product demonstrate mastery of the competence identified?
Part 2: Professional Development Plan
A Professional Development plan is concerned with the acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary to practice a profession successfully. Mastering the knowledge and skills required to earn the MLS is an example of professional development.
Q: How is professional development planning different from career development?
A: Getting a job is part of career development, but professional development includes acquiring, maintaining, and improving the skills necessary to perform the job or develop skills and understanding about the profession and your area of focus (e.g., academic librarianship). It should be concrete, providing clear planning for the way you intend to go about your professional development.Q: What if I don’t really have an “area of focus” in librarianship? How can I write about my professional development plan if I don’t know what I want to do?
A: There are always broader areas of focus. Think about the coursework you’ve taken, and look at library journals to see what trends are emerging in practice. Be sure, however, to include real and concrete examples of how you plan to grow as a professional. Don’t say “I plan to read journals/attend conferences/network” – write about which journals, conferences (and more) you plan to use to help your growth. The Professional Development Plan will help you think about what you want and need to do.For this part of the Final Exam Portfolio, you will submit an essay describing your plan for professional development, in detail, after completion of the MLS degree. In grading, we will be looking at how clear and concrete your plan appears to be, as well as your awareness of trends and changes in the profession and opportunities and methods for continuing education. You should address the following topics:
- Your overall career objectives
- Your self-assessment of your current level of skill and knowledge
- Your self-assessment of the specific skills and knowledge, prioritized, that you need to acquire in the next few years
- Exactly how (and when) you will go about acquiring the skills and knowledge you need
Any questions related to the logistics of Final Exam Portfolio should be directed to your faculty advisor. While your advisor can be very helpful to you, your Final Exam Portfolio is ultimately your responsibility.
Administration of Final Exam Portfolio
The Final Exam Portfolio will be administered once in the fall semester and once in the spring semester. The Final Exam Portfolio is not offered in summer semesters.
Students seeking the MLS may present a Final Exam Portfolio in a fall or spring semester after they have completed 24 semester credit hours.
Students will submit their Final Exam Portfolio through a Final Exam Portfolio Blackboard organization following guidelines and on a schedule to be published by the Final Examination Committee each semester.
Students may not submit their Final Exam Portfolios as websites. If your Work Product shows some competency other than website design/creation and is at a URL, submit a Word file with the title of the work product, a working URL, plus one screenshot of the homepage.
No more than one group work product may be submitted.
The Final Exam Portfolio will be graded as Pass/Fail. Two faculty members will grade each Final Exam Portfolio; the Final Examination Committee will review a Final Exam Portfolio in the event that two readers disagree on the grade. Graders will use a rubric provided by the Final Examination Committee. The rubric is available in the SLIS Student Resources Blackboard organization under the menu item entitled Final Exam Portfolio. There will be no revision for students who fail the Final Exam Portfolio during the same semester.
Students who do not pass the Final Exam Portfolio may attempt the Final Exam Portfolio again in a succeeding fall or spring semester. Students who fail the Final Exam Portfolio on the second try will not get a third chance and thus will not graduate.