Teaching Portfolio Instructions
AY2011-2012

[Deadline for the Mary McCorisonRosenbloom Teaching Award:June 19, 2013]

A teaching portfolio is:

an evidence-based written document in which a faculty member strategically organizes concise, selective details of current teaching accomplishment and uses such information for documentation of performance but more significantly for reflective analysis and peer collaboration leading to improvement of teaching and student learning (Seldin, et al., 1999, 164).

The University of Kansas (KU) LibrariesTeaching Portfolio documents the instructional activities and professional development activities related to teaching of individual members of the faculty and staff of theKULibraries.

While the teaching portfolio may include information or documentation also presented as part of the Annual Evaluation process, it is not itself used or required for annual review purposes. Compilation of a teaching portfolio is a voluntary process that may be completed on an annual basis in order to:

  • engage in reflective self-evaluation of one's contribution to the instructional mission of theKULibraries;
  • demonstrate evidence of instructional effectiveness as part of theevaluationprocess or as part of the promotion and tenure process; and/or
  • meet the requirements for nomination for the Mary McCorisonRosenbloom Teaching Award.

Annual Evaluationmaterials may be used in order to reduce duplication of effort, but the level of information provided should be adjusted as needed to meet the guidelines for compiling the teaching portfolio.

I Narrative Statement

The narrative statement provides an opportunity for you to reflect critically on your approach to fostering information literacy at the University of Kansas through your teaching. The narrative statement should include an articulation of yourteaching philosophy, a description of yourteaching responsibilities, and your identification of themost significant projects related to teachingwith which you were involvedduring the period under review.

The description of teaching responsibilities should include a complete listing of:

  1. classes offered as part of course-integrated instruction (include course number);
  2. classes offered as part of workshop series sponsored by theKULibraries or another unit (e.g.: Center for Online and Distance Learning);
  3. classes offered as part of programs sponsored bypartner programs, e.g.,Center for Online and Distance Learning, Center for Teaching Excellence,Career Services, and;
  4. classes offered as part of a credit-bearing course for which you were an instructor of record (include course number).

The description of teaching responsibilities may also include a discussion of any library-wide instructional design responsibilities, or responsibilities for the development of instructional materials designed for use by others in theKULibraries or by members of partner programs. The narrative statement is the appropriate place for discussion of your contributions to the instructional environment of theKULibraries and/or the University of Kansas, as described in thestatement of responsibility below:

Actively participates in, and advocates for, the educational role of the Libraries through dynamic engagement in campus teaching and research, campus collaborations, or staff development and training. Identifies and makes use of teaching opportunities in any circumstance, promotes the Libraries instructional resources and support, and obtains instructional expertise from colleagues as appropriate.

II Teaching Methods, Strategies, and Objectives

The section on teaching methods, strategies, and objectives provides you with an opportunity to discuss how you have applied your teaching philosophy in practice and to articulate specific methods that you have used to facilitate learning in the field of information literacy. This section might include discussion of experiments with strategies such as active or collaborative learning, applications of technology in teaching, etc. This section might also be used to enumerate specific learning outcomes that you designed for use in your classes and strategies for assessment of learning.

III Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness & Student Learning

In compiling evidence of teaching effectiveness for this section of the teaching portfolio, you should present both participant evaluations and peer evaluations of your teaching. Please refer to Megan Oakleaf’s workfor suggestions related to evaluation of student learning and teaching effectiveness. Individuals compiling a teaching portfolio are encouraged to engage in peer review of instruction activities as a means of collecting evidence of teaching effectiveness. Evidence of teaching effectiveness in venues outside theKULibraries that provide a service to the profession (e.g., evaluation of a pre-conference or workshop program presented under the aegis of a professional association) may also be included in this section.

IV Collaborative Relationships with Departmental Faculty and Campus Partners

Narrative description of your relationships with faculty, academic departments, or other partner programs on campus or in the community as they relate to information literacy instruction. This may include (but is not limited to) describing projects through which you have introduced information literacy instruction or assessment into another instructor's course or program, ongoing support that you provide for courses in one or more academic departments, or for a co-curricular or community-based educational program.

V Involvement in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

List in this section any professional or scholarly presentations made or publications produced during the period under review related to teaching or information literacy instruction. Research projects currently in progress may also be noted in this section with notation of anticipated date of completion. After each item listed, please indicate the type of presentation or publication completed or proposed,e.g.: [peer reviewed journal article] or [invited presentation].

VI Professional Development Related to Teaching

In this section, provide a list of professional development activities in which you have engaged to improve your work as a teacher. These may include (but are not limited to): attendance at instructional improvement programs sponsored by theKULibraries, the Center for Teaching Excellence, or anotherKUoffice or department; attendance at workshops or conferences related to instruction sponsored by professional or scholarly associations; and independent research and/or reading in the field of field of teaching and learning.

VII Goals for the Coming Year

Instructional improvement is an ongoing process and your goals for your work as a teacher should be re-evaluated each year. This section provides an opportunity for you to identify your personal goals for your teaching in the coming year, and may include teaching-related projects you wish to pursue (including research on teaching and learning), or areas related to your teaching about which you would like to learn more through professional development.

VIII Appendix

Attach selected supporting materials related to the work described in preceding sections. These may include (but are not limited to): course syllabi; handouts and assignments prepared for class use; screen shots of instructional Web sites or LibGuides; evidence of student learning in course work; assessments of student learning or rubrics; summaries of evaluations of teaching not already presented elsewhere in the portfolio; notes of thanks and/or testimonials from students or faculty related to teaching for which you were responsible.

Additional Resources

  • Seldin, P. (2010). The teaching portfolio: A practical guide to improved performance and promotion/tenure decisions (4thed.). Wiley, John & Sons.
  • Tuttle, J. P. (2001). Bringing the "invisible" into focus: Teaching portfolios for the instruction librarian. In J. K. Nims & A. Andrew (eds.), Library user education in the new millennium: Blending tradition, trends, and innovation: Papers presented at the twenty- seventh national LOEX Library Instruction Conference held in Houston, Texas, 11 to 13 March 1999 (pp.141-149).
  • “Creating Teaching Portfolios: A How-To Guide” Penn State University Libraries (Mar. 16, 2012). Retrieved May 23, 2012 from
  • “Information Literacy Competency Standards and Student Learning Outcomes.” ACRL. (n.d.). Retrieved May 23, 2013 from

These guidelines have been adapted with permission from the "Teaching Portfolio Instructions" developed by The Ohio State University Libraries' Instruction and Outreach Committee.