HAMMOND, Ind. – Career-minded Purdue University Calumet students intent on impressing prospective employers with the fruits of their Purdue education will be able to do so in a more revealing and accessible manner, thanks to a new high tech resource that goes beyond the traditional résumé.
Purdue Calumet announced this morning that it has contracted with educational service provider Seelio to enable students to showcase their academic accomplishments and provide immediate access to projects and publications via multimedia online portfolios. Essentially, students will be able to use their portfolio to readily demonstrate successful hands-on learning.
With experiential learning a requirement of all Purdue Calumet undergraduates, the opportunity for students to present evidence of related learning they have applied effectively in a real world environment is important, according to Peggy Gerard, Purdue Calumet vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost.
"Students who develop an online portfolio can distinguish themselves by capturing evidence of their successful learning," Gerard said. "Within a competitive job market, students can use such a portfolio effectively during an interview to show employers in an easy to access manner real examples of their educational achievements and application."
Since September 2014, students in experiential learning courses have been using Seelio to document learning and bring their skills to life with rich, digital portfolios. More than 300 students in disciplines from nursing to engineering have created 1,400+ pieces of content on Seelio, showcasing the unique aspects of experiential learning at Purdue Calumet.
In addition to making it easier for students to capture in-class learning, Purdue Calumet also has leveraged Seelio to connect students with regional industry partners at university events like Technology Day and gatherings of academic and industry leaders.
Junior Matthew Dombrowski was offered the opportunity to present his portfolio to 14 industry leaders at the College of Technology's Dean's Executive Council meeting last fall.
"The opportunity to actually show future employers my work instead of trying to explain it to them on a résumé is truly amazing," Dombrowski said. "It really gives people in fields like mine the chance to showcase their best work and actually show people what they are capable of doing."
Going forward, students in Purdue Calumet's College of Business; College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science; College of Technology; College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; and Honors College will have access to Seelio's technology and services. Opportunities are expected to expand to additional students over the next four years.
Purdue Calumet also will be able to collect students' learning experiences and map them against learning objectives to better understand how curricula of various programs are preparing students to be successful.
Seelio CEO and Cofounder Moses Lee said, "We know how important it is to prepare students for success. That's why we're excited to partner with Purdue Calumet so students across campus can prepare for their careers from day one and graduate with the ability to present and showcase their important experiential learning."
About Seelio:
Seelio partners with colleges and universities to create the world's most prepared students through student lifecycle portfolios. With Seelio's services and technology, students are able to easily and beautifully capture their works, projects and passions; and institutions can better attract students, build awareness and prepare students for meaningful careers. Learn more at
www.seelio.com.
