MLIS Culminating Experience Overview
MLIS students are provided with a range of options for completing the required Culminating Experience (CE) for completion of the MLIS degree. Students may choose one Culminating Experience option to begin pursuing after completion of 30 credits in the MLIS program. These options include:
Option #4 – Thesis (LIS 700, 9-15 credit hours, lasts over three quarters)
Temporary Option #5 - Legacy Portfolio (0 credits, no course association, reviewed by faculty advisor, and only available to students who started the MLIS program in 2008 or earlier).
An online Information Session is available in the MLIS Culminating Experience Meeting Space, for review at any time:
http://uweoconnect.extn.washington.edu/publicmlisculmexp/. It serves as a replica of what one would receive in a face-to-face information session.
Prepping for the Culminating Experience: Digital Repository
At the beginning of the program all new MLIS students will participate in a Culminating Experience Information Session. During this session they will review the CE options, as well as begin the process of keeping a Digital Repository.
What is a Digital Repository?
The Digital Repository is where students store personal artifacts and reflections on potential experiences that he/she may use towards building one or more presentation portfolios. All MLIS students are required to establish a Digital Repository at the start of the MLIS program. We require this and recommend continued maintenance for professional development purposes regardless of the CE option a student intends to pursue. The Digital Repository should be: (1) hosted on a secure, web-accessible server (not on the student's personal computer); (2) provide adequate disk space for saving both artifacts evidencing professional-level experiences and narrative reflections on those artifacts/experiences; (3) have controlled access mechanisms; and (4) be something that the student updates on a quarterly basis, if not more frequently.
What should be stored on the Digital Repository?
The focus of the Digital Repository is on documenting experiences evidencing professional-level work regardless of the timeframe in which that work is accomplished - most are likely to occur during the student's tenure in the iSchool, but others may represent past accomplishments. Portfolio experiences documented in the Digital Repository can be the result of a wide range of experiences including, but not limited to, class work, professional employment, internships, volunteer opportunities, and participating in student organizations, etc. For each experience, there must be accompanying evidence in the form of digital artifacts that illustrate the level of professional accomplishment (e.g., photos, papers, charts, examples of deliverables), and reflections on the experience (how does the documented experience meet professional goals). It is expected that this working inventory will greatly aid in the future development of the student’s CE project.
How does the Digital Repository differ from the Presentation Portfolio?
The presentation portfolio is a publicly accessible, web-based document, intended for viewing by potential employers, faculty, and peers that the student makes selectively available over the web. At least one presentation portfolio is developed while in the LIS 596 course. The Digital Repository is primarily for the student's long-term, private use as a personal repository of resources, except when faculty or classmates are required to consult/comment on the contents of a student's Digital Repository during LIS 596. The Digital Repository will not be public and serves as a student's web-based personal workspace and repository.
When should build out of the Digital Repository begin?
Start immediately -- at the beginning of the MLIS program. Each student taking LIS 596 is required to have a Digital Repository in place at the beginning of the LIS 596 course. Developing habits around maintaining a Digital Repository is as important as developing habits around careful and ongoing maintenance of one's professional resume. In essence, the Digital Repository is the body of tangible evidence validating and enriching the resume. As such, students should continue to add to and maintain the Digital Repository throughout their professional lives.
Questions on the MLIS Culminating Experience options may be directed to the MLIS Academic Advisor.