Biography

Janice Ann Smith has consulted on the creation of electronic portfolios in higher education for two decades. During the 1990's she contributed substantially to the University of Minnesota ePortfolio project and continued that role with the Open Source Portfolio tools in the Sakai Collaborative Learning Environment.

Her 28 years at the University of Minnesota resulted in the enhancement of intensive English as a second language programs, an international teaching assistant development program, and a media center to support language learning, as well as the creation of a nationally-recognized future-faculty preparation program and a center for teaching and learning. Janice's Ph.D. in Linguistics and master's degree in English as a Second Language have served her well in providing expertise in oral proficiency testing to the Educational Testing Service and the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. She has co-authored two innovative textbooks, one of which was considered the state of the art text for preparing international teaching assistants for twenty years.

She is now mostly retired but serves as lead on the steering committee for the Karuta Open Source Portfolio project under the umbrella of the Apereo Foundation.