Benefits of portfolio assessment for teachers
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1. Make sure students own their portfolios. Show
Talk to your students about your ideas of the portfolio, the different purposes, and the variety of work samples. If possible, have them help make decisions about the kind of portfolio you implement. 2. Decide on the purpose. Will the focus be on growth or current accomplishments? Best work showcase or documentation? Good portfolios can have multiple purposes but the teacher and students need to be clear about the purpose. 3. Decide what work samples to collect, For example, in writing, is every writing assignment included? Are early drafts as well as final products included? 4. Collect and store work samples, Decide where the work sample will be stored. For example, will each student have a file folder in a file cabinet, or a small plastic tub on a shelf in the classroom? 5. Select criteria to evaluate samples, If possible, work with students to develop scoring rubrics. This may take considerable time as different rubrics may be needed for the variety of work samples. If you are using existing scoring rubrics, discuss with students possible modifications after the rubrics have been used at least once. 6. Teach and require students conduct self evaluations of their own work, Help students learn to evaluate their own work using agreed upon criteria. For younger students, the self evaluations may be simple (strengths, weaknesses, and ways to improve); for older students a more analytic approach is desirable including using the same scoring rubrics that the teachers will use. 7. Schedule and conduct portfolio conferences , Teacher-student conferences are time consuming but conferences are essential for the portfolio process to significantly enhance learning. These conferences should aid students' self evaluation and should take place frequently. 8. Involve parents. Parents need to understand the portfolio process. Encourage parents to review the work samples. You may wish to schedule parent, teacher-students conferences in which students talk about their work samples.
Getty Images/Caiaimage/Robert Daly/OJO+ Updated on March 04, 2019 A portfolio assessment is a collection of student works that are associated with standards you are required to learn. This collection of work is often gathered over a long period of time to reflect what you have been taught as well as what you have learned. Each piece in the portfolio is selected because it is an authentic representation of what you have learned and is meant to demonstrate your current knowledge and skills. A portfolio by nature is a storybook capturing a student's progression of learning as they move through the year. What Goes Into a PortfolioA portfolio can include classwork, artistic pieces, photographs, and a variety of other media all demonstrating the concepts that you have mastered. Each item that is selected to go in the portfolio is chosen within the parameters of the purpose of the portfolio itself. Many teachers require their students to write a reflection that correlates with each piece in the portfolio. This practice is advantageous for the student as they self-assess their work and may set goals to improve. Finally, the reflection helps reinforce the concept for the student and it provides some clarity for anyone reviewing the portfolio. Ultimately, the most authentic portfolios are built when the teacher and student work collaboratively to decide which pieces should be included to demonstrate mastery of a specific learning objective. The Purpose of Developing a PortfolioA portfolio assessment is often deemed an authentic form of assessment because it includes authentic samples of a student's work. Many advocates of the portfolio assessment argue that this makes it a superior assessment tool because it is demonstrates learning and growth over an extended period of time. They believe it is more indicative of what a student's true abilities especially when you compare it to a standardized test that provides a snapshot of what a student can do on a particular day. Ultimately, the teacher guiding the portfolio process helps determine the purpose of the final portfolio. The portfolio may be used to show growth over time, it may be used to promote a student's abilities, or it may be used to evaluate a student's learning within a specific course. Its purpose may also be a combination of all three areas. The Pros of Using a Portfolio Assessment
The Cons of Using a Portfolio Assessment
What are the benefits of portfolio assessment?Portfolio assessment enables students to reflect their real performance, to show their weak and strong domain and to observe student's progress during the learning process, and encourages students to take responsibilities for their own learning.
What are the benefits of portfolio to teachers?Portfolios provide documented evidence of teaching from a variety of sources—not just student ratings—and provide context for that evidence. The process of selecting and organizing material for a portfolio can help one reflect on and improve one's teaching.
What is the main purpose of portfolio assessment?The primary purpose of an assessment portfolio is to document student learning on specific curriculum outcomes. The items in the portfolio should be designed to elicit the knowledge and skill specified in the outcomes. Assessment portfolios may be used to demonstrate mastery in any curricular area.
What are the important features of portfolio assessment?An important feature of portfolio assessment is that data or evidence is added at many points in time, not just as "before and after" measures. Rather than including only the best work, the portfolio should include examples of different stages of mastery. At least some of the items are self-selected.
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