Portfolios

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Portfolios

• Kim Anderson
• Course Evaluation Subcommittee Chair
• Summer 2009

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What is a Portfolio?

• Portfolios are a purposeful compilation of
  student work, usually including student
  reflection on their achievement of the student
  learning outcomes and how the evidence supports
  their conclusion. A portfolio can be used as a
  culminating task for a course or for a program.

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Is a Portfolio the Appropriate Assignment/Assessme
nt?

• Purpose?
• Requirements?
• Developmental or showcase?
• Size?
• Who will evaluate?
• Presentation expectations?
• Hardcopy or electronic?
• Confidentiality?

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Pros Cons
Strengths Weaknesses
Direct evidence Takes time for students and instructors
Student responsibility Difficult if a collective task
Student self-awareness of learning Peer critiques may be difficult
Student may use for application process Identity protection
Identify curriculum gaps Storage issue if not electronic
Focus discussion on student learning Must include standards for assessment
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Types of Portfolios

• All-Inclusive Portfoliosthat contain a complete
  record of all work done by a student in a course
  or program.
• Selection Portfoliosthat are focused on
  documenting the achievement of mastery of
  specific course or program student learning
  outcomes.

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Assessment by using Portfolios

• Long-term record of student progress
  achievement to assess programs, courses, or
  projects.
• Fundamental elements to support student learning
  (metacognition)
• Student involvement in entry selections
• Student reflections about learning
• Student discussion with faculty about learning

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Creating a Portfolio Assignment

• Purpose What is the purpose(s) of the portfolio?
• Audience For what audience(s) will the portfolio
  be created?
• Content What samples of student work will be
  included?
• Process What processes (e.g. selection of work
  to be included, reflection on work, conferencing)
  will be engaged in during the development of the
  portfolio?
• Management How will time and materials be
  managed in the development of the portfolio?
• Communication How and when will the portfolio be
  shared with pertinent audiences?
• Evaluation If the portfolio is to be used for
  evaluation, when and how should it be evaluated?

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Purpose

• Growth portfoliosdemonstrate change over time,
  help develop process skills such as
  self-evaluation and goal-setting, identify
  strengths and weaknesses, and track the
  development of products/performances. This type
  of portfolio emphasizes the process of learning.
• Showcase portfoliosdemonstrate end-of-semester
  accomplishments as it is a sample of best work
  (for employment or university admission),
  indicates the students perceptions of his/her
  most important work, and communicates a students
  current aptitudes. This type of portfolio
  emphasizes the product of learning.
• Evaluation portfoliosdocument achievement for
  grading purposes, progress toward standards, and
  may assist with appropriate student placement.

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Audience

• In-class
• instructor and/or classmates
• Out-of-class
• other discipline faculty, potential employer,
  university admissions officer, advisory board

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Content

• Depends on the answers to purpose and
  audience
• Paper products
• Other types of media (CD or web)
• artifacts
• videotaping performance
• scanning products
• digitizing audio
• visual rhetoric (imagery and visual design)
• Manageable

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Process

• Potential for focusing on the processes of
  learning
• Self-improvement
• Metacognitive processes of thinking (internal
  monitoring of ones own understanding)
• Reflection component may be most critical element
• comment on why what liked/not liked processes
  in developing samples describe skill/knowledge
  development identify strengths/weaknesses of
  work set goals/strategies and self-efficacy

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Management

• Formative or summative (development process)
• Logistics (paper or electronic storage where
  kept whos responsible)
• Progress and Product (tracking type)
• Access Privacy (who and when identity)

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Communication

• Portfolios are meant to be shared
• Portfolios should tell a story about that student
  and his/her learning
• Student must take ownership of the process

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Assessment
Evaluate vs. Grade What to Grade How to Evaluate/Grade
Evaluation making a judgment Not to grade already graded contents selected Complex product
Grading assigning point or letter value to a judgment To grade more than compilation of content Rubric provides clarity (judgment of quality elements) and consistency (multiple evaluators)
For class Process skills
For program package from various classes or capstone course Metacognition (reflections, strengths/weaknesses, goals, progress of standards)
Organizational elements
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Electronic Portfolio Rubric SampleName
___________________________Date
________________Section Number__________________
_
Skill Exceptional Effective Acceptable Unsatisfactory
Creative Use of Technology Innovative use of graphics, sound, e-mail, additional software, and Internet resources superior presentation. Several creative sounds, graphics, and links used presentation keeps reader's attention. Some use of interesting sounds and graphics predictable presentation. No evidence of independent resources monotonous presentation.
Content Choice Samples show student progress and knowledge of netiquette. Samples show student progress and some knowledge of netiquette. Samples show some student progress and some knowledge of netiquette. Random selection choice no knowledge of netiquette.
Organization/ Mechanics Flawless grammar and punctuation layout is easy to navigate. Very few grammar and punctuation errors layout is easy to navigate. Some grammar and punctuation errors layout is sometimes confusing to navigate. Several grammar and punctuation errors layout is very difficult to navigate.
Personal Reflection Excellent evaluation of personal strengths and weaknesses. Accurate consideration of personal strengths and weaknesses. Somewhat superficial consideration of personal strengths and weaknesses. Lackluster interest in own work.
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E-portfolios

• Digital collection of student work
• 1. Student-centered active learning
• diverse purposes enrichment
• 2. Dynamic digital technology
• Web 2.0 social networking sites web-authoring
  platforms
• 3. Accountability
• outcomes assessment
• Mobile students
• multiple college enrollments over extended time
  spans

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E-portfolio project uses

• Document development within a course or program
• Learning community-integrate across courses
• Document skills/knowledge for employers
• Outcomes Assessment (course or program or GE)
• First year course to Capstone course (throughout
  or at each end)
• Program benchmarks (by course or outcomes for
  longitudinal data)
• Proficiency in professional competencies

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