| The use of portfolios in higher education is not a new | | | | years. A program showcase portfolio can serve as a |
| phenomenon - at least in some fields. Having students | | | | culminating activity for the program in lieu of, or in |
| create portfolios to present their ideas and | | | | addition to, comprehensive examinations. |
| accomplishments to prospective clients or employers | | | | The audience for showcase portfolios includes the |
| has been standard practice for art departments, | | | | student, the faculty, and potential employers. The |
| journalism schools, marketing programs, and the like, | | | | content may include projects created in class as well |
| for decades. These portfolios are a means of | | | | as projects done outside of the classroom |
| demonstrating the quality and range of work | | | | environment, maybe for a part-time job or a |
| produced by the student, just as a working artist's or | | | | volunteer experience. The main advantage of a |
| an advertising executive's portfolio showcases the | | | | showcase portfolio is that the students can select |
| quality and range of work he or she has produced. | | | | their best work from a variety of experiences to |
| In other fields, however, the use of portfolios is | | | | demonstrate their skills and learning. |
| much more recent. As educators in academe have | | | | In addition to sharing showcase portfolios with |
| realized that the portfolio concept is not just for | | | | potential employers, you can, with students' |
| artistic work, they have come to use various types | | | | permission, display them to potential donors, |
| of portfolios as assessment tools in many areas of | | | | prospective students and their families, or accrediting |
| the curriculum. Portfolios can provide a professor with | | | | agencies. In imagining how to demonstrate what |
| a body of student work that shows growth in | | | | students in a program have learned, contrast the |
| performance, illustrates a range of quality, or | | | | impact of displaying a showcase portfolio to that of |
| demonstrates achievement of specific skills. Three | | | | displaying student test scores. You can see the |
| basic forms of portfolios in use in higher education | | | | difference. |
| are working portfolios, showcase portfolios, and | | | | Assessment Portfolios |
| assessment portfolios. | | | | A third type of portfolios is the assessment portfolio. |
| Working Portfolios | | | | The primary purpose of an assessment portfolio is to |
| Working portfolios are designed to be ongoing | | | | document what the student learned during the |
| interchanges between you and your students. Based | | | | course. Items in an assessment portfolio must be |
| on specific learning objectives, they serve as "holding | | | | designed to help the student manifest learning related |
| tanks" for student work. By frequently examining | | | | to specific course objectives defined in the syllabus. |
| their working portfolio, you can diagnose students' | | | | Assessment portfolios can be used to demonstrate |
| strengths and weaknesses and provide guidance for | | | | mastery of both skills and content. The specific |
| the students in how to improve or perfect their | | | | audience for the assessment portfolio is the teacher. |
| work. Working portfolios can also show you what | | | | The items in the portfolio must show that the |
| you might need to emphasize in your teaching. Term | | | | student has achieved the intended learning outcomes |
| papers or research projects are ideal candidates for | | | | of the class. An assessment portfolio can include lab |
| inclusion in a working portfolio. | | | | activities, notes taken in class, artwork, drafts, book |
| However, the main audience for the working portfolio | | | | reviews, audio/video productions, or whatever else |
| is the student. With feedback from you, students | | | | the teacher and student together feel serves to |
| can develop their reflective skills and learn to be | | | | document learning of the course objectives. |
| self-evaluative by working on the projects within the | | | | The following three steps need to be followed when |
| portfolio. The substance of a working portfolio is | | | | using assessment portfolios: |
| specific content related to course learning objectives. | | | | |
| As students complete their projects, they can move | | | | 1. Identify what forms of procedural knowledge will |
| some of the pieces from the working portfolio to a | | | | be assessed through the portfolio process; |
| showcase portfolio, discussed below. | | | | 2. Design assessment tasks for the identified learning |
| Working portfolios allow for iterative processes of | | | | objectives; |
| instruction. That is, students complete an assignment, | | | | 3. Identify the criteria for each assessment task. |
| get feedback from you, make alterations, and | | | | As with all types of assessment in the strategic |
| resubmit the assignment for your input. This cycle | | | | classroom, students need to know the target, that |
| can be repeated as often as necessary within your | | | | is, they need to know what your standards are and |
| given time constraints. Ideally, each cycle increases | | | | how their work will be measured against those |
| the students' learning and their perceptions of their | | | | standards. |
| learning, both of which are important. Students usually | | | | Through portfolio assessment, students gain a more |
| view this iterative process as much more | | | | positive perception of themselves as learners, as |
| personalized than grades on a test or general | | | | individuals, and ultimately as professionals, ready for |
| statements made during a class about writing skills, | | | | the world of work. As you examine individual |
| grammatical errors, paper organizations, and so on. | | | | portfolios, you get a more complete picture of your |
| As you might imagine, going over working portfolios | | | | students as persons who are unique and who have |
| with students is a time-consuming process and this | | | | lives "beyond the classroom." |
| must be taken into account prior to implementing this | | | | Another important benefit of portfolio assessment is |
| form of alternative assessment. I recommend that | | | | that, since students are participants in their own |
| you use the working portfolio first with a very small | | | | assessment, they share in the responsibility for their |
| class or with a subset of a class who wants to | | | | learning. In this age of accountability, this shared |
| explore this level of interaction and feedback. As with | | | | practice is a must. In the long run. And when they |
| so many instructional techniques, this one will become | | | | are assuming more of the responsibility for their |
| easier as you gain experience with it. | | | | learning, you can devote more time and energy to |
| Showcase Portfolios | | | | other aspects of your instruction. |
| Compiling a showcase portfolio is an especially | | | | Note: Portfolio assessment is labor-intensive and |
| rewarding experience for students involved in | | | | time-consuming, so you may want to start on a small |
| ongoing creative work. Including their best work in a | | | | scale. Once you become comfortable with the |
| showcase portfolio enables students to define who | | | | process, you can expand your portfolio activities. It is |
| they are in terms of their culture, learning, | | | | much better to grow with the process than to start |
| experiences, and beliefs. Showcase portfolios can be | | | | on a large scale, become frustrated, and then vow |
| used in just one class or an entire program. The | | | | never to try it again. It is too valuable an assessment |
| latter case allows students to have a collection of | | | | tool to avoid. |
| their best work developed over several months or | | | | |