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PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT is an evaluation tool

used to document student learning thr
PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT is an evaluation tool used to document student learning through a series of
student-developed artifacts. Considered a form of authentic assessment, it offers an alternative or an addition
to traditional methods of grading and high stakes exams. Portfolio assessment gives both teachers and
students a controlled space to document, review, and analyze content leaning. In short, portfolios are a
collection of student work that allows assessment by providing evidence of effort and accomplishments in
relation to specific instructional goals (Jardine, 1996). At its best, portfolio assessment demands the following:
clarity of goals, explicit criteria for evaluation, work samples tied to those goals, student participation in
selection of entries, teacher and student involvement in the assessment process, and self-reflections that
demonstrate students' metacognitive ability, that is, their understanding of what worked for them in the
learning process, what did not, and why. These elements enhance the learning experience and the self-
understanding of the student as learner.

TYPES OF PORTFOLIOS

There are a variety of portfolio types, each designed to help assess either the process or the products of
learning.

Showcase portfolios. Showcase portfolios highlight the best products over a particular time period or course.
For example, a showcase portfolio in a composition class may include the best examples of different writing
genres, such as an essay, a poem, a short story, a biographical piece, or a literary analysis. In a business
class, the showcase portfolio may include a resume, sample business letters, a marketing project, and a
collaborative assignment that demonstrates the individual's ability to work in a team. Students are often
allowed to choose what they believe to be their best work, highlighting their achievements and skills.
Showcase reflections typically focus on the strengths of selected pieces and discuss how each met or
exceeded required standards.

Process portfolios. Process portfolios, by contrast, concentrate more on the journey of learning rather than
the final destination or end products of the learning process. In the composition class, for example, different
stages of the processan outline, first draft, peer and teacher responses, early revisions, and a final edited
draftmay be required. A process reflection may discuss why a particular strategy was used, what was useful
or ineffective for the individual in the writing process, and how the student went about making progress in the
face of difficulty in meeting requirements. A process reflection typically focuses on many aspects of the
learning process, including the following: what approaches work best, which are ineffective, information about
oneself as a learner, and strategies or approaches to remember in future assignments.

Evaluation portfolios. Evaluation portfolios may vary substantially in their content. Their basic purpose,
however, remains to exhibit a series of evaluations over a course and the learning or accomplishments of the
student in regard to previously determined criteria or goals. Essentially, this type of portfolio documents tests,

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observations, records, or other assessment artifacts required for successful completion of the course. A math
evaluation portfolio may include tests, quizzes, and written explanations of how one went about solving a
problem or determining which formula to use, whereas a science evaluation portfolio might also include
laboratory experiments, science project outcomes with photos or other artifacts, and research reports, as well
as tests and quizzes. Unlike the showcase portfolio, evaluation portfolios do not simply include the best work,
but rather a selection of predetermined evaluations that may also demonstrate students' difficulties and
unsuccessful struggles as well as their better work. Students who reflect on why some work was successful
and other work was less so continue their learning as they develop their metacognitive skills.

Online or e-portfolios. Online or e-portfolios may be one of the above portfolio types or a combination of
different types, a general requirement being that all information and artifacts are somehow accessible online.
A number of colleges require students to maintain a virtual portfolio that may include digital, video, or Web-
based products. The portfolio assessment process may be linked to a specific course or an entire program.
As with all portfolios, students are able to visually track and show their accomplishments to a wide audience.

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT, also known as alternative or authentic assessment, is a form of testing that
requires students to perform a task rather than select an answer from a ready-made list.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Following are some methods that have been used successfully to assess
performance:

- Open-ended or extended response exercises are questions or other prompts that require students to
explore a topic orally or in writing. Students might be asked to describe their observations from a science
experiment, or present arguments an historic character would make concerning a particular proposition. For
example, what would Abraham Lincoln argue about the causes of the Civil War?

- Extended tasks are assignments that require sustained attention in a single work area and are carried out
over several hours or longer. Such tasks could include drafting, reviewing, and revising a poem; conducting
and explaining the results of a science experiment on photosynthesis; or even painting a car in auto shop.

- Portfolios are selected collections of a variety of performance-based work. A portfolio might include a
student's "best pieces" and the student's evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of several pieces. The
portfolio may also contain some "works in progress" that illustrate the improvements the student has made
over time.

LEARNING JOURNALS are powerful tools for learning. More than being mere collections of required tasks
and assignments, they can be used to empower learners to take charge of their own learning process by
reflecting upon it on a regular basis and by assessing their own progress over time.

PAPER-AND-PENCIL instruments refer to a general group of assessment tools in which candidates read
questions and respond in writing. This includes tests, such as knowledge and ability tests, and inventories,
such as personality and interest inventories.

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The three most common response formats are:

- (a) multiple-choice (see Example 1);

- (b) short answer (see Example 2); and

- (c) essay.

(a) Multiple-choice

With a multiple-choice response format, a large number of different topic areas/tasks can be covered within
the same test and the questions are easy to score. However, because all potential answers must be chosen
by some candidates, it is time-consuming to write good questions.

With a short-answer response format, as in multiple choice, a large number of different topic areas/tasks can
be covered within the same test and these questions are easy to score. In addition, less time is required to
write these questions compared to multiple-choice ones.

(b) Short-answer

With a short-answer response format, a large number of different topic areas/tasks can be covered within the
same test and these questions are easy to score. In addition, less time ie required to write these questions
compared to multiple-choice ones.

(c) Essay

With an essay response format, only a few topic areas/tasks can be covered due to the amount of time it
takes to answer questions; however, the content can be covered in greater detail. Essay questions require
little time to write but they are very time-consuming to score.

Although at first glance a multiple-choice format may seem a relatively easy and logical choice if breadth of
coverage is emphasized, don't be fooled. It is hard to write good multiple-choice questions and you should
only choose this type of response format if you are willing to devote a lot of time to editing, reviewing, and
revising the questions. If depth of coverage is emphasized, use an essay response format.

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