Portfolio Assessment in Design Education

Mezon Ashgar, K0913053

This study explores the alignment of portfolios as an assessment method used in the first year architecture design studio in Kingston University. The study also lists the advantges and disadvantges of using this method for assessment and offers the best ways to use this mehod to achieve the best results.

What are portfolios good for?

Name of the course:

AR Design Principles: Subject and context.

Learning Outcomes of the course:

"The portfolio is the documentation of all your work, including everything undertaken up until the time of your submission. You will collect recordings of your work from the very beginning of the year"
KU website

1. Begin a process of research in order to identify the subject and context of design projects. 2. Document basic quantitative and qualitative information relating to the physical context of a site. 3. Identify some of the cultural and social contexts of a site. 4. Consider relevant examples of precedent and undertake basic analysis of these precedents. 5. Evaluate a given brief to establish what activates may be contained within the programme. 6. Undertake research into the activities that are implied by a brief. 7. Identify issues related to the sustainability of the final project, with regard to the context, brief or physical intervention. 8. Begin to establish the terms of a design project emerging from research into its subject and context.

Best assessment method of discovering unintended course learning outcomes (Biggs, 2003). Reflects change and growth of student over a period of time (Thom 2006). Easy to introduce to the students and to include in the classroom activities (Newstetter 1997). It represents the development through the course and their work for the duration (Newstetter 1997). It is a more fair system for assessment, it represents the whole semester rather than one -off submission (Newstetter 1997). Allows for a continuing learning over the years (Thom 2006). It is good for capstone projects because it could span over the years of the course and give an overall look of the development of the student (Biggs, 2003). Portfolios are proof of reflection by the student in selecting the best works and the LO. They encourage reflection on progress. khan Portfolios require high level of cognitive ability to select and assemble (Newstetter 1997). They could be used as formative or summative assessment (Newstetter 1997).

Are the portfolios a suitable assessment method for this course?

According to the course tutor, this table describes the alignment of the portfolio assessment to each Intended Learning Outcome of the course.
Research to identify the subject and context of design project 80% Quantitative and qualitative information Cultural and social contexts Relevant examples of precedent 80% 70% 100%

Evaluate brief to establish activities contained in programme 80% Undertake research into activities implied by a brief 80%

Sustainability of final project, regarding context, brief or physical intervention 80% Establish terms of design project from research into subject and context 100%

What is bad about portfolios?

Evidently, this table demonstrates that portfolios are an appropriate (aligned) method of assessing the Learning Outcomes of the course and their success.

Method of assessment used:

It is possible for the addressed learning outcomes to be vague; they could address either the courses or the students. In the selection process, students may not be selective of their works and go overboard or not submit the best works that address the learning outcomes. They might be time consuming to correct and grade. (Biggs, 2003).

Feedback

Written feedback is given to the student after submitting their portfolio at the end of Semester 1 and each studio tutor provides their students with verbal feedback on their submissions. Feedback at this point gives the students the chance to review their performance in the first semester and to help them improve their work and skills for the rest of the academic year.

Portfolios as formative assessment at the end of Semester1

How to get the best out of portfolio assessment?

What is portfolio assessment?

Portfolios are a collection of the best-finished works; sketches, drafts and other documents that address the course intended outcomes. These works are usually done for specific assignments during the course duration. The student selects the collection of work for assessment and feedback proposes or as an entry requirement. (Biggs, 2003), (Newstetter, 1997).

Make it clear for the students what is expected as evidence of each learning outcome is, and show the students some examples. State your requirements: size, number of projects, format, compulsory items, references. Portfolios should be graded as a package not by their individual items. Tutors should be consistent in grading the portfolios. Tutors should carefully consider what activities should the portfolio include. Tutors should state against which criteria they are assessing the portfolios. (Biggs, 2003).

References

Bailey, J. (2010, 3 9). Email Interview on The Portfolio as an Assessment Tool. (M. Ashgar, Interviewer) Biggs, J., 2003, Teaching for quality learning at university (Buckingham, Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press), The Higher Education Academy. (2008). Groupwork, Retrieved August, 6, p. 2008. Newstetter, W.C. & Khan, S., 1997, Frontiers in Education Conference, A developmental approach to assessing design skills and knowledge. pp. 676-80. Thom, G., Hovenberg, H. & Edgren, G., 2006, Portfolio as a method for continuous assessment in an undergraduate health education programme, Medical teacher, 28(6), pp. e171-6.