PORTFOLIO

ASSESSMENT
 Portfolio Assessment
It is a collection of student work that exhibits the
student's efforts, progress and achievements in
one or more areas. The collection must include
student participation in selecting contents, the
criteria for selection, the criteria for judging merit
and evidence of student self - reflection (Paulson,
Meyer 1991)
 Portfolio Assessment
Within the context of this definition, a portfolio
continually grows and accumulates as the student
progresses in the particular learning task.

The overall purpose of creating a portfolio is to enable

the student to demonstrate to other his/her learning
progress.
 Portfolio Assessment
The greatest value of portfolios is that, in building them,
students become active participants in the learning
process and its assessment. The sense of
"ownership" on the part of the students that goes with
portfolio assessment makes it quite attractive to
learners, in general.
 Portfolio Assessment
The use of portfolio assessment became popular in
the early to late 1980's in response to the growing
clamor for more "reasonable" and authentic means
of assessing students' growth and development in
school.
One area of application of portfolios assessment,
for instance, may be in the accreditation of
experience towards a degree (CHED's
Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and
Accreditation Program (ETEEAP).
FEATURES AND
PRINCIPLES OF
PORTFOLIO
 a. A portfolio is a form of assessment that
students do together with their teachers. The
teachers guide the students in the planning,
execution and evaluation of the contents of the
portfolio. Together, they formulate the overall
objectives for constructing the portfolio. As such,
students and teachers interact in every step of
the process in developing a portfolio.
 b. A portfolio represents a selection of what students
believe are best included from among the possible
collection of things related to the concept being studied.
It is the teachers' responsibility to assist the students in
actually choosing from among a possible set of
choices to be included in the portfolio. However, the
final selection should be done by students
themselves since they believe what are important
considerations.
c. A portfolio provides samples of the student's
work which show growth over time. By self -
assessment, students begin to identify the
strengths and weaknesses in their work. These
weakness then become improvement goals.
 d. The criteria for selecting and assessing the
portfolio contents must be clear to the teacher
and the students at the outset of the process. At
each step of the process, the students need to
refer to the agreed set of criteria for the
construction and development of the portfolio.
PURPOSES OF
PORTFOLIO
 1. Portfolio assessment matches assessment to
teaching
The final outputs to be assessed are products of
classroom discussions and classroom work and are
not simple diversions from the tedium of classroom
activities. Unlike test items which mainly measure
cognitive skills, portfolio assessment can assess other
components of the students' formed abilities based on
classroom discussions.
 2. Portfolio assessment has clear goals. In fact, they
are decided on at the beginning of instruction and
are clear to teacher and students.

In cognitive testing, the objectives are set at the beginning

but the actual items may or may not reflect achievement
of such objectives. In portfolio assessment, however, the
students control the items to be included and therefore and
assured that the goals are achieved.
 3. Portfolio assessment gives a profile of learners'
abilities in terms of depth, breadth, and growth.

In terms of depth, portfolio assessment enables the

students to demonstrate quality work done without
pressure and constraints of time present in traditional
testing through the help of resources such as reference
materials and the help of other students.
 3. Portfolio assessment gives a profile of learners'
abilities in terms of depth, breadth, and growth.

In terms of breadth, portfolio assessment can show a

wide range of skills to be demonstrated in the final output.
Finally, in terms of growth, portfolio assessment shows
efforts to improve and develop and clearly demonstrate
students' progress over time.
 4. Portfolio assessment is a tool for assessing a
variety of skills not normally testable in a single
setting for traditional testing.

The portfolio can show written, oral and graphic outputs of

students in a variety of ways which demonstrate skills
developed by the students.
 5. Portfolio assessment develops awareness of
students' own learning

Students have to reflect on their own progress and the

quality of their work in relation to known goals. This is
achieved at each stage of the process since the students
continually refer to the set of goals and objectives set at
the beginning.
 6. Portfolio assessment caters to individuals in a
heterogenous class.

Such flexibility is attributed to the fact that portfolio

assessment is open - ended so that students can
demonstrate their abilities on their own level and caters to
differential learning styles and expression of varying
strengths.
 7. Portfolio assessment develops social skills.
Students interact with other students in the
development of their own portfolios.

Sometimes, they are assessed on work done in groups or

in pairs so that they necessarily have to interact and
collaborate to complete the tasks.
 8. Portfolio assessment develops independent and
active learners.

Students must select and justify portfolio choices; monitor

progress and set learning goals. Traditional testing cannot
achieve this educational objective no matter how skillfully
the tests are constructed.
 9. Portfolio assessment can improve motivation for
learning and thus achievement.
When students are empowered to prove their own
achievement and worth they become highly motivated to
pursue the learning tasks. It is when they lose this feeling of
empowerment that they feel inadequate and become less
motivated as in traditional classroom testing.
 10. Portfolio assessment provides opportunity for
student - teacher dialogue.

It enables the teacher to get to know every student.

Moreover, portfolio assessment promotes joint goal -
setting and negotiation of grades which can never
happen in traditional testing.
 ESSENTIAL
ELEMENTS OF THE
PORTFOLIO
 1. Cover Letter
The cover letter summarizes the evidence of a student's
learning and progress.

"About the author" and "What my portfolio shows

about my progress as the learner" (written at the end,
but put at the beginning)
2. Table of Contents

Just like any other collection of paperwork's, portfolio also

includes the table of contents.

What do you the think is the reason on why there is a

need of table of contents?
4. Dates of all entries, to facilitate proof of
growth over time.

5. Drafts of oral and written products and revised

versions.

6. Reflections
PROCESS IN
DESIGNING A
PORTFOLIO
 1. Purpose - What is the purpose/s of the portfolio?

2. Audience - For what audience/s will the portfolio be

created?

3. Content - What samples of student work will be

included?

4. Process - What processes will be engaged in during

the development of the portfolio?
5. Management - How will time and materials be
managed in the development of the portfolio?

6. Communication - How and when will the portfolio be

shared with pertinent audiences?

7. Evaluation - If the portfolio is to be used for evaluation,

when and how should it be evaluated?
 TYPES OF
PORTFOLIOS
 Different types of portfolios exist for assessing
student performances. These differ from each other
depending on the purposes or objectives set for the
overall classroom assessment program.

As a general rule, portfolio assessment is used where

traditional testing would be inadequate to measure
desired skills and competencies.
A. Documentation Portfolio
This approach involves a collection of work over time
showing growth and improvement reflecting students'
learning of identified outcomes.

This is also called a "growth portfolio" in literature. The

documentation portfolio can include everything from
brainstorming activities to drafts to finished products.
 A. Documentation Portfolio
The collection becomes meaningful when specific items
are selected out to focus on particular educational
experiences or goals. It can include the best and weakest
of student work.

It is important to realize that even drafts and

scratch papers should be included in the portfolio
for they actually demonstrate the growth process
that students have been through.
 A. Documentation Portfolio
The collection becomes meaningful when specific items
are selected out to focus on particular educational
experiences or goals. It can include the best and weakest
of student work.

It is important to realize that even drafts and

scratch papers should be included in the portfolio
for they actually demonstrate the growth process
that students have been through.
 B. Process Portfolio
The process portfolio in contrast demonstrates all facets
or phases of the learning process.

As such, these portfolios contain an extensive number of

reflective journals, think logs and other related forms
of metacognitive processing.
 B. Process Portfolio
They are particularly useful in documenting students'
overall learning process. It can show students integrate
specific knowledge or skills and progress towards both
basic and advanced mastery.
 C. Showcase Portfolio
The showcase portfolio only shows the best of the
students' outputs and products.

As such, this type of portfolio is best used for summative

evaluation of students' mastery of key curriculum
outcomes.

It should include students' very best work,

determined through a combination of student and
teacher selection.
 C. Showcase Portfolio
In addition, this type of portfolio is especially compatible
with audio - visual artifact development, including
photographs, videotapes, and electronic records of
students' completed work.

It should also include written analysis and reflections

by the student upon the decision - making process
used to determine which works are included.
 CREATING
PORTFOLIO
ASSESSMENT
1. Determine the purpose of the portfolio. - Decide how
the results of a portfolio evaluation will be used to
inform the program.

2. Identify the learning outcomes the portfolio will address.

Tip: Identify at least 6 course assignments that are aligned
with the outcomes the portfolio will address.
Note: When planning to implement a portfolio requirement,
the program may need to modify activities or outcomes in
courses, the program, or the institution.
 3. Decide what students will include in their portfolio.

Portfolios can contain a range of items–plans, reports, essays,

resume, checklists, self-assessments, references from employers
or supervisors, audio and video clips. In a showcase portfolio,
students include work completed near the end of their program.
In a developmental portfolio, students include work completed
early and late in the program so that development can be judged.
Tip: Limit the portfolio to 3-4 pieces of student work and one
reflective essay/memo.
4. Identify or develop the scoring criteria (e.g., a rubric) to judge
the quality of the portfolio.
Tip: Include the scoring rubric with the instructions given to
students.

5. Establish standards of performance and examples (e.g.,

examples of a high, medium, and low scoring portfolio).

6. Create student instructions that specify how students collect,

select, reflect, format, and submit.

Tip: Emphasize to students the purpose of the portfolio and

that it is their responsibility to select items that clearly
demonstrate mastery of the learning outcomes.
Emphasize to faculty that it is their responsibility to help
students by explicitly tying course assignments to portfolio
requirements.
 ASSESSING AND
EVALUATING THE
PORTFOLIOS
 "Portfolios offer a way of assessing student learning
that is different from the traditional methods. Portfolio
assessment provides the teacher and students an
opportunity to observe students in broader context:
taking risks, developing creative solutions, and learning
to make judgments about their own performances"

Paulson, Paulson and Meyer, (1991, p. 63)

 Detailed rating criteria may be evolved to evaluate the
finished portfolio presented by students. In general, however,
they should include the following:

Thoughtfulness - includes evidence of students'

monitoring of their own comprehension, metacognitive
reflection, and productive habits of mind.
Growth and development in relationship to key
curriculum expectancies and indicators
Understanding and application of key processes
Completeness, correctness, and appropriateness of
products and processes presented in the portfolio
Diversity of Learners
 Teachers and students work together and agree on the
criteria to be applied to the portfolio. Such evaluative criteria
need to be set and agreed prior to the development of the
portfolio.

The criteria themselves will serve as guide to the students

when they actually prepare the portfolio requirement.
Moreover, students and teachers work collaboratively to
determine grades and scores to be assigned.
Each portfolio entry needs to be assessed with reference to
its specific goal(s).

Self and peer - assessment can be used too, as a tool for

formative evaluation, with the students justifying their grade
with reference to the goals and to specific pages in the
portfolio.

This actually makes the teacher's job of assessing the

portfolio much simpler. It also takes some burden off the
teacher and helps students to internalize criteria for quality
work.