Portfolios

1. Portfolios Kim Anderson Course Evaluation Subcommittee Chair Summer 2009

2. 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.

3. Is a Portfolio the Appropriate Assignment/Assessment? • Purpose? • Requirements? • Developmental or showcase? • Size? • Who will evaluate? • Presentation expectations? • Hardcopy or electronic? • Confidentiality?

4. Pros & Cons

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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?

8. 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 student’s perceptions of his/her most important work, and communicates a student’s 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.

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

10. 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

11. Process • Potential for focusing on the processes of learning • Self-improvement • Metacognitive processes of thinking (internal monitoring of one’s 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

12. Management • Formative or summative (development process) • Logistics (paper or electronic storage; where kept; who’s responsible) • Progress and Product (tracking; type) • Access & Privacy (who and when; identity)

13. 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

14. Assessment

15. Electronic Portfolio Rubric SampleName: ___________________________Date: ________________Section Number:___________________

16. 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

17. 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