Education Portfolios

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that it is recognized from a variety of standpoints that the portfolio can be advantageous for student assessment and evaluation as well as personal understanding of growth and development. The writer points out that at this point, however, there still remain issues of incorporating this portfolio into school systems nationwide and, more importantly, establishing consistency, as well as validity and reliability. The writer maintains that it is necessary to review what is being done in this regard in more depth to determine what is the best way to proceed.

From the Paper:

"Jones in the U.S. Department of Education states that generically portfolios are the systematic and selective collection of student work that shows mastery or growth in a particular subject area over a certain time period. Real-life tasks, such as writing to a friend, are the basic structure instead of more standardized assessments as multiple-choice exams. These authentic tasks are intended to grow out of instruction based on real problems. She finds portfolios to help all students, regardless of the setting; they have the ability to address students' individual needs without labels. For example for her class portfolios, she included videotaping students in simulated job interviews, writing letters to businesses to request information about job shadowing, designing personal resumes, recording interviews with adults about their work responsibilities and careers, job shadowing in a work setting, and using Web-based sources to develop reports on career areas. By evaluating these portfolio activities and products, she determined progress toward goals in a career development course."

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Council on Education. Retrieved July 25, 2007. http://www.acenet.edu//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Arter, J.A. and Spandel, V. (1992) Using portfolios of student work in instruction and assessment, Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 11(1): 36-44.
• Ben-David, M.F. (2000) The role of assessment in expanding professional horizons, Medical Teacher, 22(5), 472-477.
• Birenbaum, M. (1996) Assessment 2000: towards a pluralistic approach to assessment, in M. Birenbaum and F.J.R.C. Dochy (Eds) (1996) Alternatives in Assessment of Achievements, Learning Processes and Prior Knowledge, Boston, Dordrecht and London: Kluwer Academic Publishers
• Challis, M. (1999) AMEE Medical education guide no. 11 (revised): portfolio-based learning and assessment in medical education, Medical Teacher, 21(4): 370-86.

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