Portfolio Use for Learning
and Assessment
Dr Val Klenowski
Portfolio Use for Learning and
Assessment
Aims of the session are to:
 Introduce a conceptual framework that
underpins how portfolios can be used for
formative purposes to help students
develop meta-learning and thinking skills.
 Highlight the merits of using portfolios for
formative purposes.
Portfolio Use for Learning and
Assessment

Introduce the principles and processes involved
in the implementation of portfolios for learning
and assessment purposes at school level.

Provide guidelines on criteria and standards
when portfolios are used for assessment
purposes.

Illustrate how validity and reliability are
addressed in the assessment process.
Assessment
The purposeful, systematic and
ongoing collection of information as
evidence for use in making judgments
about student learning.
What is a portfolio?
… a purposeful collection of student work that
tells the story of the student’s efforts, progress or
achievement in (a) given area(s). This collection
must include student participation in selection of
portfolio content; the guidelines for selection; the
criteria for judging merit; and evidence of
student self-reflection.
Arter and Spandel, 1992: 36
What is a portfolio?

“are sources of evidence for judgements of …
achievement in a range of contexts, from classroom
monitoring of student performance to high stakes
summative assessment.

… contain ‘pieces of evidence.’ The more relevant the
evidence, the more useful it is for inferring a student’s
level of achievement in a learning area.”
Forster & Masters (1996:2)
Why use portfolios?

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Produces an accurate and holistic portrait of the
student.
Involves students in decisions about the choice
of inclusions and quality of work completed.
Allows students to exhibit difference e.g. multiple
intelligences, cultural diversity
For examples see:
http://www.ilc.edu.hk
Process portfolios
Tell a story about the growth of the learner.
 Document the processes of learning and
creating:
- earlier drafts,
- reflections on the process,
- reflection on the barriers to learning
throughout the course/programme.

Product portfolios
Require students to document and reflect
on the quality and range of
accomplishments.
 Improve the quality of teaching by
integrating assessment and
teaching/learning.
 Facilitate the accountability of teachers
and schools.

Summative Portfolios
Focus on learning outcomes (skills and
knowledge).
 Contain evidence that shows the range
and extent of students’ skills.
 Demonstrate learning outcomes rather
than the process of learning.

Formative Portfolios

Formative portfolios show the processes
of learning used by the student.

Assessment is formative when the focus is
on the learning process.
(http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/deo/goldfields/curriculum/assessment)
Research Evidence
Formative assessment raises standards and that current
practices could be improved. (Black and Wiliam, 1998)
Difficulties identified:
 Teachers’ tests encourage rote and superficial learning.
 Questions and methods used are not discussed with
other teachers in the same school.
 Questions and methods are not critically reviewed in
relation to what they actually assess.
 Some teachers emphasise quantity and presentation
rather than the quality of learning.

Research Evidence

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Marks and grades given without useful advice about how to improve.
Marks collected for recording purposes not for analysing students’
learning to identify their needs.
Students perceive use of comparison for competitive purposes
rather than for personal improvement.
Negative impact of assessment feedback for students with low
attainments is that they believe that they lack ‘ability’ and are demotivated thinking that they are not able to learn.
(Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall & Wiliam, 2003)
Assessment for Learning
Is embedded in a view of teaching and
learning of which it is an essential part
 Involves sharing learning goals with
students
 Aims to help students know and recognise
the standards for which they are aiming
(See Assessment for Learning, QCA, CD-ROM)

Assessment for Learning

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Involves students in self-assessment
Provides feedback that leads to students’
recognition of their next steps and how to take
them
Is underpinned by confidence that every student
can improve
Involves both teacher and students in reviewing
and reflecting on assessment data
(The Assessment Reform Group. http://www.assessment-reformgroup.org.uk.2002)
Portfolio Assessment Processes

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Student selects examples of work to demonstrate learning for a
particular purpose (summative or formative).
The guidelines and the criteria help the student to select work.
Student understands the standards and the learning processes
involved by discussion and substantive conversation with peers
and their teachers.
Students document their achievements and analyse their learning
experiences, attitudes and dispositions.
Critical self-evaluation is integral and involves judging the quality
of one’s performance and the learning strategies involved.
Portfolio Assessment Processes

Students need specific teaching and support to develop the
cognitive processes of critical reflection and self-evaluation that
help them to develop a portfolio of work.

By involving students in the assessment process and by making
clear to students that self-evaluation is important for demonstrating
what has been learnt, and also how this has been achieved,
teachers give students an important message about what is valued
in assessment.

These learning processes and associated pedagogic practices,
when used to develop a portfolio of work, foster metacognitve
development which promotes knowing how, when, where and why
one learns
Group Task
As a consequence of attending this course
you have been asked to help teachers
back at your school prepare for the use of
portfolios for formative purposes.
 What skills would these teachers need to
develop?
 How would you help them get started in
the use of portfolios for learning?
Self-Assessments
Students need to engage with the criteria
prior to self-assessment and for formative
purposes.
 Use of assessment language in own selfassessments.
 Not a grading but a reflection on the
process.

Criteria and Standards

Criteria are the “the various characteristics or
dimensions on which the quality of student
performance is judged”

Standards are the ”levels of excellence or quality
applying along a developmental scale for each
criterion”. (Maxwell, 1993:293)
(See: Department of Education and Training, Schools of Isolated and
Distance Education, Culture of the Dreaming, 2003)
Criteria and Standards

Examine the assessment criteria for the summative
assessment.(Identify and analyse the criteria. Discuss
with members of your group. Reach a consensus of
understanding.)

Now that you are aware of the need for students to
understand the criteria and standards to select work for
their portfolios, how would you go about helping them?
Criteria and Standards
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Consider criteria and standards for assessment.
Analysis of the criteria individually.
Discussion with others to integrate
understanding.
Application of understanding.
Discussion, debate, clarification, affirmation and
integration.
Implementing Portfolios for
Assessment and Learning

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Decide on the purpose of the portfolio
Determine the outcomes to be achieved and
how the portfolio might be used to demonstrate
them
Create the means by which teachers and
students can collaborate in determining the
contents of portfolios
Allow time for students to reflect and engage in
self-assessment
Portfolio Building Process

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Identify the areas of skills that the student is to develop
From these skill areas, develop specific learning outcomes for the
student to achieve.
Identify performance indicators that establish that the student has
achieved their learning outcomes and indicate the evidence that the
student needs to collect.
Collect evidence that demonstrates the student has met the
performance indicators.
Organise this evidence in a portfolio so assessors can easily
understand how the evidence relates to each performance indicator.
(http://wwweddept.wa.edu.au/deo/goldfields/curriculum/assessment)
Guidelines for Using Portfolios
Include:
 Suggestions for introduction and
implementation of portfolio process
 Framework for portfolio
 Learning outcomes and suggestions of
evidence suitable to address these
outcomes
Guidelines for Using Portfolios
Advice regarding self-evaluation and
reflective statements
 Criteria to be used in the assessment of
the portfolio
 Grade descriptors
 Exemplars that illustrate standards

Summative Purposes
Administrative considerations
time efficient
 manageable
 inexpensive
 adequate level of reliability
 consistency of approach (guidelines)
 consistency of grading
 consistency of standards

Summative Purposes
Administrative considerations
To ensure consistency of standards need to
provide teachers with:
Exemplars
 Commentary to explain the grade
assigned
 Grade descriptors
 Grading instructions

Ensuring Reliability
Documented, field tested scoring guides
 Specified criteria
 Annotated examples of all score points
 Ample practice and feedback for raters
 Multiple raters with agreement prior to
scoring

Ensuring Reliability
Periodic reliability checks throughout
 Retraining if necessary
 Arrangements for the collection of suitable
reliability data

Forster & Masters (1996:43)
Problems and Pitfalls
The threats to validity are:
Construct under-representation
ie omission of important given criteria when
assessing the portfolio of work

Construct irrelevant variance
ie use of irrelevant or idiosyncratic criteria not
intended or included in the assessment
guidelines

References
 Arter, J. A, & Spandel, V. (1992) ‘Using Portfolios of
Student Work in Instruction and Assessment’,
Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, Spring,
pp. 36-44.

Forster, M. & Masters, G. (1996) Portfolios, Victoria:
Australian Council for Educational Research.
References

Klenowski, V. (2002) Developing Portfolios
for Learning and Assessment: Processes
and Principles, London: RoutledgeFalmer.