STUDENT PORTFOLIOS
Definition:
A student portfolio, compiled by a student and/or instructor, is a purposeful selection of samples
of student work, in a single discipline, or multiple disciplines, accumulated throughout an assessment
period. Rubrics, which are developed to reflect the goals of the institution, are used to assess the work in
the portfolio. Purposeful is emphasized, because, without a clearly identifiable purpose, a portfolio will be
a mere accumulation of products to be stored in a file cabinet.
Examples:
A writing portfolio could include writing samples demonstrating growth in critical thinking,
interdisciplinary thinking, an unsatisfying piece, and a favorite piece selected by the student. It might also
include a student’s reflection describing his or her experience as a writer.
Costs:
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Time for scoring and grading
Clerical support
Storage
Time to review results and make improvement decisions
Training
Advantages:
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Provides documented evidence as to how effectively the college is meeting the educational needs
of students.
Can be linked to programmatic learning objectives.
Offers students unique opportunities for self-assessment and reflection on their educational
experiences and growth at the college.
Provides a longitudinal view of learning and development.
May be used in cross-disciplinary assessment.
May be used by the student to show to potential employers.
Institution and faculty have control over the design, context, format, and analysis that can provide
authentic, direct measures of institution-specific student learning outcomes.
Samples in a portfolio may reflect, more genuinely than test results, student ability as it relates to
common work setting situations.
The process of creating a portfolio assessment program, along with the evaluation and scoring
offers ample opportunity for faculty exchange, professional growth and discussion of curricular
goals and objectives.
Minimal time commitment for students since a separate assessment instrument isn’t necessary.
No test anxiety on the part of the student.
If student is responsible for selection of samples, then student participation is increased in the
assessment process.
Results can be meaningful at many levels (the individual student’s, the program or institution).
Allows assessment students’ maximum performance over the more artificial or restrictive
measures of a test or in-class performance.
Can be more accommodating to learning style differences.
Portrays the process by which students produce work, not just the final product.
Are flexible in that the content can be chosen to reflect the needs of the student, the course, the
program or the institution.
Helps students reflect on the bigger picture, that is, how all the classes taken and extra-curricular
activities contribute to a well-rounded education.
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Contributes to students’ lifelong learning, as well as teachers if they, in turn develop teacher
portfolios.
Disadvantages:
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Commitment of both staff and financial resources.
o With institutional support, portfolio assessment requires a great deal of time and effort on
the part of the evaluators.
o Collecting, scoring and establishing valid scoring rubrics is challenging.
Without careful planning, results are often disappointing.
Faculty may consider portfolios intrusive.
Resistance to allowing students to select content
Longitudinal nature can prolong program improvement
May not provide for externality.
Faculty may be concerned there is a hidden agenda of validating their grading if the samples
which are included were also submitted for course grades.
There are potential security concerns of how to be certain the submitted student samples are their
own work.
Storage space considerations.
Potential confidentiality breeches if not managed well.
There exists very little hard evidence that demonstrates the impact of portfolios on student
learning, most is anecdotal.
Implementation Suggestions:
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The design, implementation and analysis of the data must be carefully thought through before
adopting portfolios for assessment. Questions which must be asked:
o What are the focus and scope of the assessment?
o Which learning objectives will be measured?
o What is the role of faculty and students?
o Which format, electronic or paper, should be used?
o How will the portfolios be assessed?
o Who is going to be responsible for analysis of data?
o What mechanisms are in place to evaluate the data?
o How will the results be linked to the curriculum and impact change?
Protocols/rubrics should be universal for the department, course, etc., being assessed to enable
comparative data.
Set priorities. It may not be feasible to assess every outcome using a portfolio. Decide at the
outset which learning outcomes are to be assessed and why.
The process should reinforce and be aligned with the educational process.
Decide when and by whom items in the portfolio will be selected.
Develop a feedback mechanism.
Involve students in meaningful ways; be clear what’s in it for them.
Develop a plan to evaluate the portfolios
Decide who owns the portfolios and who will have access to them.
Be aware that portfolios are a means to an end, not an end themselves.
Use portfolios as part of a course requirement. This works especially well if a capstone-type
course is available.
May be more manageable if a random, representative sample of student portfolios is assessed
rather than all students in a cohort. This may save time, but may have its own set of problems.
Have more than one rater for each portfolio. Pilot to establish inter-rater reliability.
Train raters.
Be aware that portfolios in which samples are selected by students represent the student’s best
work.
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Cross-validate portfolio products with more controlled student work samples, such as in-class
tests, writing, and reports for increased validity and security.
May work best as an optional project rather than a graduation requirement. If required, students
may resent the process as extra work, and therefore not benefit.
Recommendation:
Developing portfolios of any kind would be very ambitious. This method would be useful for
individual faculty who want to track the progress of students in a one semester class.
It would be possible to move toward course, program and/or institutional portfolios, further down
the road in our assessment timeline after we have to put a great deal of thought into the design and
development, In the future we may be able to use some of the artifacts from other assessment methods as
the foundation for a portfolio approach.
Bibliography/Resources:
The Portfolio Clearinghouse <http://www.aahe.org/teaching/portfolio_db.htm>
“Assessment of Learning: Student Porfolios” Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction.
<http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/ae0/al_stufolio.html>
Arter, Judith A., et. al. “Portfolios for Assessment and Instruction.” ERIC Clearinghouse on
Counseling and Student Services. ED388890. 1995.
<http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed388890.html>
Pennipede, Barbara. “Portfolios as an Assessment Tool.” Focus on Learning: Practical Ways to Succeed
in a New Environment: Three Day Faculty Institute at Pace University. May 29-31, 2002.
<http://www.pace.edu/cit/focus/DAYTHREE/PORTFOLIOS-FACULTY%20INSTITUTE%20%20Barbara%20Pennipede.pdf>
Rogers, Gloria and Julia Williams. (2002) “Portfolios: Proceed with Caution,” A Collection of
Papers on Self-Study and Institutional Improvement. Chicago: The Higher
Learning Commission.
San Diego State University’s Liberal Studies Portfolio requirement:
<http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/libst/portfolio.html>
Van Kollenburg, Susan E., ed. A Collection of Papers on Self-Study and Institutional Improvement:
Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the North Central Association: Engaging the Future:
Vision, Values, and Validation in the New Educational Marketplace. Chicago, The Higher
Learning Commission. 2002.