Portfolios are a fairly popular tool for assessment and also
of learning. Many subject areas use this as a tool for presenting learning as
it takes place. In the recent years, most professionals (particularly in the
health and social care sector) are expected to keep a portfolio to prove their continuing
professional development and therefore fitness for registration to the
professional body and to practice the profession.
The students learn the skills of portfolio development while
undertaking professional courses. Indeed some pre university courses and
further education courses also include portfolio development. The tools I have
identified in my earlier blogs – Learning Contract, Concept Map and Mind Map –
could be included in the portfolio. Indeed the Learning Contract could be used
as a framework for the development of the portfolio content.
An extract from –
Williams, M., 2003, ‘Assessment of portfolios in
professional education’, Nursing Standard 18(8): 33-37.
“In view of the need
to integrate theory and practice, assessment must relate to the monitoring of
learners' mastery of a curriculum. According to Harris et al (2001) an
educational portfolio is ‘a collection of, record or set of material or
evidence that gives a picture of an individual’s experience in an educational
or developmental situation’ (pp 278). Using portfolio as a tool can enhance the
assessment process by revealing a depth and breadth of a range of skills and
understandings on the part of the learner; support learning outcomes; reflect
change and growth over a period of time; encourage reflection; and provide for
continuity in education (Kemp and Toperoff 1998).
A portfolio can be
defined as ". . . a systematic and organized collection of evidence used
by the teacher and student to monitor growth of the student's knowledge,
skills, and attitudes in a specific subject area. It must include student
participation in selecting contents, the criteria for selection, the criteria
for judging merit, and evidence of student self-reflection . . . (therefore, it
is) a purposeful, collaborative, self-reflective collection of student work
generated during the process of instruction" (San Diego County Office of
Education 1997). Consequently as Marsh and Lasky (1984) suggest they will
provide evidence of the concepts and principles being applied in practice,
supporting the integration of theory and practice (Harris et al, 2001).
A portfolio can be
described as a systematic and organized collection of evidence to monitor
growth of the student's knowledge, skills, and attitudes in a relation to
specific learning outcomes. Student generally participates in selecting the
content, the criteria for selection and for judging merit, as well as evidence
of reflection related to learning. Therefore, it is a purposeful,
collaborative, self-reflective collection of student’s work generated during
the process of instruction and can be presented for assessment. Consequently as
Marsh and Lasky (1984) suggest it will provide evidence of the concepts and
principles being applied in practice, supporting the integration of theory and
practice (Harris et al, 2001).
Portfolios can consist
of a wide variety of materials: classroom notes, student self-reflections,
learning logs, sample journal pages or literature reviews, written summaries,
audiotapes, videotapes of group projects, reflective diary, evidence of work
carried out, witness testimonies and so forth (Valencia, 1990). However, a
portfolio is not just random collection of information or student products; but
is systematic in that information included relates to the learning outcomes.
For example, reflective diary kept by learners over a period of time can serve
as a reflection of the degree to which they are building positive professional
attitudes, knowledge and skills, one of the crucial benefits of using a
portfolio according to Harris et al (2001). Portfolios are multifaceted and
begin to reflect the complex nature of professional practice especially in
health care. Since the portfolio is developed over time, it serves as a record
of growth and progress as commented by some of the students and the supervisors
within the study. By asking learners to construct meaning from literature and
their own practice, their level of development can be assessed against set
standards (Lamme & Hysmith, 1991, Bruce & Middleton 1999).
While there are
various methods of portfolio development, majority of research and literature
on portfolios emphasize (according to Kemp & Toperoff 1998) that a
portfolio needs to clearly reflect learning outcomes identified in the
curriculum that learners are expected to study. It must focus upon
performance-based learning experiences as well as the acquisition of key
knowledge, skills, and attitudes. It should contain samples of work from the
entire time of study, rather than single points in time. It is a composite of a
variety of different assessment tools with inclusions and evaluations of that
work by the learner, peers, mentors and teachers.”
Resources
Fernsten, L. & Fernsten, J., 2005, Portfolio assessment
and reflection: enhancing learning through effective practice, Reflective
Practice, 6 (2): 303 – 309.
Lewis, K.O. & Baker, R. C., 2007, The Development of an
Electronic Educational Portfolio: An outline for Medical Education
Professionals, Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 19 (2): 139 – 147.
Grant, A. J., Vermunt, J. D., Kinnersley, P. & Houston,
H., 2007, Exploring
students' perceptions on the use of significant event analysis, as part of a
portfolio assessment process in general practice, as a tool for learning how to
use reflection in learning, BMC Medical Education. (Online article)
McCready, T., 2007, Portfolio and the assessment of
competence in nursing: A literature review, International Journal of Nursing
Studies, 44 (1): 143 – 151.
Liu, E. Z., 2007, Developing a personal and group-based
learning portfolio system, British Journal of Educational Technology, 38 (6):
1117 – 1121.
Davis, M. H., Gominda, G. & Ponnamperuma, J.S., 2009, Student
perceptions of a portfolio assessment process, Medical Education, 43 (1):
88 – 98.
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