MODULE 3: PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT METHODS

Time Frame: 6 Hours

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, the students are expected to:
1. define a portfolio;
2. determine the purposes and characteristics of a portfolio;
3. identify the types of portfolio;
4. identify the elements of portfolio; and
5. identify the steps in developing and evaluating portfolio assessment in the classroom.

ENGAGE

Welcome students to the third module of this course.

In the previous module, you have learned more concepts on process- and product-
oriented performance-based assessment. It also discussed the different competencies in each
performance-based assessment and on how to set correct criteria in order to evaluate the
process or product.
In this module, you will learn the essential characteristics of portfolio as it examines the
principles, purposes, types, and elements needed for its effective planning as an assessment
tool. More so, this module will also describe the processes in planning and implementing
portfolio assessment in the classroom.

EXPLORE

ACTIVITY 1: My Acronym
Directions: Make an acronym base on what you have read or heard about portfolio and
answer the process questions.
P-
O-
R-
T-
F-
O-
L-
I-
O–

Process Questions:
1. What is a portfolio?

2. What are the things included in a portfolio?

3. What are the reasons for doing a portfolio?

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 EXPLAIN

Introduction
The practice of developing portfolio has been widely used in a number of fields for many
years such as in architecture, advertising, art, and photography. This includes the person’s best
work. In the field of education, portfolio has become widely used in the basic and tertiary level,
which is utilized as one of the many procedures for formally assessing the students. It has
become very useful in developing creativity and talents of the students, allowing them to support
the claim that have achieved learning outcomes.

Purposes and Characteristics

Portfolio is a systematic process and purposeful collection of student work to document
the student learning progress, efforts, and achievement towards the attainment of learning
outcome. The following are the purposes, characteristics, and reasons for using portfolio
assessment:
1. Portfolio Assessment Matches Assessment Of Teaching.
The final outputs to be assessed are products of classroom discussions and classroom
work and are not simple diversions from the tedium of classroom activities.
2. Portfolio Assessment Has A Clear Goals. In Fact, They Are Decided On The Beginning
Of Instruction And Are Clear To Teacher And Student Alike.
In cognitive testing the objectives are set at the beginning but the actual items may or
may not reflect achievement of such objectives. In portfolio assessment however the
students control the items to be included and therefore are assured that the goals are
achieved.
3. Portfolio Assessment Gives A Profile Of A Learner Abilities In Term Of Depth, Breadth,
And Growth.
Portfolio assessment enable the students to demonstrate quality work done without
pressure and constraints of time presents in traditional testing through the help of
resource.
4. Portfolio Assessment Is A Tool For Assessing A Variety Of Skills Not Normally Testable
In A Single Setting For Traditional Testing.
The portfolio can show written, oral and graphics output of students in a variety of way
which demonstrate skills developed by students.
5. Portfolio Assessment Develops Awareness Of Own Learning Students.
Students have to reflect on their own progress and the quality of their work in relation to
known goals. This is achieved at each stage of the progress since the students
continually refer to the set of goals and objectives set at the beginning.
6. Portfolio Assessment Caters To Individuals In A Heterogeneous Class.
Such a flexibility is attributed to the fact that Portfolio Assessment is open-ended so that
students can demonstrate their abilities on their own level and caters to differential
learning styles and expression of varying strengths.

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 7. Portfolio Assessment Develops Social Skills. Students Interact With Other Students In
The Development Of Their Own Portfolios. Sometimes they are assessed on work done
in groups or in pairs so that they necessarily have to interact band collaborate to
complete the tasks.
8. Portfolio Assessment Develops Independent And Active Learners.
Students must select and justify portfolio choices monitor progress and set learning
goals. Traditional testing cannot achievement this educational objective no matter how
skilfully the tests are constructed.
9. Portfolio Assessment Can Improve Motivation For Learning And Thus Achievement.
When students are empowered to prove their own achievement and worth they become
highly motivated to pursue the learning tasks. It is when they lose this feeling of
empowerment that they feel inadequate and become less motivated as in traditional
classroom setting.
10. Portfolio Assessment Provides Opportunity For Student-Teacher Dialogue.
It enables the teacher to get to know every student .Moreover, Portfolio Assessment
promotes joint goal-setting and negotiation of grades which can never happen in
traditional setting.

Differences in Assessment Outcomes between Portfolios

and Standardized Testing Practices (Popham,2011)

Portfolio Testing
Represents the range of reading and writing Assesses students across a limited range of
students are engage in reading and writing assignments which may not
match what students do
Engages students in assessing their progress Mechanically score or scored by teachers who
and/or accomplishments and establishing have little input
ongoing learning goals
Measure each student’s achievement while Assesses all students on the same dimension
allowing for individual differences between
students
Represent a collaborative approach to Assessment process is not collaborative
assessment
Has a goal of student self-assessment Student assessment is not a goal
Addresses improvement, effort, and Addresses achievement only
achievement
Links assessment and teaching to learning Separates learning, testing, and teaching

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Types of Portfolio
There are different types of portfolios you will encounter on assessing the performance
approach in your classroom. This is depending on the purpose and context of the portfolio which
are aligned to the learning competencies of the course of study. The following are the emerging
types of portfolio used in the teaching and learning assessment.
1. Showcase Portfolio
 This shows the best of the students’ best work.
 This is based on the students’ personal criteria rather than the criteria of the teacher.
 Students select their best work and reflect thoughtfully on its quality.
2. Documentation Portfolio
 Displays changes and accomplishments related to academic performance over time
 Provides evidence about the student growth which also provides meaningful
opportunities for self-evaluation of the students
3. Process Portfolio
 Show the steps and/or the results of a completed project or task as the primary goal
of this portfolio
 Very useful because the final product would not always be the center of the portfolio
4. Product Portfolio
 Similar to the process portfolio except that its focus is on the end product rather than
on the process.
 There is a little or no information about the steps that was used in crafting the product
5. Standard-Based Portfolio
 Collects evidence that links student achievement to particular learning standards
 Focuses on specific standards that are predetermined by the teacher
Elements of Portfolio
The content of the portfolio may be determined by the students who decide what to
include in their portfolio; the cooperative learning group, their classmates who can recommend
what to include in the portfolio; and the teacher, school or division who can specify work
samples and components to be included in the portfolio. But generally, portfolio has its distinct
elements which are expected and included from the outputs of the students, viz:
1. Cover Sheet. This creatively includes the nature of the student’s (or group’s) work and
could be in a form of a letter. It also reflects the progress of the learners as it
summarizes the evidence of student’s learning and progress. The table below shows a
sample of portfolio cover sheet.
Final Portfolio
Name/Group: Date:
Grade/Year Level: Section:
Subject/Course:
Purpose:
Type of Portfolio:
Entries Scores Comments/Suggestions
1.
2.
Total Grade

Recommendations:

Suggested Future Goals:

Final Portfolio Grade: Evaluator:

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 2. Table of Contents. This includes the title of each work sample and its page number.
3. Work Samples. These are entries which are to be included in the portfolio which can be
categorized as core (needed to include) and optional (student’s preference to include). It
must include the rationale, explaining what work sample are included, why each one is
significant, and how they all fit together in a holistic vied of the student’s work.
4. Dates of all sample works to facilitate evidence of growth overtime.
5. Drafts of the written products, or even the seminal attempts in writing the write ups for
the portfolio and the revised version based on the corrected versions.
6. Self-assessment. This is written by the student or the group members which could be in
terms of self-reflection and analysis or a form of insights.
7. Future goals. This is based on the student’s current achievements, interest, and
progress.
8. Other’s comment and assessments. This may came from the teacher, cooperative
learning groups, and other interested parties such as the parents.
Steps for Developing Portfolio Assessment
Designing a portfolio assessment requires some advance and careful planning. It begins
with a clear idea about the purpose of the assessment. The following steps provide a general
directions for developing portfolio assessment.
1. Identify the Overall Purpose and Focus
 Provide a clear description of the purpose and focus of the portfolio
2. Identify the Physical Structure
 Provide a clear directions on the physical appearance of the portfolio to
be submitted
3. Determine the Appropriate Organization and Sources of Content
 Provide guidelines of the correct entries to be included in the portfolio
4. Determine Student Reflection Guidelines
 Provide guidelines to help the students self-reflect along the way
5. Identify and Evaluate Scoring Criteria
 Provide a set of criteria to be used in evaluating the portfolio of the students
6. Communicate the Result of Portfolio Evaluation
 Conduct a conference with each student to review its content, the student’s
reflection, and assessment of individual output
(Note: A sample will be uploaded in the Group Page)

Portfolio Evaluation
 Student Evaluation
One advantage of portfolio assessment is allowing the student revisit, reflect, and
evaluate their own work. This allows them to practice critiquing and conceptualizing the
quality of their work based on the criteria performance.

 Teacher Evaluation
Evaluating a portfolio involves making judgments about students’ outputs. The teacher
can use numerical scores to summarize judgment or qualitative system. As a rule of
thumb, it is important to remember that the purpose of portfolio is to assess the students’
outcomes of the instructional goals.

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  Student-Teacher Conference
As mentioned in the steps in developing portfolio assessment, the final steps is to
conduct a conference with each student to review the contents, reflections, and
evaluation. It should be scheduled throughout the year by the teacher or the students
can be responsible in conducting the conference. This provides also an excellent means
of communicating with parents. After the portfolios are complete, it is a good idea to
have an exhibition of portfolios and/or student-led parent-teacher conferences, in which
student’s present their portfolios to their parents.

ELABORATE

ACTIVITY 2: Eliciting HOTS

A. Directions: Answer the questions that follow.

1. After graduating, you plan to apply for a teaching position in a reputable school and one of the
requirements is for you to construct a teaching portfolio that will show your qualifications for
the position being applied for. What evidence (performance or product) will you include in
your portfolio? Explain your answer.

2. Discuss the concepts of designing and evaluating portfolio assessment in the situation that
follows.

As a Grade 7 teacher, Ms. Joan has decided to implement a science portfolio in her class.
She believes that portfolio increases students’ learning and encourages students to become
more reflective learner and develops skills in evaluating strengths and weaknesses of their
work. She provides clear books for the students and tells them that they need to put all their
activities and examinations in it. Moreover, she kept on reminding her students that they will
discuss the content of the portfolio. Was the plan properly implemented an adequate? Is the
plan consistent with the principle of designing a portfolio? What else does she need to
improve her implementation?

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 EVALUATE

ACTIVITY 3: Developing Portfolio Assessment

Directions: Choose a topic of interest and devise a portfolio. Follow the steps for planning and
developing portfolio assessment. Prepare a report describing the portfolio system
you designed with a rubric.
Topic: Grade Level:

Learning Targets :
(From the Curriculum Guide)

Steps Actual

Closure:
In this module, you have learned one of the commonly used assessment, the portfolio
assessment. You have learned its definition, purposes, types, elements and the steps in
developing and evaluating the portfolio. You have to remember that a portfolio assessment must
be given to carry out its right purpose. If you tend to give a portfolio assessment, you have to set
this ahead of time so that the students can carefully collect and keep their outputs. You need to
give your expectations on what the students need to prepare for such assessment. Make sure
that a carefully-made guidelines and rubrics must be provided to keep the students aware of the
things to be done. Keep your pace up and whenever possible, consult the teacher in times of
difficulty. The journey is still long and I hope that you will always be on track.