Student Portfolios Research Articles

A Portfolio as an Alternative Means of Presenting the University Student’s Achievements

The article defines the objective, the tasks, the functions of the portfolio as an alternative means of presentationof the students’ achievements in higher professional school. Nowadays there is no specified structure of thestudent portfolio, it may vary according to the targets, direction, educational profile and other factors. The paperconsiders the development of the structure of the undergraduate student portfolio. It also describes the principlesof designing a portfolio, the main advantages and disadvantages of using a student portfolio in the universityeducational process. The practical relevance of this article reinforces the presented brief practical advice oncreation a portfolio.

Graduate meets employer – a model for embedding industry professional involvement in the development and assessment of student portfolios

Abstract The benefit of higher education institutions working with industry professionals has received significant attention in literature and policy. Despite this, the challenges in institutions themselves, and the nature of the music industry makes this concept challenging to manage. In response to this, a project was funded by the Higher Education Academy for Coventry University to examine a model for embedding the involvement of industry professionals in the development and assessment of Music Technology student portfolios. This article explains the background, the rationale, realization and outcomes of the project. First, it outlines the issues of employability within music and creative industries courses as reflected in the literature. It then examines the contextual challenges of the music industry and higher education. It continues by describing how the project embedded industry professionals in student portfolio development and assessment. Finally, it outlines the outcomes of the project, its implications and the key risk factors to its implementation in other disciplines and institutions.

Does technology matter?

Electronic portfolio (e-portfolio) systems have the potential to change learning outcomes where student learning is achieved through the process and the final product. However, previous research has identified problems with the technical features of some e-portfolio platforms (Deneen & Brown, 2013), and with the rigidness and complexity of user interface (Shroff, Deneen, & Ng, 2011) that may subvert intended learning goals. These e-portfolios were evaluated since they serve to document the achievement of the Graduating Teacher Standards and to assist in job hunting. A combination of interviews and self-reports on the User Information Satisfaction (UIS) instrument were utilised, along with the Usability Evaluation Method (UEM) to evaluate the usability and learning design of the various technology platforms. An exploration of technology and user characteristics will be factored in to discern the quality of student portfolios and eportfolio systems maturation.

A Study of Multi-Phase Guided Remedial Learning

In Taiwan, courses in the current online learning environment enroll at least 40-100 students, and it is difficult for teachers to manage the learning situation of each student. The proposed system treats learning portfolio, knowledge structure, and ability indicator of students as the key points of learning situations. The system integrates the information into the same framework and interface to acquire overall information of students. The learning activities in the proposed system include three stages: self-learning stage, mutual learning stage and guidance stage. This study adopted Multi-Phase Guided Remedial Learning Strategy in a learning evaluation. The learning evaluation yields positive experimental results. The evaluation shows that the proposed learning activities are effective for students learning.

Using Authentic Assessments to Better Facilitate Teaching and Learning: The Case for Student Portfolios

The debate over how to construct appropriate and meaningful assessments for students of all ages continues to polarize scholars and educators. Various forms of student assessments have been employed in modern classrooms in accordance with varying theoretical perspectives on what “meaningful learning” consists of. Authentic assessments have often been considered productive tools for increasing student engagement, learning, and confidence. One particular form of authentic assessment, student portfolios, can be seen as useful authentic assessments tools when used in certain capacities. This article outlines research on the use of authentic assessments by instructors in the classroom and specifically discusses the use of student portfolios to enhance student learning, creativity, and confidence. The merits of student portfolios as a learning tool are discussed and demonstrated through a specific example of classroom practice.

Suggested Model (Related to the Student Portfolio) Used in Evaluation the Students in University Courses

This study aimed to develop a suggested model related to the student’s portfolio used in evaluating the students in the university courses. After revising the theoretical literature and previous studies, two tools of the study have been constructed: Suggested model related to the student portfolio, and identifying the specifications towards using it in evaluation. After confirming the validity and reliability of the two tools of the study, they were applied to a sample of the study which consisted of (60) students from AlShobak university/Bachelor of Pre-Vocational Education, distributed equally into two groups (control group, and experimental group). To achieve the objectives of the study, two researchers evaluate the students in the course of “Foundations of Education” by using the suggested model of the student’s portfolio to the experimental group, on the other hand, there was an evaluation of the control group students’ educational acquirements in the traditional way, and to answer the questions of the study, both researchers used the averages and standard deviations, did the (T-Test), and did the analysis of unilateral and bilateral variance (ANOVA). The results of the study showed differences of statistical significance between evaluation of students through the suggested model of the student’s portfolio and evaluation in the traditional way in favor of the suggested model. Results also showed positive trend of students towards their evaluation using the suggested model, in addition, results did not show differences statistically significant to students depending on both gender and academic level. The study recommended diversity in using the Authentic Assessment ways, and that would be through evaluation their outcomes, and doing more similar studies on methods and strategies of evaluation to university students.

Validity and Reliability of Portfolio Assessment of Student Competence in Two Dental School Populations: A Four‐Year Study

The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the validity and reliability of portfolio assessment in two U.S. dental schools using a unified framework for validity. In the process of validation, it is not the test that is validated but rather the claims (interpretations and uses) about test scores that are validated. Kane's argument-based validation framework provided the structure for reporting results where validity claims are followed by evidence to support the argument. This multivariate generalizability theory study found that the greatest source of variance was attributable to faculty raters, suggesting that portfolio assessment would benefit from two raters' evaluating each portfolio independently. The results are generally supportive of holistic scoring, but analytical scoring deserves further research. Correlational analyses between student portfolios and traditional measures of student competence and readiness for licensure resulted in significant correlations between portfolios and National Board Dental Examination Part I (r=0.323, p<0.01) and Part II scores (r=0.268, p<0.05) and small and non-significant correlations with grade point average and scores on the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB) exam. It is incumbent upon the users of portfolio assessment to determine if the claims and evidence arguments set forth in this study support the proposed claims for and decisions about portfolio assessment in their respective institutions.

Student Portfolios and the College Admissions Problem

We develop a decentralized Bayesian model of college admissions with two ranked colleges, heterogeneous students, and two realistic match frictions: students find it costly to apply to college, and college evaluations of their applications are uncertain. Students thus face a portfolio choice problem in their application decision, while colleges choose admissions standards that act like market-clearing prices. Enrollment at each college is affected by the standards at the other college through student portfolio reallocation. In equilibrium, student-college sorting may fail: weaker students sometimes apply more aggressively, and the weaker college might impose higher standards. Applying our framework, we analyse affirmative action, showing how it induces minority applicants to construct their application portfolios as if they were majority students of higher caliber.

Writing and Assessing Procedural Rhetoric in Student-produced Video Games

Abstract Adding video games into a writing course opens up possibilities of more widely considering how multimodal texts communicate rhetorically, specifically how the rules and system of a game—its procedurality—offer an additional communication mode that engages a writer to more actively consider how a reader might interact with a work. Asking students to assess and inscribe procedural rhetorics by having them produce video games is a productive pedagogy that fosters positive habits of mind including curiosity, engagement, and creativity. Assessing these games should focus on how students write the procedurality of their games, both its potential and intention to transform. This article offers an introduction to procedural rhetoric and how it can be taught through student-produced video games. These games are then assessed not as products but through a student portfolio of shorter documents that demonstrate student learning through reflective practice involving metacognition, articulation of their own contributions and the contributions of their peers, formative and process assessment, and evaluations of their own and others’ work.

Investigating the Validity of Student’s Portfolio in Classroom Assessment at the First Secondary Class in the Kingdom of Bahrain

This research aimed to investigate the validity of the secondary student's portfolio by utilizing Messick's six-facet unified model of validity (content, structure, generalizability, external, substantive, consequences), as well as exploring teachers’ practices in using student’s portfolio for assessing students' achievement. The research was applied in two secondary schools in Bahrain, one for males and one for females. A random sample of 30 teachers from 130 teachers participated in the study. Two instruments were used: a 20-item questionnaire pertaining to teachers’ classroom assessment practices; and a 22-item form about the content of students' portfolio, with five dimensions. The results revealed that most teachers' assessment practices of the portfolio focused on students' activities and projects. Also, assigning grades to the students was another priority of teachers. Evidence of validity of students' portfolio in assessment according to Messick’s model was found. Inter-correlations ranged between 0.63 to 0.85; and reliability coefficients ranged from 0.84 to 0.92 among the 5 dimensions of the student portfolio. Regarding the generalizability validity, 47% of the variance of students’ scores in the portfolio is attributed to raters’ judgments about the relevance of portfolio components. Moreover, the results indicated evidence of the generalizability validity of the portfolio as depicted in the relationship between students' portfolio scores and students' GPA (r = 0.75) and between students' portfolio and students' scores in the national exam (r = 0.68). The researcher provided suggestions for further research.

Investigating the Validity of Student’s Portfolio in Classroom Assessment at the First Secondary Class in the Kingdom of Bahrain

This research aimed to investigate the validity of the secondary student's portfolio by utilizing Messick's six-facet unified model of validity (content, structure, generalizability, external, substantive, consequences), as well as exploring teachers’ practices in using student’s portfolio for assessing students' achievement. The research was applied in two secondary schools in Bahrain, one for males and one for females. A random sample of 30 teachers from 130 teachers participated in the study. Two instruments were used: a 20-item questionnaire pertaining to teachers’ classroom assessment practices; and a 22-item form about the content of students' portfolio, with five dimensions. The results revealed that most teachers' assessment practices of the portfolio focused on students' activities and projects. Also, assigning grades to the students was another priority of teachers. Evidence of validity of students' portfolio in assessment according to Messick’s model was found. Inter-correlations ranged between 0.63 to 0.85; and reliability coefficients ranged from 0.84 to 0.92 among the 5 dimensions of the student portfolio. Regarding the generalizability validity, 47% of the variance of students’ scores in the portfolio is attributed to raters’ judgments about the relevance of portfolio components. Moreover, the results indicated evidence of the generalizability validity of the portfolio as depicted in the relationship between students' portfolio scores and students' GPA (r = 0.75) and between students' portfolio and students' scores in the national exam (r = 0.68). The researcher provided suggestions for further research.

Investigating the Use of Student Portfolios to Develop Students’ Metacognition in English as a Foreign Language Learning

In this research, it is proposed that student portfolios should be used as a mediated tool in English as a foreign language (EFL) education. It aimed to study to what extend student portfolios could assess and develop students’ metacognition in language learning. A total of 53 Thai secondary students of English were divided into a control and an experimental group. Their attitudes toward language learning were assessed through pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. The students in the experimental group were asked to participate in keeping reflective portfolios, and some of them were chosen to participate in an open-ended interview. The data reveal that the student’s metacognitive beliefs and strategies can be accessed through a written portfolio, though evidence of change in their beliefs and strategies is only limited. The results contribute to the understanding of metacognition development through a mediated tool in language learning, and suggest EFL teachers and language educators to be aware of the importance of metacognition and reflective skills training in order to reach the full potential of the portfolio approach in language learning to be realized.

Using 3D Computer Graphics for Enhancing Graphic Design Student Portfolios

Using 3D Computer Graphics for Enhancing Graphic Design Student Portfolios

공학교육 내실화를 위한 교과목 포트폴리오 사례 연구

최근 대학의 공학교육에서 학생 포트폴리오가 자기주도적 수행평가로 널리 활용되고 있다. 특히 여러 대학의 공학교육혁신센터와 한국공학인증원의 포트폴리오 경진대회를 개최하면서 많은 학생이 대학 전 과정의 수행실적을 담은 학생 포트폴리오에 참여하고 있다. 그러나 공학교육에서 캡스톤디자인 관련 과목을 제외한 정규 교과목에 교과목 포트폴리오를 적용하는 사례는 그리 많지 않은 것이 현실이다. 포트폴리오는 학습 관련 자료의 조직적인 수집과 비판적인 성찰의 기회를 주는 시스템이라 할 수 있다. 본 논문은 이러한 연구 배경으로 교과목 포트폴리오를 공학교육의 일반 정규 강좌인 2013년 1학기 자료구조 교과목에 적용한 사례 연구이다. 교과목 포트폴리오를 정규 교과목에 적용한 결과 교과목 포트폴리오는 학습에 효과적이었으며, 학습자는 학습의 탐구과정을 통하여 자기주도적인 학습능력을 키우고 학습과정에서도 자기 성찰로 학습과정을 체계적으로 관리할 수 있다고 판단된다. Recently student portfolio is widely used as an evaluation method for self-directed performance in engineering education of the university. Especially, as many of the Innovation Centers for Engineering Education and ABEEK held student portfolio competitions, a lot of students in engineering college participate in student portfolio includes the contents and careers of the entire process of university. However, except for courses related to capstone design, there are few regular courses applied to Learning Portfolio in engineering education. Through using Learning Portfolio in courses, students take opportunities of organized collection of learning contents and critical reflection. Under these background study, the regular course in engineering education is may be appropriate for using Learing Portfolio in lecture. In this paper, we present the case study for the Data Structure course opened in the first semester of 2013 which is organized as a Learning Portfolio. According to the results of applying Learning Portfolio to the regular course, it turns out that learners can develope self-directed learning ability in exploring the learning process, and manage a learning process systematically through self-reflection in learning process.

Non-Traditional Methods of Teaching Abstract Algebra

This article reports on techniques of teaching abstract algebra which were developed to achieve multiple student objectives: reasoning and communication skills, deep content knowledge, student engagement, independence, and pride. The approach developed included a complementary combination of inquiry-based learning, individual (not group) homework problems, oral exams, and student portfolios. Students in this class peformed better on the final exam and showed a greater understanding of concepts and proving techniques than students in previous semesters.

Alternative Assessment Portfolios for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: A Case Study

This one-year qualitative study investigated teacher and administrators' beliefs about the process of using alternative assessment portfolios for children with significant intellectual disabilities in a public school setting. Since 2002, many states have designed alternative assessments, but little research exists on the process of alternative assessment systems (AAS) from the perspective and practices of practitioners. The research questions included: What are the different perceptions that surround the issue of portfolio assessment within this particular public school? How do special education teachers construct alternative assessment portfolios for children with intellectual disabilities (ID)? What are the participant perceptions that surround the issue of alternative portfolio assessments? Findings of the study revealed that teachers and administrators saw a disconnect between the intent of the standards and the student learning experience, questioned the authenticity of the AAS and viewed the AAS as thwarting the construction of a meaningful curriculum for students with ID.

IMPLEMENTING ELECTRONIC PORTFOLIOS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS: STEPS AND STUDENT PERCEPTIONS

Over the last two decades, students and teachers, across educational levels and disciplines, have been subject to a variety of school reform efforts. Nevertheless, some instructional practices, such as portfolio assessment, persist and grow in popularity even in the midst of changing educational reform goals and shifting priorities. Teacher education programs have used paper-based portfolios for more than three decades. Recently, institutions have migrated to electronic portfolios since these provide several advantages. Early models of these systems required special technical skills, hardware, or fee-based contracts with service providers. The newest iteration of portfolio platforms are based on social media applications, which are easy to use, free, and customizable. However, the accelerated adoption of social media applications as repositories for student portfolio content has produced several gaps in the literature. Three of these include steps for implementing electronic portfolios in social media platforms, instructional methods for soliciting quality entries from students through questions and prompts, and student perceptions about using social media as a repository for electronic portfolio content. Results from a case study identifying student perceptions of combining social media and electronic portfolios are examined. Future lines of inquiry are discussed.

Data Analysis and Result Computation (DARC) Algorithm for Tertiary Institutions

Tertiary institutions (e.g., Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education) are expected to manage and preserve data of both present and past students. These data include general information about students as well as examination results at any or all stages of studentship. Analysis of student data can be used to inform solutions to a wide variety of educational challenges like exploring group differences, gender representation, ethnic representation, and growth over time. However, data management and examination result computation of large population of students can be rigorous time-consuming and prone to errors. Information management technology offers a comprehensive portfolio of students’ academic record to be available in real-time to students and professionals. That a comprehensive solution for use in many tertiary institutions is not yet common presents a unique opportunity for researchers to help shape the future of this technology. We introduce a Fortran algorithm for Data Analysis and Result Computation (DARC). The algorithm analyzes student data as well as computes examination results of all students in a department at once. DARC reads particular spreadsheet formats of students’ information data, semester scores and previous academic records, after which it outputs, among others, analysis of students information, comprehensive result format for students showing grade point averages(GPA) and updated cumulative grade point averages (CGPA), summary of academic records including log of carry over courses, log of carry over courses that have been cleared, log of outstanding courses and log of outstanding courses that have been cleared. Using synthetic record of some students, we validate the reliability of the algorithm by conducting accuracy tests. The algorithm is flexible and can be suitably modified to manage and preserve academic and general records of both present and past students in any tertiary institution.

Comprehensive Education Portfolio With a Career Focus

There are many types of student portfolios used within academia: the prior learning portfolio, credentialing portfolio, developmental portfolio, capstone portfolio, individual course portfolio, and...

Analysis of pre-clinical student narratives- progress in assessment of ACGME competencies

Pre-clinical exposure to patients provides opportunities for medical students to display competencies which may be expressed in reflective narratives. Geriatric education experts used qualitative consensus methods to identify themes expressed in second year medical student narratives which were mapped to ACGME Core Competencies. Concept searches operationalizing these same competencies were created from USMLS medical subject headings and applied to the electronic medical student portfolios. Concept mapping compared poorly by face validity to qualitative consensus methodology in identifying competencies and issues of context displayed by student narratives. Assessment of electronic portfolios for ACGME Core Competencies may have to await more robust vocabulary to create concept identifiers capable of responding to issues of context for competencies such as ACGME Core Competencies reflecting sociologic and anthropologic content.