Portfolios for Assessment

Division of Lifelong Learning

What is a portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of student work that exhibits the student’s progress and achievements. Portfolios can be a powerful tool to use in program assessment by bringing students in as active participants in the learning and assessment processes. Students are asked to demonstrate their knowledge with respect to the program learning outcomes and therefore have an opportunity to become more engaged with the learning outcomes of their program.

Portfolios can also provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their learning. For example, they may be asked to assess their own work using a rubric provided by faculty. In a case where students are asked to assess their own work, faculty would do the same and foster a conversation about how their scores were similar or different.

If your program…

Has a flexible curriculum (few or no core courses and/or no thesis)…

OR

Is looking for a new, authentic way for students to demonstrate their learning…

Then portfolios might be an option for you!

Advantages

1. Can help identify curriculum gaps or lack of alignment to learning outcomes.
2. Encourages students to understand their learning and reflect on what they have and haven’t learned.
3. Encourages students to take ownership of their learning and progress.
4. In some cases, portfolios provide students with material for job applications.
5. Enables faculty conversation over examples of different student work.

Davis, M.H. & Ponnamperuma, G.G., 2005. Portfolio Assessment. AAVMC.

Disadvantages

1. Setting up a portfolio will take extra time from both the faculty and the students; training before the implementation of a portfolio is critical to its success.
2. Encouraging student involvement or motivation may be challenging in some programs.

Using Rubrics to Assess Portfolios

The validity and reliability of portfolios are greatly enhanced through the use of rubrics. Once identified, faculty who will be assessing portfolios are encouraged to design a comprehensive rubric to establish uniformity. Sharing the rubric with students is an important step that encourages their participation and understanding in the portfolio process.

Below you can find examples of rubrics from other institutions:

Frequently Asked Questions

The first step in motivating students to engage in portfolio assessment is sharing the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) so the students know their expectations from the beginning. Faculty are encouraged to share PLOs at the start of every course (or core courses) and engage in a discussion about these expectations. Clarify the portfolio’s purpose: why do you want your students to create a portfolio? How will it help them reach the learning outcomes of the program?

Studies have shown that students who completed portfolio assessment felt:

  • that portfolio building enhanced their knowledge of course and program outcomes
  • the process enabled reflection on their work
  • they appreciated faculty taking the time to become familiar with their work and provide feedback3

In some programs, a portfolio may be useful to students after they graduate when they are applying for jobs. A strong portfolio might put them ahead of the curve, and therefore may be an incentive for student participation.

Every student should be asked to build a portfolio when incorporating this into an assessment plan. However, when it comes time to complete an annual or 3-year report, using a random selection of student portfolios might be more manageable for the assessment committee.

Portfolios are most useful in long-term assessment plans as they take time to assemble and each portfolio should grow alongside the student’s academic career. Portfolios should be regularly assessed and feedback given to the students, therefore making sure there is enough faculty to take on portfolio assessment is critical.

Start small! Consider trying a small-scale portfolio of one or two assignments, or a course portfolio before attempting a program-wide portfolio.5

Suggested Steps:

  1. Decide on your purpose for the portfolio and how the results will inform your program policies.
  2. Choose which learning outcomes will be addressed in the portfolio.
  3. Decide what artifacts students will include in their portfolio; research, essays, resumes, self-reflection, etc.
  4. Develop a scoring criteria or rubric with the faculty that will be involved in assessment.
  5. Gather examples and give students instructions on how to collect and assemble their portfolios. This is where a student’s understanding of the PLOs and expectations will be very useful.4

General Portfolio Resources

  1. Portfolio Assessment (Lessons from experience, questions, advantages)
  2. Student perceptions on portfolio assessment at the University of Dundee Medical School.
  3. Rubric and portfolio planning, implementation, and results across two different schools.
  4. University of Manoa’s portfolio planning and questions.
  5. The Power and Utility of Reflective Learning Portfolios, Minnesota State University

Resources Specific to Graduate Programs