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Portfolios as an alternative way of assessment

Assessment sometimes does not bring the necessary information tachers need about students proficiency. Portfolios as an alternative way of assessment are gaining strength in the field of English language learning. To start applying a portfolio with English language students, it is necessary to know more information about everything around portfolios. The information was selected from various sources and compiled in sections to have an extensive knowledge before trying to use portfolios, and to take more advantage of this evaluation tool.  

This literature review compile information from vary sources, that mentioned and use portfolios as the main theme of the texts. The information was analyzed and selected to take out the most important and relevant information about portfolios, so there are three main sections that mentioned different pieces of information to know about portfolios. Firstly, portfolios as an alternative way of assessment, the second section refers to portfolios merely applied in English language learning, and the third section refers to the different students’ reactions, positive and negative towards the use of portfolios to evaluate them. The three sections were accommodated and complemented each other.

Each of the three sections help to understand the use of portfolios for English language learners, and like this to give a bigger view on the topic, to make portfolios a more famous tool to evaluate students, and decide if the use of alternative ways of assessment, in this case portfolios, can help as an extra or main tool. The decision of use portfolios is individual but the information presented in this literature review is helpful and interesting to know and perceive portfolios as a real option to teach and evaluate English language.

Portfolios as an alternative way of assessment to assess students’ proficiency.

Portfolios started as an alternative form of assessment in the early 90's, and nowadays it has become an innovative way of assessment. The use of portfolio gives us the opportunity to evaluate students in a different way in order to have a different perspective of students work and evidence about their achievements. For several years traditional test; the ones that are scored, just give the opportunity to know the lack or the success of students´ knowledge. The main limitation with traditional exams, as the quizzes, the limitation is that they only shows the knowledge but not the learning process. On the other hand, portfolios can demonstrate all the process by getting evidence and reflecting about the learning process. (Taylor and Francis, 2010)

Relevant evidence of learning process is essential to collect in a portfolio to have good information about students. “The portfolio is not merely a file of course projects and assignments“(Campbell et. 2011, p.4) although it is a collection of memories and stairs to get to a product. The information collected in a portfolio needs to show relevant evidence about the process and growth, according to George(1995), the portfolio focuses in students’ performance and in the acquisition or learning of skills, knowledge and attitude. The necessary information or evidence provided by portfolios to demonstrate the students’ performance must be summative and formative; it means that by selecting key elements to get to some final point or goal.

Opinions in how to carry out a portfolio by students and teacher are a key point to start. Not only, the portfolio content must be organized and decided by teacher in charge but also students can give their opinion about it. This agreement must go through different stages. Firstly, students must understand the purpose of carrying out a portfolio once they understand it, the task will be easier; to accomplish this purpose some questions are recommended for students and teacher to take into account at the beginning of the process: • How do I select times, materials, etc. to reflect what I am learning in this class? • How do I organize and present the items, materials, etc. that I have collected? • How will portfolios be maintained and stored? (Paulson, Paulson and Meyer, 1991).

The information storage is the main answers to these questions which provide teacher and students the way to organize and to give a first view on how the implementation of the portfolio will be. Later on, the selection and collection of items comes, “all selections included in the collection should clearly reflect the criteria and standards identified for evaluation”. (Prince George’s county public schools, n.d.) All the decisions about content are made in this stage; the content can be documents, like final projects. All the data collected must be addressed to a final objective, purpose, or evaluation aim, already made in the previous stage.

The third stage is the reflection upon students’ work; furthermore, reflection must be done by students to give them the opportunity of reflect about their own learning process. Along with using reflections, skills are taking into account too, the fact that students are reflecting on the use of different skills, it is relevant. Reflection it is always necessary to be aware of mistakes and future improvements or improvements already done, so if students are aware of their own learning they will be more in touch with their own assessment, moreover reflections sheets also give teachers a clearer idea of what students are thinking or feeling towards their own assessment and can be more critical with themselves and with the grade obtained. (Prince George’s county public schools, n.d.)

Students’ opinion and the different descriptions or considerations about portfolios, students and teachers are considered as a team in which they work equally and both have the same importance in the evaluation. But also it depends on the type of portfolio, but in general students play an essential role in the alternative ways of assessment moreover in the implementation of portfolios as an alternative way of assessment.

EFL students carrying out a portfolio

Language learning is a process in which many elements are taken into account to evaluate students’ performance. Students go through a process in which they acquire a foreign language, and as Milanovic and Saville (1996) mentioned speeded test are disadvantage for English language students, despite the fact that the author is referring to writing skill in specific, the statement is also applied to students. Learning a language is a long term process in which students must learn new things and correct mistakes they make. A portfolio gives students the opportunity to record information, teager can notice and intervene when necessary upon the work used as evidence, because it can reflect a lot of student’s learning.

English language learners need more detailed feedback of their performance than other types of students. Feedback is also more extensive by using portfolios as an alternative way of assessment. EFL students gain too much from detailed feedback from experts, so they know better their strengths and weaknesses using language. “Experts in authentic assessment assert that knowing what students do, both inside and outside the classroom can provide a clearer indicator of achievement” (Goodman, Goodman & Hood, 1989). There is more information of students work the feedback and consequently the evaluation will be more critical and complete for students’ achievements, improvements or things they must work on. (Solis, n.d.). Mistakes are noticeable when who committed them have evidence to notice and to really look at the mistakes and identify the areas in which they must work on and try to be better next time. This is also better called as reflective thought. “Thus portfolio assessment serves as a diagnostic tool, which provides students with view of their emerging skills to help them become increasingly independent learners”(Mustafa, 2010). Portfolios not just give the whole panorama but also grade student’s ability, which it is, the principal thing to take into account in evaluating students of a foreign language.

English language teachers also take advantage from the use of portfolios “teachers can evaluate the weak or strong points of the method or materials that they use in the learning-teaching process, reconsider their way of teaching and make necessary adjustments”. (Mustafa, 2010). Portfolio not only students can use portfolios as a reflection on their work or performance towards use of language, but also teacher can take advantage of students carrying out a portfolio. Teachers can use portfolios to see if they must change or need to improve about their teaching according to the results obtained by the portfolio evaluation along with the standard test often made by the head teachers. (Mustafa, 2010).

Time is another important factor for EFL students because students who are learning a new language must go throw different learning stages and learn about each one, which is why portfolios are a great tool. Portfolios are built up over extended periods of time and embrace different phases of learning process represented in each piece of work previously selected; in the case of writing skill, it is easier to evaluate and to see the changes or improvements made by the selection of different pieces of work that really shows the problems to improve, being later checked by the teacher or the tutor. (Milanovic and Saville 1996.) The presentation of evidence allows teacher to see the individual progress students make as the time goes by. ( Josten, D. Sluijsmans, D. and Jochems, W., 2010).

Different opinions students have regarding portfolios

Some authors have pointed out the importance of students’ opinion on their own learning process. And we know it is important to know student’s necessities, moreover students’ opinions. There are some studies about the investigation about perception of students of a foreign language regarding the use of portfolios as an alternative way of assessment. Students opinions regarding portfolios seemed to be positive. In the research Implementing electronic speaking portfolios: perceptions of EFLstudents, Heng, and Shao (2009), mentioned advantages and disadvantages students identified after some research done on a group of English language students in a Taiwanese university.  

Advantages of using portfolios are reflected on their performance, and the first advantage identified in the study of Heng, and Shao (2009), it is the identification of weaker areas in speaking skill; the information they stored in the portfolio helped them to identify weak areas in their use of English language. It reflects the importance of good evidence to make students really notice the use of portfolios. The second advantage mentioned in the results, it is that students thanked the additional opportunities of practicing English; that is what happens at the time of using portfolios inside and outside classroom, students can practice more than just going to the classroom and not there. There is also another advantage mentioned in the document and it is more referred to students’ feelings; the third advantage mentioned by students, it is that students feel that portfolios decrease their anxiety at the time of speaking, because the interaction is with a computer with electronic portfolios. (Heng, and Shao, 2009).

There are also some advantages mentioned based on the students perception about using electronic portfolios in English courses. The first of these advantages, “The absence of face-to-face interaction throws shadow on e-portfolio’s utility”. (Heng, and Shao, 2009). In the discussion of how students feel the absence of real practice while they speak, the authors explained that students believe to need that face to face interaction, and in the case of electronic portfolios for speaking, the artifacts are created by students without any interaction with the real life. Secondly, students mentioned almost the same than before, because they mentioned the lack of real practice, they mentioned the opportunity of cheating. In the case of speaking, the process is to record themselves speaking; but some students confessed they sometimes just read what they supposed to record as a natural talk. It is more important, even though students really think that the use of portfolios give them more opportunities to practice, moreover they think these opportunities outside the classroom allow them to cheat as mentioned before in an activity of speaking, so the evidence is not so real. In this study students were also asked to indicate if they prefer common speaking activities or electronic portfolios, and students answered they preferred a combination of both methods, actually they believed that portfolios are helpful but traditional activities should be the primary tool to assess students because it is closer to real life and to use portfolios as an extra tool to evaluate student’s proficiency. (Heng, and Shao, 2009).

The above paragraphs refer to student’s reaction about electronic portfolios to practice speaking, but we know that students and moreover, groups are different and there are also other types of portfolios; that is why more studies have been done, and threw results about students reaction. Martínez (2011), mentioned in her study conclusions that refer more to students feelings towards portfolios. The participants of this study were English language learners in sixth grade in elementary school; it brings a different perception of the use of portfolios. In this case portfolios were physical and the documents kept were final products after activities done in some period of time. (Martínez, 2011).

Students reflect positive attitudes rather than negative reactions. The instruments applied, the focused group and also the reflections sheets give the opportunity to see the different reaction students have towards physical portfolios. In the focused group, teacher asked some questions to obtain students opinions about portfolios. Most of these opinions were positive, indicating that they liked the extra points given for carrying the portfolio but they were also concerned because of the organization of it. Also the responsibility given to this students make them afraid of carrying the portfolio and to not accomplish with all the contents. All the reactions are different because each student has a different perception of things but in general, it is observed that the opinions are more positive than negative. (Martínez, 2011).

Conclusion

In general the use of portfolio as an alternative way of assessment is gaining fame ang it is more and more used by teachers; English language teachers can use portfolios to evaluate students’ proficiency. In this literature review were presented plenty of elements to understand better the use of portfolios and give readers the opportunity to see the different perspectives about the use of portfolio for English language courses.

There were stated three main sections that refer to use of portfolios. The first section was about the portfolio as an alternative way of assessment, in which there is explained general information about this evaluation tool. Secondly, the literature review takes the portfolio to the environment of English language learning; the second section mentioned how portfolios can be useful for English language learners, and how the evidence should be included and what kind of works will be kept. The last section is the one that mentioned the students feelings and perceptions about the use of portfolios; the studies used to collected the information are researches made with two different groups, the ones that mentioned positive and negative reactions and opinions. All the information collected is of big importance to consider using the portfolios and to know more about other option or extra tool to evaluate and make students practice more the language outside the classroom and rewarding them with by grading the evidence presented in the portfolio, hard evidence that will show students’ work.

References

Josten, D. Sluijsmans, D. and Jochems, W. (2010). Assesors Aproches to portfolio assessment in assessment of prior learning procedures. Assessment and evaluation in higher education, 35. pp. 59-74.

Allen, D. and Flippo, R. (2002). Alternative assessment in the preparation of literacy educators: responses from students. Reading psychology, 23. pp. 15-26.

Heng, D. and Shao, A. (2009). Implementing electronic speaking portfolios: perceptions of EFL students. British journal of education technology, 41, 84-88. doi:10.1111

Hamp, L. (2009) Applying ethnical standards to portfolio assessment of writing in English language as a second language. In Milanovic, M. Saville, N. Study on language testing 3: performance testing, cognition and assessment. Cambridge university press

Law, B. and Eckes M. (2007). Presenting the information to stakeholders. In Law, B. and Eckes M. Assessment and ESL: an alternative approach. Portage and main press.

Chriest, A. and Maher J. (n.d). Portfolio assessment. Retrieved from: http://www.pgcps.org/%7Eelc/portfolio.html

Lynch, E. (1988). Portfolio assessment and English language learners: an annotated bibliography. Retrieved from: http://www.lab.brown.edu/pubs/ass_port_ell/portellbib.pdf

Solís, A. (n.d). Portfolios in secondary ESL classroom assessment: bring it all together. Retrieved from: http://www.idra.org/IDRA_Newsletter/November_-_December_1993_Accountability_in_Education/Portfolios_in_Secondary_ESL_Classroom_Assessment%3A_Bringing_it_All_Together/ C

Heng, L. Tood, W. and Wang, X. (2008). Assessment purposes and procedures in ESL/EFL classrooms. Assessment and evaluation in higher education, 33. pp. 9-32.

Martínez, C. (2011). "(action research)" The portfolio as an alternative way of assessment to evaluate students’ proficiency.

References should be alphabetized.

Annotated Bibliographies

Josten, D. Sluijsmans, D. and Jochems, W. (2010). Assesors Aproches to portfolio assessment in assessment of prior learning procedures. Assessment and evaluation in higher education, 35. pp. 59-74.

In this article Josten et al. explores assessment approaches to portfolio assessment. The study was carried out in a open university in Netherland (OUNL), a temple was develop to reflect about the use of portfolios in APL method. The study is focused in adult learners and the temple is focused on the summary of APL application. This article is useful to my research because it is about portfolios as alternative way of assessment to have more evidence of achievements. The main limitation is that the temple designed was not enough for some assessors. The questionnaires showed that assessors need other ways of assessment. It only fits at the time of looking at the importance of alternative assessment as the portfolios are.

Allen, D. and Flippo, R. (2002). Alternative assessment in the preparation of literacy educators: responses from students. Reading psychology, 23. pp. 15-26.

In this article Allen et al. review attitudes and concerns related to the use of alternative assessment in literacy education courses. The participants were literacy students from a southwestern university, using pair, group and self evaluation techniques. This article is useful to my research paper because teachers need to have a positive reaction to use alternative ways of assessment and these authors give us the opportunity to know if some teacher are willing to use this kind of assessment. The principal limitation is the application only in undergraduate teachers. The study shows that self evaluation is the one with most importance among the three. This article could be part of my research because I can include self evaluation as another aspect for the portfolio.

Heng, D. and Shao, A. (2009). Implementing electronic speaking portfolios: perceptions of EFL students. British journal of education technology, 41, 84-88. doi:10.1111

This study intends to use e-portfolios in ESL classroom to practice oral skills with students. The research was done with fifty one sophomores from English conversation classes at a Taiwanese university. This research was aimed to observe the opinions regarding the use of e-portfolios. This article is useful to see how they implement the portfolio and what kind of reflection can be done about it. There are no limitations on the study. The conclusion about the process of collecting the data, gave to the authors clear and concise information about the use of e-portfolios, and they divided into positive and negative aspects and explain each of them. This is the most important article for me, because the results showed are very clear and the authors really explain the usefulness o portfolios. Cambell, D. Bondi, P. Melenyzer, B. Nettles, D. and Wyman, R.(2007). What you need to know about portfolios. In Cambell, D. Bondi, P. Melenyzer, B. Nettles, D. and Wyman, R. How to develop professional portfolios. Pearson and AB.

In this Cambell et al. state he most important aspect to know about portfolios. In this chapters authors give definitions of three different kinds of portfolios, and briefly explain use, organization and evidence a professional portfolio should include. It is important to know first the basic things about a new way of assessment before implementing it. This book is useful for my research, even though my research is with students´ portfolio the content of the chapter can be used for any kind of portfolio. My topic researched will be benefit by his chapters, because it brings to light the basic elements of portfolio, elements that must be taken into account before trying this alternative ways of assessment.

Hamp, L. (2009) Applying ethnical standards to portfolio assessment of writing in English language as a second language. In Milanovic, M. Saville, N. Study on language testing 3: performance testing, cognition and assessment. Cambridge university press.

The authors highlight some background of portfolios, but the most important they show the importance of portfolios in assessment, moreover their use with ESL learners. In this chapter authors explain why to use portfolios, by highlighting other works about portfolios. The importance of this chapter is to to link the portfolios directly with ESL students; this chapter in general will be useful to know the main reasons to use portfolios and which parts of language can be assessed by using portfolios.

Law, B. and Eckes M. (2007). Presenting the information to stakeholders. In Law, B. and Eckes M. Assessment and ESL: an alternative approach. Portage and main press.

The present chapter is about what a portfolio for ESL students should include to have not just a bunch of papers, but a selection of documents that show students’ progress, the purpose and the content of the portfolio are the main aspects to clarify. The implementation of portfolios is for ESL students, that is the main reason why this chapter is relevant, other reason is . It is going to be part of my research because it is clear and states much of the necessary information as a starting point to have clear before and during the implementation of the portfolio with sixth graders.

Chriest, A. and Maher J. (n.d). Portfolio assessment. Retrieved from: http://www.pgcps.org/%7Eelc/portfolio.html

The web site shows the main aspects of portfolios: types, phases of portfolio development and evaluation of portfolios. The information is taken from Maryland School Performance Assessment Program and its effectiveness in the same school. The idea taken by a program already implemented In a school is good; all the elements written down here are being used by real teachers and they are really helping with evaluation. The importance of this web site for my research is useful because of the basic contents and how they link them to a real context. Although it is necessary more information related specifically to use of portfolios with EFL students.

Lynch, E. (1988). Portfolio assessment and English language learners: an annotated bibliography. Retrieved from: http://www.lab.brown.edu/pubs/ass_port_ell/portellbib.pdf

The annotated bibliography retrieved form a website is the author states different bibliographies that talks about alternative assessment and mainly portfolios. The information is concise and works to know about different ways of assessment. The group of all these annotated bibliographies gives a very wide landscape of sources to keep searching information. It is a big summary of a lot of information that I can use on my research and with this website it is easier, because I can really see if the sources work for me or not. This kind of work is very complete and useful to have a path of searching clearer.

Solís, A. (n.d). Portfolios in secondary ESL classroom assessment: bring it all together. Retrieved from: http://www.idra.org/IDRA_Newsletter/November_-_December_1993_Accountability_in_Education/Portfolios_in_Secondary_ESL_Classroom_Assessment%3A_Bringing_it_All_Together/

The author focused the content to bring the use of portfolios into secondary school. The main concepts in portfolio concerns are its definition, use and data that should be included. The focused is secondary learners and how teachers in this educational level can use portfolios. The relevance of this website is to encourage teachers to use alternatives ways of assessment by convincing them of implementing them in their secondary classes. This website is helpful because my research topic is focused of implementing the portfolio, and giving to students and teacher an extra tool to evaluate students´ progress.

Cheng, L. Tood, W. and Wang, X. (2008). Assessment purposes and procedures in ESL/EFL classrooms. Assessment and evaluation in higher education, 33. pp. 9-32.

This article shows a comparative interview study conducted in a range of three ESL/EFL universities in Canada, Hong Kong and China. Cheng et al. want to state the negative and positive aspects and compare the method used in the different universities. The way of obtaining this information is trough interviews with students of each university. This article is important because is primary research, and gives the opportunity of knowing about which methods of assessment are really working and which other not. It research turns into a comparison between alternative and common ways of assessment and the perspective of students towards them.

I don't see Martínez (2011) and resources should be alphabetized.

references

Josten, D. Sluijsmans, D. and Jochems, W. (2010). Assesors Aproches to portfolio assessment in assessment of prior learning procedures. Assessment and evaluation in higher education, 35. pp. 59-74.

Allen, D. and Flippo, R. (2002). Alternative assessment in the preparation of literacy educators: responses from students. Reading psychology, 23. pp. 15-26.

Heng, D. and Shao, A. (2009). Implementing electronic speaking portfolios: perceptions of EFL students. British journal of education technology, 41, 84-88. doi:10.1111

Hamp, L. (2009) Applying ethnical standards to portfolio assessment of writing in English language as a second language. In Milanovic, M. Saville, N. Study on language testing 3: performance testing, cognition and assessment. Cambridge university press

Law, B. and Eckes M. (2007). Presenting the information to stakeholders. In Law, B. and Eckes M. Assessment and ESL: an alternative approach. Portage and main press.

Chriest, A. and Maher J. (n.d). Portfolio assessment. Retrieved from: http://www.pgcps.org/%7Eelc/portfolio.html

Lynch, E. (1988). Portfolio assessment and English language learners: an annotated bibliography. Retrieved from: http://www.lab.brown.edu/pubs/ass_port_ell/portellbib.pdf

Solís, A. (n.d). Portfolios in secondary ESL classroom assessment: bring it all together. Retrieved from: http://www.idra.org/IDRA_Newsletter/November_-_December_1993_Accountability_in_Education/Portfolios_in_Secondary_ESL_Classroom_Assessment%3A_Bringing_it_All_Together/ C

Heng, L. Tood, W., and Wang, X. (2008). Assessment purposes and procedures in ESL/EFL classrooms. Assessment and evaluation in higher education, 33. pp. 9-32.  

Feedback

• Word count 2,547; You references section goes before your annotated bibliography and both are alphabetized.  Work on your introduction, making sure that you state a problem in the first paragraph and that you include a thesis statement in your second paragraph that links to your problem.  The reasons section of your thesis statement will be your topics you cover in each of the three sections of your literature review.  Click here to see some helpful videos.  Link your conclusion to your thesis statement and summarize the main points that you've previously discussed. Remember not to include any new information in your conclusion. Also, discuss future implications and ideas for further research related to your topic.  --Bnleez 16:47, 7 December 2011 (UTC)
• See comments above. --Bnleez 03:43, 30 November 2011 (UTC)
• Add a reference section and add your references as you go along. --Bnleez 13:17, 18 November 2011 (UTC)