Assessment

Arts teachers will be familiar with using portfolios, usually as their main form of assessment, but other subject areas can be wary of alternative assessment techniques, such as portfolios. However, research shows the benefits of this style of assessment.

Meta-research by Valentina Klenowski and Claire Wyatt-Smith of 35 studies on the use of portfolios for assessment found that portfolios can promote deeper learning, encourage reflection, provide a more comprehensive view of student progress and enhance student engagement and motivation. They can be used for formative and summative assessment, and can be tailored to fit different learning contexts and purposes. The researchers also noted that the use of portfolios requires careful planning and implementation to ensure validity and reliability (Klenowski, V., & Wyatt-Smith, C. (2014).

In the constructivist pedagogy of the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, students can construct and acquire their knowledge and understanding through collaboration, problem-solving and consideration of prior learning (Baki, 1994). A wider range of assessments is necessary to gauge students' skills in areas such as open-ended problem-solving, critical thinking and application of knowledge to new problems. Constructivist epistemology also requires the assessment of both individual and group performance during the learning process (Shepard, 2000).

The IB programme uses different assessments to help students learn, including written, oral and demonstration formats. The goal is to determine what students understand and what they don't. Portfolios are recommended as an alternative assessment. They provide more reliable and dynamic data about students for teachers, parents and students themselves (Birgin, 2003; De Fina, 1992; Gussie, 1998; Micklo, 1997; Mumme, 1991; Norman, 1998). Using portfolios as evidence helps teachers identify areas for improvement and plan their teaching (Scherba de Valenzuela, 2002).

Student portfolios are collections of a student's work and related materials that allow focus on accomplishments and activities. They can be process portfolios, which document the learning stages, or product portfolios, which demonstrate mastery of learning objectives (Scherba de Valenzuela, 2002).

It's important to explain to students that portfolios are not just collections of previous assessments, but a way to gather information for a meaningful purpose.