The Course Portfolio as a Tool for Continuous Improvement of Teaching and Learning (original) (raw)

Course portfolios: a systematic mechanism to document teaching and learning

1998

Many creative and effective teaching strategies are forgotten or misplaced between semesters, only to be learned anew in subsequent semesters or lost forever. Beginning in September 1997, the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering linked its efforts to strengthen undergraduate education with a project designed to help teaching assistants become better instructors. This project, called a course portfolio, is a formal mechanism that documents and shares course-specific teaching information among teaching assistants and faculty. Course portfolio components include a repository of knowledge, instructor reflections, and critical analyses of activities. Instructors representing all ten departments in the College of Engineering have created course portfolios, and the project continues to expand and improve.

Portfolios in higher education: an opportunity to rethink teaching

2011

Preface It was exactly thirteen years ago when I visited the College of Education of the University of Vermont at Burlington trying to find out what the concept of portfolio really was. At that time, the literature available was rather scarce and it was quite difficult to understand the extent of this system once applied in the university teaching. Being below-20·C did not stop us from warmly welcome such a challenging initiative. In that occasion, we could see how portfolios were being developed and implemented in various contexts and at diverse levels (i.e. university, school and professional world) and also aiming at different goals (studies final project accredi-tation, job search, subject's passing mark, etc). Thereby, I had the chance to really assess in full detail all the complexity a portfolio comprises. I would maybe add that from then on and, always from my point of view, there has never been any other teaching and learning aid as suggestive and innovation enhancer as...

A research experience using portfolios for assessing college teaching

In this article, we use the findings of a study conducted in a university in the southeast of Mexico to examine strengths and limitations of portfolios to assess formatively the quality of teaching. The research is part of the study: Model for the Development and Evaluation of Academic Competencies, involving researchers from six Mexican universities. Findings of the study indicate that the use of portfolio allowed faculty members to collect evidence of the quality of their work, analyze their classroom instruction and began to involve in a dialogue for improving teaching.

The Learning Portfolio in Higher Education: A Game of Snakes and Ladders "

The ‘learning portfolio’ is often lauded as a powerful pedagogical tool and, consequently, is rapidly becoming a central feature of contemporary education. This report synthesizes and critically reviews the literature pertaining to its use in universities and higher education institutions specifically. In these contexts, learning portfolios are typically used with the dual intention of (i) encouraging critically self-reflective lifelong learning and (ii) gathering evidence of broad skills and competencies that may enhance future employment prospects. Although the theory underlying the use of learning portfolios is promising, robust empirical evidence supporting their effectiveness remains sparse. A large proportion of the literature published on the topic has either been purely theoretical in nature, or has focused on the technological platforms used to support learning portfolio construction. Of the few studies reporting outcomes of learning portfolio use, the vast majority have done so solely in terms of selfreported attitudes and perceptions of stakeholders, as opposed to achievement data or demonstrable competencies. Moreover, almost all of these studies have been conducted over relatively short periods of time. One clear message emerging from the extant literature is that simply requiring students to use learning portfolios will not necessarily foster the desired outcomes. The tool is rooted in a complex pedagogy, and its potential can only be realised if the processes underlying this pedagogy (e.g. reflection) are properly understood by advocates and executed by users. In addition, there is recurring tension between the developmental (process) and evaluative (product) conceptualizations of the learning portfolio, and this may be further aggravated by recent attempts to integrate digital badging within the tool. Overall, a definitive understanding of how best to implement learning portfolios in higher education has not yet been reached. As such, current attempts to implement portfolios on a university-wide basis may be somewhat premature. Success and sustainability may be possible, but will require extensive planning and preparation, and a substantial commitment from all stakeholders involved. If this is not the case, the experience is in danger of becoming, as Joyes, Gray and Hartnell-Young (2010, p.493) described, “like a game of snakes and ladders, where initial rapid progress can suffer major setbacks due to a poo

At the Heart of Education: Portfolios as a Learning Tool

1995

This chapter consists of a conversation between a third-grade teacher and a teacher educator about the advantages of the portfolio method of assessment. The advantages of portfolios are that they are a powerful learning tool as well an assessment tool, they can make the separate subjects in a curriculum come together in an integrated way, and the fact that they are prepared for an audience besides the teacher makes the student think more about the real-world applicability of the material. The challenges of portfolios are the time they require, and that educators need to relinquish some control in order to empower students at the center of the learning process. Working with portfolios requires engaging students in the process of developing standards, collecting and selecting from their authentic work, and making presentations to an audience. This collaborative process encourages both teachers and students to explore new concepts for standards of quality. The exercise of determining these standards is a valuable learning tool in itself. Beyond content knowledge, portfolios encourage critical thinking, decision making, organization, reflection, and presentation, which are practical life skills. Portfolios encourage authentic interdisciplinary links that cut across content areas, providing support for teacher collegiality, teaming, and integrated studies. For students, this helps break down artificial barriers that can separate subjects when the focus is almost entirely on content acquisition rather than application and use. (Contains 10 references.) (TD)

Course Portfolios as Evidence‐Based Reflection

General Anthropology, 2012

A course portfolio is one of several tools that can be used to supplement or even replace outdated modes of evaluation. Although this may seem like just another bureaucratic task that would add to faculty members’ workloads, a course portfolio has real potential to change the way we evaluate teaching. Instead of being so focused on whether or not our students like us, we can highlight the coherence of our design and how our students are changed as a result of taking our classes.

The effect of portfolios on higher education students learning

INTED2017 Proceedings, 2017

The implementation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has led educators to rethink their way of assessing college students and look for alternative choices. In particular, the use of portfolios as a form of authentic assessment is becoming more popular in higher education settings. Educators have been making a move from traditional type tests to alternate forms of assessments, because they consider student portfolios can be used very effectively. However, determining how a portfolio can be most effectively used to assess students learning can be an excruciating task. The use of such an instrument for assessment is not only meant to evaluate how well students are performing, but also as a way to enhance student learning and create support for student reflection. This study was motivated by some higher education instructors who were interested in implementing the use of portfolios at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. A total of 163 undergraduate students across two undergraduate courses participated in this study. These students included prospective early childhood educators and elementary school teachers. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to inquire into students' views of portfolios as a learning tool, and data collected was examined. As the data reveal, portfolios help students to stay actively involved and motivated in their learning besides encouraging self-reflection. They also help students to take ownership of their own learning and be able to self-assess their abilities. Results also indicate that the use of portfolios promotes critical thinking, analytical and synthesis skills.