The way students see portfolios is really important if we
want to use this alternative in assessment in our classrooms. Students’ point
of view towards the use of this tool is related to their performance on it. When
a student thinks it is useful and meaningful for his/her learning process and
thinks it is an enjoyable way to learn, the motivation will be a positive
aspect that would enhance student’s achievement. In other words, if students
think they are not learning by doing a portfolio, they will no feel motivated
to do it; they will just do it for the grade and not for the learning itself.
Other important aspect that influences students’ perception
and motivation towards the usage of portfolios is the content. That is the
reason why students should take part in the selection of content (Soruç, 2011);
choosing the content cooperatively the students will be enthusiastic about
doing their assignments and the teacher will get more reliable outcomes from
them.
The way teachers carry out the process of preparation and
evaluation impacts on students’ perception as well. Teachers must plan clearly
what will be the methodology, the purpose of carrying out this procedure, the
objectives of every single assignment and, of course the way they are going to
be evaluated. Creating a detail rubric for grading, for example, is a good way
to make students feel comfortable when the teacher grade their performance;
otherwise, they would feel that the teacher is being subjective in their
perception. Having a detail rubric will help students to know which are the
objectives their teacher want them to achieve –even, the student could
self-evaluate their performance because they could know whether they achieve the
objectives or not–.
Now, the way teachers perceive portfolios is decisive in the
way they conduct it. In my opinion, if a teacher thinks it is useless for
learning, it is better not to use it alternative in assessment because it will
influence negatively students’ perception about portfolios and washback. As the
research carried out by Soruç (2011) it was found that the majority of the
students and teachers have positive opinions about the use of portfolios and
that they offer many advantages for learners having a positive impact on
students’ skills. However it could not be a meaningful experience if it is not
well prepared and assessed. Remember teachers what is important is not the
grade but the leaning, and it requires appropriate feedback, a lot of effort
from our part, and responsibility, that is to say, vocation.
I really like that you highlight the importance of using a rubric to avoid subjectivity. As we saw in the research we read, sometimes students felt teacher weren't objective when grading the portfolios, so it is important to make students feel comfortable with the way teachers assess them in order for them not to think everyting is worthless and feel underestimated.
ReplyDeleteYou are right guys, it is neccesary to make students get involved and feel motivated, otherwise it won´t make any sense, and instead of coming up with new ways of helping students in their process, we will be stucked in the same traditional practices. :)
ReplyDeleteAppart from motivation and commitment teachers as well as students need clear guidance on how to keep and assess portfolios. As we saw in the research we read, both teachers and students expressed their desire to have seminars about the topic. Without clear foundations it will be very difficult to manage this type of assessment which requires a lot of effort from both parts. :)
ReplyDeleteAs you have mentioned, one of the most important things to take into account when implementing portfolios in the classroom is to motivate students by telling them the advantages of using portfolios in the classes; I think that is the only way to make them feel comfortable and enthusiastic towards this assessment tool.
ReplyDeleteI think learning takes place when two conditions are met: first, when you see the value of it for real life, the way knowledge can be applied to one' life. And second, when you enjoy, when you have fun. Let's think of ideas how portfolios can be fun. Any?
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to negociate the content of the portfolio with the students; if they like the topics they are going to talk about in their entries they will feel more motivated. Also, the content should be not only enjoyable, but also meaningful for students' lives in order to have into account the second condition you mentioned. Another aspect I think is important about the value of portfolios for real life is the way the teacher evaluate it and give feedback. As in the study carrried out by Soruç (2011), student said that the way the teachers evaluated the process influenced negatively their motivation and perception towards portfolios. The objective should not be grading but learning.
ReplyDelete