Portfolio as Assessment Tool and Other Alternative Test Instrument

An electronic portfolio, also known as an e-portfolio or digital portfolio, is a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the web. Such electronic evidence may include inputted text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and hyperlinks. E-portfolios are both demonstrations of the user's abilities and platforms for self-expression, and, if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time. Some e-portfolio applications permit varying degrees of audience access, so the same portfolio might be used for multiple purposes. (Wikipedia).

A portfolio, in its most general definition, is a collection of materials that demonstrate a group's or an individual's work over a period of time. Portfolios are generally accepted as an effective means of assessing student progress inside the classroom. Recently, however, portfolios have begun to appear outside the classroom as an alternative tool for assessing the work of educational leaders. Teaching portfolios are common across the country, but using portfolios to assess and develop effective administrators is less common. Analogous to the portfolios being used in many classrooms, professional portfolios serve as both a marker of development and a tool for reflection. Used reflectively, portfolios can give tangible form to themes and issues that are otherwise elusive. 

Positive Impact of Portfolio :

• The teacher designed a unit around sequenced learning objectives that offered all students a balance of procedural and conceptual learning opportunities in responding to art both verbally and in writing. Lesson activities were based on concrete and high order thinking that included learning art through historical, criticism, and aesthetic and studio inquiry. 
• The teacher developed lessons in which the creating process included opportunities for students to be involved in making choices, planning and refining their work. The teacher planned and designed instruction that acknowledged and met the learning needs and interests of students. 
• The teacher selected and used throughout instruction art, artifacts and resources that were varied and in alignment with the lessons' objectives. Resources were used throughout instruction and engaged students in considering multiple perspectives about the historical/cultural information presented. 
• The teacher used students' prior knowledge either from the past or within the unit to develop well-organized lessons. The teacher clearly connected students' prior knowledge when planning and delivering instruction. 
• The teacher promoted artistic development and individuality within students by planning instruction that promoted their exploration of media and provided them with artistic options. Class discussions were based on critical analysis, interpretation, evaluation, aesthetics, concepts and studio media techniques, and allowed for students to make choices regarding their work. 

Negative Impact of Portfolio :

• The teacher designed a unit of instruction that provided students with some opportunities to respond to and create art. These learning opportunities were not always or only loosely aligned to the unit's goals and/or lesson's objectives that focused on facts and procedural tasks. There was minimal emphasis placed on cultural or aesthetic discussion of student or artists' work, and few opportunities for students to grow beyond analyzing art. 
• The teacher provided minimal opportunities for students to be involved in the creating process as evidenced by the designing of skill-centered lessons. 
• The teacher did little when planning for instruction to acknowledge the diversity of students' learning needs and interests. Art resources and lessons did not accommodate these needs. 
• The teacher selected art resources that were loosely aligned with the lessons' objectives and limiting, introducing only some diverse historical/cultural information. These resources were primarily used during the lessons for illustrative purposes only. 
• The teacher attempted to build upon students' prior knowledge and delivered loosely sequenced instruction. Prior knowledge was not considered important by the teacher, as evidenced by the lack of linkage between one lesson and the next. 
• The teacher gave students limited opportunities to make choices regarding the use of media and techniques. The students had even fewer opportunities to respond to their art or the artwork of others. The teacher posed to students questions that focused on recall of facts and/or media procedures. 

To keep portfolios manageable, whatever the level of aggregation, samples of work can be gathered rather than collecting everything from everybody. Electronic and web-based portfolios have made storage, coding, and retrieval of selected items much easier, and there are now a number of software programs and many institutional examples from which to draw. The development of good, workable criteria and rubrics and training of readers does require a considerable ongoing investment of time and energy, but when relevant as an assessment strategy, such efforts can pay off in better learning for faculty and students alike.

Portfolios may be geared toward any number of functions including self-reflection, peer-assessment, professional development, and career advancement. Some portfolios trace a single project from conception to implementation, or may more generally represent a diverse body of work. There is no single format for professional portfolios to fit every need. One study suggests that a principal's portfolio might contain information such as a current resume, statement of educational beliefs, references, transcripts and personal reflections. However, specific contributions to portfolios must be dictated by the stated goal of the participants.