Introducing the portfolio assessment to the students takes time because students who were used to traditional testing had no chance to see a portfolio previously prepared or see other people's portfolios, so they are not fully aware of its advantages. Once students are familiar with it, they will have a broader vision of their efforts, achievements, strong sides, successes, and progression. In addition, since portfolios are graded as a whole, and each item in a portfolio can be used to indicate a student's best work, students will do their best to put their maximum effort on the work and activities done to give a remarkable result. Consequently, it pushes them to develop the self-awareness, goal-setting, decision-making, and critical thinking skills necessary for lifelong self-determination.
First, I would show the students a sample of Mathematics portfolios prepared by other classes and explain its concept. Second, I present the portfolio guidelines clearly because unfamiliar ways of instruction and examination are potentially confusing to students. Third, I must train the students on how to evaluate themselves; and with time, practice, clear assessment benchmarks, and individual guidance, students will learn to become better evaluators of their work. Fourth, I should clarify from the beginning that it is quality that counts, not quantity. With time, I ask the students to collect their work after each activity is done in class or at home (assignment, quiz, etc.) and highlight their weak domains after correction and check their strong ones. Once this procedure is done after each activity, the students will be able to observe their progress during the learning process as they design and develop their portfolios.
Portfolio assessment has many benefits compared with traditional testing.
- It allows measuring high-level skills with significant and realistic activities for students rather than measuring low-level skills in a fixed time like traditional testing.
- It provides a chance for the student to demonstrate his/her strengths and weaknesses instead of providing a summary of the child's performance on specific assignments.
- It provides numerous ongoing opportunities for observation and assessment instead of only one measurement strategy that gives little diagnostic information.
- Unlike traditional testing, which requests that the child provides one response, it motivates students to vigorously partake in the assessment process and communicate effectively with their teachers and parents.
- It sets the student at the center of the educational process; however, traditional testing reinforces the idea that the curriculum is the center.
- The tasks for the portfolio assessment do not deprive the student from expressing their ideas as much as traditional testing does.
Portfolio assessment provides a more authentic and accurate assessment of students' achievement and promotes students to develop independent and self-directed learners.
Portfolio creation promotes active learning in which students are vigorously involved in taking accountability and controlling their learning, which keeps them more active in learning. Students discuss a wide range of their work gathered over time, decide which pieces should be considered, analyze and evaluate their progress, produce individual solutions to their problems, reflect on their work and knowledge, and make decisions about plans based on proof and standards. Students are responsible for the construction process of their portfolio, which increases their enjoyment and responsibility, reflected in their continuous engagement with actively learning.
