Unit 4: Portfolio Assessment

Introduction
When you apply for work in the future, handing your application letter and resume to the boss
will not be enough to get employed. Showing evidences of what you can do matters a lot – like
presenting crafted lesson plans, developed instructional materials, published researches, board
rating, transcript of records, and other evidences to prove your capability. When you get
employed, compiling evidences of what you have done is also crucial - to show your efficiency.
Gathering evidences is likewise important in assessment of students’ learning termed as Portfolio
Assessment. As a future teacher, you should not delimit your methods of assessing students’
learning through test scores only. Monitoring students’ progress through portfolio should also be
given emphasis. In this unit, you will learn the purpose, principles, types, development, and
evaluation of portfolios.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this unit, you are expected to:
1. Define portfolio assessment and determine its uses, advantages, and disadvantages
2. Determine essential elements or entries to be included in a portfolio
3. Classify the different portfolios according to types
4. Design and develop portfolios for authentic assessment of learning outcomes
5. Assess a developed portfolio based on a identified criteria
 Activating Prior Knowledge
What should be included in a portfolio? Write four (4) evidences of learning in each subject area
which you think are essential evidences of learning to monitor student’s learning progress.

English and
Filipino

Mathematics

Science

Araling Panlipunan

TLE

MAPEH
Topic 1. Portfolio Assessment Defined

Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. Define portfolio
2. Compare traditional assessment and portfolio assessment
3. Determine the uses, advantages, and disadvantages of portfolio

Presentation of Content
Definition of portfolio

A portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the

student’s efforts, progress and achievements in one or more areas. The
collection must include student participation in selecting contents, the criteria
for selection, the criteria for judging merit and evidence of student self-
reflection.

Portfolio is a form of alternative assessment intended to accumulate evidence

to measure the growth over time of a student’s or teacher’s performance.
Wolf, 1991

A portfolio is more than just a container full of stuff. It is a systematic and

organized collection of evidence used by the teacher and student to monitor
growth of the student’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes in a specific subject
area.
Vavrus, 1990

A portfolio is a record of learning that focuses on the student’s work and

her/his reflection on that work. Material is collected through a collaborative
effort between the student and staff members and is indicative of progress
toward the essential outcomes.
National Education Association, 1993
Based on the presented definitions of portfolio from different authors and organization, the
following are concluded:
 Portfolio is a systematic compilation of student work meant to show growth over time.
 Portfolio is an ‘expanded student record’.
 Portfolio is a ‘reasonable’ and authentic means of assessing students’ growth and
development.
 Portfolio is a way to display skills and accomplishments through artifacts and other forms
of evidence.
 Portfolio shows updates on students’ skills and accomplishments.
 The entries in the portfolio can demonstrate learning and growth in all learning
competencies.
 Portfolio is a form of assessment that students do together with their teachers.
 Portfolio involves student self-assessment.
 The criteria for selecting and assessing the portfolio contents must be clear to the
teacher and the students at the outset of the process.
 Portfolio is assessed using an agreed upon rubric.
 Portfolio is continuous and ongoing, providing both formative and summative
opportunities for monitoring students’ progress toward achieving essential outcomes.
Comparison of Portfolio and Traditional Forms of Assessment (Ferenz, 2001)

Uses of Portfolios
1. Portfolio can provide both formative and summative opportunities for monitoring
progress toward reaching identified outcomes.
2. Portfolio can communicate concrete information about what is expected of students in
terms of the content and quality of performance in specific curriculum areas.
3. Portfolio allows students to document the aspects of learning that do not show up well in
traditional assessments.
4. Portfolios are useful to showcase periodic or end of the year accomplishments of students
such as in poetry, reflections on growth, samples of best works, among others.
5. Portfolios may also be used to facilitate communication between teachers and parents
regarding their child’s achievement and progress in a certain period of time.
6. The administrators may use portfolios for national competency testing to grant high
school credit, to evaluate educational programs.
7. Portfolios may be assembled for combination of purposes such as instructional
enhancement and progress documentation. A teacher reviews students’ portfolios
periodically and make notes for revising instruction for next year’s used.
Other Uses of Portfolio (P)

P promotes students self- P supports student-led parent

assessment and control of learners. conferences.

P selects students into special P certifies student competence.

programs.

P grants alternative credit. P demonstrates certain skills and

abilities.

P builds students’ self-confidence. P evaluates curriculum and

instruction.

P gives a profile of learner abilities P develops awareness of own

in terms of breadth and growth. learning by the students.

P caters to individuals in a P develops social skills.

heterogeneous class.

P develops independent and active P improves motivation for learning

learners. and achievement.

P provides opportunity for student- P assesses variety of skills not

teacher dialogue. testable in traditional testing.

Advantages of Portfolio Assessment

1. It serves as a cross-section lens, providing a basis for future analysis and planning.
2. It serves as a concrete vehicle for communication, providing on-going communication or
exchanges of information among those involved in assessment.
3. It promotes a shift of ownership; students take an active role in examining what they have
done and what they want to accomplish.
4. It offers the possibility of assessing the more complex and important aspect of a learning
area or subject matter.
5. It covers a broad scope of knowledge and information from many different people
involved in the assessment of student’s learning and achievement.

Disadvantages of Portfolio Assessment

1. It may be seen as less reliable or fair more than quantitative evaluations such as test
scores.
2. Having to develop one’s individualized criteria can be difficult or unfamiliar at first.
3. It can be very time consuming for teachers to organize and evaluate the content of
portfolios especially if portfolios have to be done in addition to traditional testing and
grading.
4. If goals and criteria are not clear, the portfolio can be just a miscellaneous collection of
artifacts that do not show patterns of growth and achievement.
5. Like other forms of qualitative data, data from portfolio assessments can be difficult to
analyze or aggregate to show change.

BENEFITS of Portfolio
 Strengthens the relationship between assessment and instruction
 Focuses on individual student growth

DRAWBACKS of Portfolio
 Time consuming
 Difficult to compare students to one another
 Rubrics may be difficult to develop
 Application
Promote the use of portfolio! Since you already learned the definition, uses, advantages, and
disadvantages of portfolio assessment, you try to promote the use of portfolio as an assessment
method among Filipino teachers through poster making. Posters must be original and hand-
drawn using any medium (water color, oil pastel, acrylic, crayons, etc.). Write a brief explanation
(10 to 15 sentences) of your output.
Your poster will be evaluated using the following rubric:
Criteria 4 3 2 1 %
(Expert) (Accomplished) (Capable) (Beginner)
Creativity Poster is Poster is creative Poster is The poster 40
exceptionally and a good amount creative and does not
creative. A lot of thought was put some reflect any
of thought and into. thought was degree of
effort was used. put into. creativity.
Originality Exceptional use Good use of new Average use No use of new 40
of new ideas ideas and of new ideas ideas and
and originality originality to and originality to
to create a create a poster. originality to create a poster.
poster. create a
poster.
Craftsmanship The poster is The poster is The poster is The poster is 20
exceptionally attractive in terms acceptably distractingly
attractive in of neatness. Good attractive messy.
terms of construction and though it is a
neatness. Well- not very messy. bit messy.
constructed and
not messy.
Paste your poster here!

Explanation:
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Topic 2. Essential Elements, Principles, and Types of Portfolio

Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. Determine essential elements of a portfolio
2. Enumerate meaningful entries of a portfolio given a topic/subject
3. Discuss the three principles of a portfolio
4. Classify the different portfolios according to types

Presentation of Content

Essential Elements of a Portfolio

1. Cover letter “About the author” and “What my portfolio shows about my progress as a
learner” (written at the end, but put at the beginning).
2. Table of Contents with numbered pages
3. Entries – both core (items students have to include) and optional (items of student’s
choice). The core elements be required for each student and will provide a common base
from which to make decisions on assessment. The optional items will allow the folder to
represent the uniqueness of each student.
4. Dates on all entries, to facilitate proof of growth over time.
5. Drafts of aural/oral and written products and revised versions.
6. Reflection. Reflections can appear at different stages in the learning process (for
formative and/or summative purposes) and at the lower levels can be written in the
mother tongue or by students who find it difficult to express themselves in English.
Students can choose to reflect upon some or all of the following:
 What did I learn from it?
 What did I do well?
 Why (based on the agreed teacher-student assessment criteria) did I choose this
item?
 What do I want to improve in the item?
 How do I feel about my performance?
 What were the problem areas?
 In identifying core
elements as entries of a Example:
portfolio, remember to
select the most essential For The Life and Works of Jose Rizal, students could create a
and meaningful entries. portfolio over the course of the semester which includes:
Revisit the syllabus and
 A timeline of Jose Rizal’s life
identify artifacts or
 A Venn Diagram comparing the education of Rizal in
evidences of learning that
Ateneo and UST
could best measure the
 A student composed letter from Jose Rizal to his wife
specified competencies in
from his second tour of Europe
the syllabus.
 A newspaper article or TV news report (video) reporting
Jose Rizal’s trial
 A poem in the style of Jose Rizal that conveys love for family, country, education and
piety

Portfolio Principles
There are three underlying principles of portfolio assessment: content, learning, and equity
principles.
1. Content principle suggests that portfolios should reflect the subject matter that is
important for the students to learn.
2. Learning principle suggests that portfolios should enable the students to become active
and thoughtful learners.
3. Equity principle explains that portfolios should allow students to demonstrate their
learning styles and multiple intelligences.
Types of Portfolio
There are three basic types of portfolios to consider for classroom use. These are working
portfolio, showcase portfolio, and progress portfolio.
1. Working Portfolio
The first type of portfolio is working portfolio also known as “teacher-student portfolio.”
As the name implies that it is a project “in the work,” it contains the work in progress as
well as the finished samples of work use to reflect on process by the students and
teachers. It documents the stages of learning and provides a progressive record of student
growth. This is an interactive teacher-student portfolio that aids in communication
between teacher and student.
The working portfolio may be used to diagnose student needs. In this way both student
and teacher have evidence of student strengths and weaknesses in achieving learning
objectives, this information is extremely useful in designing future instruction.
2. Showcase Portfolio
The second type of portfolio is also known as “best works portfolio or display portfolio.”
In this kind of portfolio it focuses on the student’s best and most creative work, it exhibits
the best performance of the student. Best works portfolio may document student efforts
with respect to curriculum objectives. It may also include evidence of student activities
beyond school for example a story written at home.
It is just like an artist’s portfolio where a variety of work is selected to reflect breadth of
talent, painters exhibit their best paintings. Thus, in this portfolio the student selects what
he or she thinks is their representative work. This folder is most often seen at open houses
and parent visitations (Columba & Dolgos, 1995).
The most rewarding use of student portfolios is the display of the students’ best work, the
work that makes them proud. In this case, it encourages self-assessment and builds self-
esteem to students. The pride and sense of accomplishment that students feel make the
effort well worthwhile and contribute to a culture for learning in the classroom.
3. Progress Portfolio
The third type is progress portfolio and it is also known as “Teacher Alternative
Assessment Portfolio.” It contains examples of students’ work with the same type done
over a period of time and they are utilized to assess their progress. All the works of the
students in this type of portfolio are scored, rated, ranked, or evaluated.
Teachers can keep individual student portfolios that are solely for the teacher’s use as an
assessment tool. This is a focused type of portfolio and is a model of the holistic
approach to assessment (Columba & Dolgos, 1995).
Assessment portfolios are used to document student learning on specific curriculum
outcomes and used to demonstrate the extent of mastery in any curricular area.
 Application
Subjects/courses are given below. Look at the syllabus (particularly the topics and competencies)
of these subjects utilized by your teachers. Then, identify 5 artifacts/entries to be included in a
student’s portfolio. Determine the best type of portfolio (working, showcase, progress) to be used
and justify your choice. Also, state how you applied the three (3) principles (content, learning,
equity) of portfolio in choosing the artifacts/entries.

1. Understanding the Self

Artifacts/Entries:
1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________

Type of portfolio to be used: __________________________________

Justification:
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How did you apply the three (3) principles of portfolio in determining artifacts/entries?
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2. Assessment in Learning 1

Artifacts/Entries:
1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________

Type of portfolio to be used: __________________________________

Justification:
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How did you apply the three (3) principles of portfolio in determining artifacts/entries?
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3. Readings in Philippine History

Artifacts/Entries:
1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________

Type of portfolio to be used: __________________________________

Justification:
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How did you apply the three (3) principles of portfolio in determining artifacts/entries?
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Topic 3. Developing and Evaluating a Portfolio

Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. Discuss the stages in developing a portfolio
2. Determine the guidelines in assessing a portfolio

Presentation of Content

Portfolio Process
8 Exhibit Portfolio

7 Confer with the Student

6 Evaluate Evidence

5 Reflect on Evidence

4 Organize Evidence

3 Select Evidence

2 Collect Evidence

1 Set Goals

Stages of Implementation
Stage 1: Identifying teaching goals to assess through portfolio
It is very important at this stage to be very clear about what the teacher hopes to achieve
in teaching. These goals will guide the selection and assessment of students’ work for the
portfolio.
Stage 2: Introducing the idea of portfolio assessment to your class
Portfolio assessment is a new thing for many students who are used to traditional testing.
For this reason, it is important for the teacher to introduce the concept to the class.
Stage 3: Specification of Portfolio Content
 Specify what and how much have to be included in the portfolio – both core and options
(it is important to include options as these enable self-expression and independence). Specify for
each entry how it will be assessed.
Stage 4: Giving clear and detailed guidelines for portfolio presentation
There is a tendency for students to present as many evidence of learning as they can when
left on their own. The teacher must therefore set clear guidelines and detailed information on
how the portfolios will be presented.
Stage 5: Informing key school officials, parents and other stakeholders
Do not attempt to use the portfolio assessment method without notifying your department
head, dean or principal. This will serve as a precaution in case students will later complain about
your new assessment procedure.
Stage 6: Preparing the portfolio
Stage 7: Assessing the portfolios and giving feedback
Stage 8: Holding students-teacher conference
Stage 9: Follow up

Evaluating a Portfolio
 Portfolio assessment provides the teacher and students an opportunity to observe students
in broader context: taking risks, developing creative solutions, and learning to make
judgments about their performance.
 Detailed rating criteria may be evolved to evaluate the finished portfolio presented by
students. In general, however, they should include the following:
a. Thoughtfulness (including evidence of students’ monitoring of their own comprehension,
metacognitive reflection, and productive habits of mind)
b. Growth and development in relationship to key curriculum expectancies and indicators
c. Understanding and application of key processes
d. Completeness, correctness, and appropriateness of products and processes
presented in the portfolio
e. Diversity of entries
 In evolving the evaluation criteria, teachers and students must work together and agree
on the criteria to be applied to the portfolio.
 The criteria to be used may be formative or summative.
Guidelines for Assessing Portfolios (Gabuyo, 2012)
1. Include enough documents (items) on which to base judgment.
2. Structure the contents to provide scorable information.
3. Develop judging criteria and a scoring scheme for raters to use in assessing the portfolios.
4. Use observation instruments such as checklist and rating scales when possible to facilitate
scoring.
5. Use trained evaluators or assessors.
Sample rubric in assessing a portfolio
Source: https://www.starkstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/REVISED-MASTER-
RUBRIC.pdf
 Application
Construct a sequence graphic organizer to summarize the stages of portfolio development. A
graphic organizer is used to organize information and ideas in a way that is easy to comprehend
and internalize. Integrate text and visuals to show relationships and connections of the stages of
portfolio development.
The following rubrics will be used in evaluating your output.
Criteria 4 3 2 1 %
(Expert) (Accomplished) (Capable) (Beginner)
Organization Extremely well Organized. Somewhat Poorly organized. 40
organized. organized
Structure structure A clear sense of
Order and allows reader to allows reader direction is not
structure of move through to move evident.
information is content without through some
compelling and confusion. of the content Flow is frequently
flows smoothly. without interrupted.
Flows confusion.
smoothly.
Flow is
sometimes
interrupted.
Content Thorough and Complete Shows some Shows incomplete 40
insightful understanding understanding understanding of
understanding of of content. of content. material.
content.
Creativity Enthusiastically Use of Shows some Shows minimal 20
uses materials materials and use of effort for
and ideas for ideas for materials and enhancement of
enhancement enhancement ideas. materials and
ideas.
Total
Source: http://www.suprockart.com/TYPO2008GRAPHICORGANIZERRUBRIC.htm
Paste your graphic organizer here!
Summary
 Portfolio is a systematic compilation of student work meant to show growth over time.
 Portfolio is a way to display skills and accomplishments through artifacts and other forms
of evidence.
 Portfolio strengthens the relationship between assessment and instruction and focuses on
individual student growth
 Portfolio is time consuming, difficult to compare students to one another, and rubrics
may be difficult to develop.
 In identifying entries for portfolio, select the most essential and meaningful entries.
 Three principles of portfolio: content, learning, equity
 Three types of portfolio: working, showcase, progress
 Portfolio process: set goals, collect evidence, select evidence, organize evidence, reflect
on evidence, evaluate evidence, confer with the student, exhibit portfolio
 The criteria for selecting and assessing the portfolio contents must be clear to the teacher
and the students at the outset of the process.
 Portfolio is assessed using an agreed upon rubric.

Reflection
Congratulations! You are done with the fourth unit of this module. Now, go back to the activities
and lessons you have taken in this unit and answer the following questions. Limit your answers
for each question to 5 to 10 sentences only.
1. What made you successful with this unit of instruction?
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2. What do you still want to learn about?

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3. How might you use what you learned in the future in your life or profession?
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References
Adriano, C.T. (2003). Making a perfect fit: objectives and test items. University of the
Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.

Buendicho, F. C. (2010). Assessment of student learning. Manila, Philippines: Rex Bookstore.

Gabuyo, Y. A. (2012). Assessment of student learning 1: textbook and reviewer. Manila,

Philippines: Manila, Rex Bookstore.

Garcia, C. (ND). Measuring and evaluating learning outcomes: a textbook in assessment of

learning 1 and 2. Mandaluyong City, Philippines: Books Atbp Publishing Corporation.

Renwick, M. (2017). Digital portfolios in the classroom: showcasing and assessing student
work. Alexandria, Virginia: ASCD