EPortfolios: Alternative Assessment

From APEC HRDWG Wiki

Portfolios are a good way to assess student learning, especially for English Language Learners (ELLs). When teachers find themselves grading the process and not necessarily the product, the portfolio is a great place to keep student work. “The portfolio system of assessment provides a vehicle for maintaining consensus of standards while striving toward interrater reliability” (Dogger, Moy, & Nogami, 2003).

Over time, paper portfolios have morphed into the ePortfolio. The ePortfolio is an excellent place for ELLs to store their work and a great way to highlight student's production skills.  Students can also post exam scores, semester marks, progress reports, and the like.  An ePortfolio gives students the autonomy to choose what they want to highlight and can have as many pages as they want.  Hence, ePortfolios help create autonomous learners. Graham Attwell explains the many wonderful uses of and purposes for creating ePortfolios at blip.tv/file/300988.

One of the greatest benefits of ePortfolios is their portability. They are on the World Wide Web, so students can access them wherever they go. For students who plan to move around the world a bit, maybe students who live in APEC economies, this is an added benefit.

Content Objectives

• To build an online business card for students with easy navigation
• To critique past works and decide if they should be included in the ePortfolio
• To showcase and organize personal successes

Language Objectives

• To write cohesive pages filled with impressive information
• To record speaking experiences while practicing pronunciation (via free online recording devices)

Tips

1. Studnets can use wikis or blogs as free ePortfolio sites.
2. Students can create an ePortfolio filled with information pertaining to their progress in school.
3. Students can include photos, videos, and other media in ePortfolios.
4. Students can use free recording sites to record their speaking abilities. These sites export files to other web sites: VOXOPOP, Voice Thread: video, Audacity, and You Tube 
5. Focus the ePortfolio on business:
   • Presentation pages
     
   • Reports
     
   • Advertisements
     
   • Designs
     
   • Newsletters

Materials

Computer with an Internet connection
Scanner
Examples of Student Portfolios

Category

Multilingualism and Language Skills: formative, summative and alternative assessment; ePortfolio

Learning Theme

Learning to know; lifelong learning

Resources

Attwell, G. (2010). E-portfolio Development and Implementation. Retrieved from blip.tv/file/300988

Dogger, B., Moy, J., & Nogami, M. (2003). A quest for the perfect portfolio. In C. Coombe & N. Hubley (Eds.), Assessment practices (pp. 103-117). Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL).

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Also see The Changing World of Technology