I discuss my engagement with three professional recognition and development opportunities for academic developers: Senior Fellowship of HEA, HERDSA Fellowship, and SEDA Fellowship. I found that the portfolios for these fellowships complement one another well, and together present a valuable reflection on all aspects of the academic development…

Composition professionals in post-secondary institutions--composition faculty, writing program administrators, and technology staff--share concern and responsibility for helping students learn to write at a college level, using the most effective communication technologies. Disciplinary practice and research suggest that portfolio assessment has…

Advanced Placement (AP) Studio Art is an influential force in secondary art education as is evident in the 31,800 portfolios submitted for review in 2008. From the perspectives of a high school educator and AP Reader, this author has observed how the constraints of the AP program can be used to generate support for high school art programs and…

Over the past few decades, educators in general, and language teachers in specific, were more inclined towards using testing techniques that resembled real-life language performance. Unlike traditional paper-and-pencil language tests that required test-takers to attempt tests that were based on artificial and contrived language content,…

Summarizes some of the recent literature on the use of portfolios and identifies how portfolio assessment differs from traditional methods of assessment. Highlights some of the possibilities that portfolios offer for improved educational practice. Contains 16 references. (JRH)

This article describes how providing effective and timely feedback gives new life to student assessment. Such feedback enables students to become better problem solvers and assessors of their own work. Providing effective and informative feedback is a large part of the assessment process: a means not an end that exists to improve learning and…

Portfolio workbooks combine reflection, planning, critical incident analysis, and integration of theory and practice. They provide a comprehensive record of student learning and develop autonomy and decision-making skills. A precondition for effective use is teacher commitment to student-centered learning. (SK)

Suggests that the mathematics portfolio is beneficial to teachers when making instructional decisions and allows students to actively monitor their progress and growth. Discusses types of portfolios and possible contents of portfolios. (RS)

Describes 10 variations on the portfolio for assessment: literacy portfolio, reflection portfolio, "reflection the beauty" portfolio, process portfolio, student portfolio, reading portfolio, featherweight portfolio, showcase portfolio, exit portfolio, and literacy portfolio revisited. Accompanies each one with a "recipe." (SR)

There is an increasing need for educators to have professional portfolios, which are considered to be authentic tools for evaluating the knowledge, skill, beliefs and attitudes of prospective educators. Electronic portfolios are gaining in popularity and their relative pros and cons are examined.

In this study, we examine the role of academic preparation in the transition from community colleges to four-year institutions. We address two specific questions: To what extent do academically unprepared students transfer to four-year institutions? And, can positive experiences in community colleges diminish the role of inadequate academic…

One constructivist approach to assessing student learning is the use of portfolios. The contents of a portfolio demonstrate what a student knows and can do. The portfolio indicates actual products and processes a student has developed, as exemplified in the description of the contents of a student portfolio in a teaching methods course. Portfolios…

Describes and evaluates the exit assessment for writing at Simpson College. Provides background, reflection, results, a numbers analysis, and thoughts about the next steps. Argues that portfolios are a feasible means of large-scale and high-stakes writing assessment. (TB)

Describes the development of a program portfolio to document and evaluate the accomplishments of an adult literacy program as a whole--program staff as well as students. Offers suggestions for those who want to use portfolios in program evaluations. (JOW)

Portfolio-based assessment of prior learning typically follows Western assumptions about universal, value-based knowledge. It can be strengthened by recognizing that knowledge is embedded in specific social, cultural, and historical contexts. (SK)