This study examined the use of portfolio assessment with secondary students with mental retardation using surveys, interviews, and observations. Themes emerged across four major domains: communication, student outcomes, time, and support. Results indicated that portfolio assessment may help foster self-determination in these students. (DB)

Examines the merit of portfolio evaluation to the establishment of an assessment-centered discourse community and to the creation of a task-oriented pedagogy in the new technical communication service course. Delineates reasons why assessment is important to technical writing. Describes a measurement process for technical writing and the…

Introduces a study that utilizes portfolios to help preservice elementary mathematics teachers assess, through a self-reflection paper, the merit of portfolios in their professional growth and understanding of present-day mathematics practices. (ASK)

Addresses problems related to consistency of goals and objectives in student portfolio applications. Poses questions to test if the portfolio process is working correctly and authentically, particularly in weighing the use of portfolios as a formative rather than summative tool. (SG)

Outlines a framework or portfolio assessment that offers foreign language teachers a model for systematically designing and implementing assessment portfolios and give them a tool to use for conducting further research. (Author/VWL)

Using portfolios for assessment of nursing competence raises issues of ambiguity, confidentiality, and honesty. More research is needed to develop a clear theoretical framework and measures of validity, reliability, and credibility for nursing portfolio assessment. (Contains 29 references.) (SK)

Artists have a long portfolio tradition. Some start to put together their portfolios before they have had any formal training or even before they have any notion of becoming an artist. They simply begin to collect and organize their work, sharing it from time to time with family and friends, perhaps as an occasional exhibition. Later, in the…

Assessment determines what students regard as important: if a teacher wants to change students' learning, he/she should change the methods of assessment. This article describes the use of portfolio assessment on five courses dealing with chemical reactor and process design during the years 1999-2001. Although the use of portfolio was a new…

Portfolio assessment has gained momentum as educators search for more authentic ways to document student performance. Many aspects of portfolio assessment are beneficial for students with cognitive disabilities/mental retardation. This article explores various benefits the portfolio assessment process offers diagnosticians and other educators…

The demands placed on principals in the era of No Child Left Behind are rapidly increasing. In light of these challenges, balancing diverse roles and additional responsibilities can be arduous for even the finest school leaders. The use of portfolio-based teacher appraisals has emerged as an intriguing option to make the time required for teacher…

Social digital networking is a facet of living that recognizes no national borders or social boundaries and has become a way of life. This paper investigates the social networking habits of students at Lingnan University and considers how these habits can be channelled for academic purposes by introducing an ePortfolio system into their language…

Over the past two decades the interest and use of student portfolios for assessing student learning outcomes has grown considerably. This paper presents an overview of the portfolio approach to outcome assessment adopted by the Department of Management at California State University, San Bernardino and discusses major issues encountered over six…

Increasing numbers of ESL (English as a Second Language) students are entering college and university programs, and educators in these programs are concerned about student preparedness. ESL students enter the post-secondary system from a variety of places, resulting in a lack of uniformity in entry level academic skills. A significant associated…

A capstone electronic portfolio, usually focused on summative assessment, was altered for preservice social studies teachers to include video-based formative e-portfolio assessment. Using a case-study design with three participants, we found that use of video artifacts facilitated reflection, supported inquiry into classroom success and failure,…

To reflect on the mathematics achievement of children engaging "Algebra and Analogies for Kids," the teacher researcher will explore the following inquiry: What happens when kids display analogical thinking in an algebra project? Specifically, the proposed study will examine the reasoning of five children in portfolios of best works and selected…