This website has been developed as part of an eFellowship research project. The research, titled Assessment for Learning and ePortfolios, is specifically looking to answer:
What can teachers do to maximise the formative benefits of ePortfolios?
An introduction to the research:
Why is it important?
The relationship between assessments and learning has been well researched and documented. Black and William (1998) synthesised over 250 studies linking assessment and learning together. From this research, it is clear that formative assessment is one of the most powerful ways of improving learning and raising achievement.
Formative assessments can be defined in a number of ways. At its most basic level it refers to the adaptation of teaching to meet the needs of the students. For the purpose of this research, formative assessment goes beyond that definition and is more accurately described as assessment for learning.
The Assessment Reform Group defines assessment for learning as the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there. Assessment for learning is characterised by the following attributes (Black & William, 1998).
- Embedded in teaching and learning
- The sharing of learning goals with students
- Students knowing and recognising the standard they are aiming for
- Students involved in self-assessment
- Feedback for the students for the next steps in learning and how to get there
- Acknowledges that every student can improve
- Includes both the teachers and students reviewing and reflecting on assessments
Furthermore, Davies (2000) describes what she believes are the five key characteristics of assessment for learning.
- Learners are involved
- Learners self-assess and receive specific descriptive feedback about learning during learning
- Learners collect, organise and communicate learning with others
- Teaching is adjusted in response to ongoing assessments
- Safe learning environment for risk taking and focused goal setting
Both sets of characteristics overlap and support each other and suggest that the role of the teacher in managing assessment for learning is crucial. Absolum (2006) describes learner-focused relationships between the student and teacher as being central to student learning and formative practice. Motivation, collaboration, respect, clarity about learning, self-regulation and reflection, the key components of a learner-focused relationship, will all support assessment for learning.
Therefore, a formative approach to learning involves a number of key components including, self-assessment, specific descriptive feedback, learner involvement and next steps in learning. How can learners collect, share and access their learning and associated feedback? How can teachers provide timely, effective and easily managed descriptive feedback? How can the evidence of students taking action on feedback be demonstrated? How can parents and peers engage in the process of assessment for learning? In the digital age we are part of and our students have grown up in, ePortfolios with their reflective and networking capabilities may well provide the key.
ePortfolios are a container allowing students and teachers to collect and organise examples of learning in many media types including audio, video, graphics and text (Barrett, 2005). They open wide the possibilities for reflection during learning, before learning and after learning not only individually, but in discussion with peers and teachers through written, spoken, video or graphical representation (Riedinger, 2006). The digital portfolio has the ability to capture all the characteristics of assessment for learning, including examples of learning through to active reflections on achievement, in one easily accessible environment.
In order for this to happen the importance of the role the teacher plays in facilitating the process of assessment for learning is paramount. This leads us back to the question, what can teachers do to maximise the formative benefits of ePortfolios?
References
Absolum, A. (2006). Clarity in the Classroom: Using Formative Assessment Building Learner Focused Relationships. Auckland: Hachette Livre NZ Ltd.
Assessment Reform Froup (1999). Assessment for Learning: Beyond the Black Box. Cambridge: University of Cambridge School of Education. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.aaia.org.uk/pdf/Assessment_for_Learning.pdf
Barrett, H. (2005). White Paper: Researching Electronic Portfolios and Learner Engagement. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.electronicportfolios.org/reflect/whitepaper.pdf
Black, P., & William, D. (1998). Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), 139-148 from http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kbla9810.htm
Davies, A. (2000). Making Classroom Assessment Work. Merille: Connections Publishing. Cited in: Barrett, H. (2005). White Paper: Researching Electronic Portfolios and Learner Engagement. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.electronicportfolios.org/reflect/whitepaper.pdf
Reidinger, B. (2006). Mining for Meaning. In Jafari, A., & Kaufman, C. Handbook of Research on ePortfolios. Hershey PA: Idea Group Reference, pp. 90-101. Cited in Lamont, M. (2008). What are the Features of E-Portfolio Implementation that can Enhance Learning and Promote Self-Regulation? Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.eife-l.org/publications/eportfolio/proceedings/ep2007/papers/eportfolio/what-are-the-features-of-e-portfolio-implementation-that-can-enhance-learning-and-promote-self-regulation/view
