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Alternative Assessment: Electronic Portfolio

This paper presents the development of students’ electronic portfolios. Electronic Portfolios are incorporated into the course curriculum at the Department of Technological Studies at Ohio Northern University as both alternative assessment tool and as a hybrid assessment tool. Students document their course work using software applications such as MS PowerPoint, and Hypertext Markup Language. They utilize digital media such as scanner, digital camera, microphone, and other means to assist them in preparing the documentation of electronic portfolio. Students are often required to conduct self-assessment by adding descriptions on what they have accomplished through out the course. The final product can be presented in various formats such as a CD-ROM, or online. This product can be used as an evidence of students’ work and in turn can be linked to course outcomes and to program objectives for assessment. As a result, professors perform minimal work to tie students’ work to the departmental metrics. Introduction Educational assessment has experienced a tremendous change. In comparison to traditional assessment such as objective test, alternative assessments are often suggested to educators for better evaluating students’ performance. Various alternative formats such as peer/self evaluation, rubrics, laboratory-based practical evaluation, projects, and portfolios are often used as a mean for alternative assessment. Portfolio, a systematic and organized collection of students’ work over time, is a powerful method for educators to evaluate learner’s performance in a given subject. Shackelford [6] defined that “a student portfolio is a purposeful collection of materials capable of communicating student interest, abilities, progress and accomplishments in a given area.” Electronic portfolio provides the same advantages of regular portfolio. Electronic portfolio is defined as the container which allows learners to collect their work using various types of media such as audio, video, graphics, and text, and using hypertext links to organize the materials to demonstrate the evidence of learning outcome. Electronic portfolio allows educators the opportunity to evaluate the process of portfolio development and end product using hypertext and electronic media [3]. Mason, Pegler and Weller [7] reported that e-portfolios have several advantages for each of the developmental stages: collection, selection, reflection, projection, and presentation. The advantages are identified as: ♠ It is easier for learners to reorganize or reorder the content. ♠ The process of gathering materials for e-portfolio helps learners’ knowledge through making sense of concrete learning. ♠ E-portfolio helps learners in particular during the developing process where collaboration with peers and teachers occurs. ♠ E-portfolio offers multimedia presentation possibilities including graphics, video files, audio files, and references to external sources.