Analysis of portfolio assessment as pedagogy in technical writing instruction
Date
2000
Authors
Speakman, Carolyn
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2000
Abstract
Portfolio assessment-as-pedagogy, as implemented in a college writing course, is
examined in light of the themes present in the literature concerning portfolio assessment.
The instructional processes used in English 155, Scientific and Technical Writing, at
Lethbridge Community College, are described; and ten students' portfolios are analyzed,
with primary emphasis on students' learning as expressed in their final reflective letters.
Consideration is also given to their reflection worksheets and to drafts and revisions of
individual projects. Together, these documents reveal the students' insights into their
development as writers and into the significance of their writing products. Grounded in a
constructivist view of learning, a portfolio classroom fosters social construction of
knowledge. When students develop a sense of community, their participation in
collaborative writing and peer revision can become an important part of composing.
Because portfolios are informed by process theory of composition, they are not only a
means of assessing writing, but they also guide student learning by documenting their
writing processes and giving them a voice in interpreting their development. This
reflection helps students identify themselves as writers who have ownership over their
work and their learning. Portfolios also give the instructor a window into students'
rhetorical awareness, perceptions of thinking and writing, and sentence skill
development. Although this project was limited to one course, the depth of learning
demonstrated by the students suggests that they may benefit from increased power in
creating and assessing their portfolios. Other future possibilities include collaborative
assessment among writing instructors and program-wide applications of portfolio
assessment.
Description
viii, 127 leaves ; 29 cm. --
Keywords
Technical writing -- Study and teaching , Portfolios in education , Teaching -- Aids and devices