continuous feedback for them. On the one hand, portfolio is also a strong device that helps students to gain important abilities such as self assessment, critical thinking and monitoring
one’s own learning Austrias, 1994; Micklo, 1997.
C. The advantages and disadvantages of portfolio-based assessment
1. The advantages of Portfolio-based assessment
The effectiveness of portfolio-based assessment can be seen from the advantages that it reveals. One good of the advantages of portfolio is that portfolio provides the teacher clear
description of hisher students, especially their achievement in learning,
Gerber. R Bezuidenhout, A. 2002
. Moreover, Mustafa, 2010, p. 224 asserts Gosselin 1998’s argument that: Portfolio can be used to examine and record learner progress at certain
intervals in the learning process. The teacher can monitor hisher students through the work that they received from the collection of works in portfolio itself. So, this will make the
teachers be able to know more about their students’ weakness and strength so that they know what to improve in their teaching and learning in order to increase students’ progress in
learning. Margery .H, 2005 reveals the advantages of Portfolio as a method of learning and
assessment. The findings show that the portfolio-based assessment provides some advantages in the below:
- Assessing and promoting critical thinking
- Encouraging students to become accountable and responsible for their own learning
i.e.,self-directed, active, peer-supported, adult learning. -
Accomodating diverse learning styles, though they are not suitable for all learning styles.
- Monitoring and assessing students’ progress over time.
- Integrating learning and assessment.
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- Promoting creativity and problem solving
- Assessing attitudes and professional and personal development.
2. The disadvantages of portfolio-based assessment
However, there are also some findings which mention and reveal the disadvantages of implementing such assessment in teaching and learning process. Margery .H,2005 reveals
the disadvantages of portfolios as a method of learning and assessment. They are all mentioned below:
- When portfolios are used for summative assessment, students may be reluctant to
reveal weaknesses. -
Portfolios are personal documents and ethical issues of privacy and confidentiality may arise when they are used for assessment.
- Difficulties may arise in verifying whether the material submitted is the
candidate’s own work. -
Portfolios take a long time to complete and assess. -
The portfolio process involves a large amount of paperwork. The findings above shows that when portfolio-based assessment is implemented to
assess the students’ performance and achievement in their learning, it has both side which are the advantages and disadvantages. In the case of portfolio-based assessment, there are other
findings which show its effectiveness on improving students’ reading ability. One study of private English Language Institution students in Rasht by Charvade, Jahandar.
Khodabandehlou. 2012 showed that portfolio assessment has a positive effect on EFL learners reading comprehension ability. The findings of this study are in agreement with the
existing studies in the literature which revealed that portfolio assessment methods could enhance students achievements. It is also in line with the findings of all the studies showing
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