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Furthermore, a portfolio can be made up of many different student performances or it can be made up of a single performance.
25
Portfolio assessment is closely linked to instruction, which has two educational
benefits. First, linking assessment to instruction means that teachers are sure that they are measuring what they have taught. Second, portfolios reveal any
weaknesses in instructional practices. Acording to Peter W. Airasian, portfolio assessment is by nature
incorporated fully into instruction: there is no time lost on assessment. Assessment is a true learning experience, and not external to the learning
process. Student assessment portfolios promote positive student involvement. As students create their portfolios, they are actively involved in and reflecting
on their own learning. Moreover, using portfolios introduces students to an evaluation format
with which they may need to become familiar as more schools and districts adopt portfolio assessment. Besides that, portfolios give the teacher
opportunities to involve parents in their childrens language learning. Parental involvement is an important factor in educational success.
2. The Content of Portfolio
Sumarna Supranata and Muhammad Hatta mentioned that the content of portfolio is based on the objective of the learning activity. It has to show
student’s ability toward the competence standard, base competence, and indicators which mentioned in curriculum. To reach all of that, the activities
in the classroom should be matched, observed, and evaluated.
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Below are some activities is include as a portfolio material:
student’s assignment such as work book, homework, or clipping
student’s notes such as summary and note taking
the result of group work
25
Peter W. Airasian, Classroom Assessment: Concept and Aplications, New York: Mc.Graw Hill, 2005, fifth edition, p. 264.
26
Dr. Sumarna Supranata and Dr. Muhammad Hatta, Penilaian Portfolio: Implementasi Kurikulum 2004, Bandung: PT Remaja Rosdakarya, 2007, p. 118.
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parent’s note about the students’ achievement
the result of formative test and final test
students’ affective and psychomotor domain
recapitulation of students’ attending presentation of students activities that have been done
etc.
3. The Characteristics of Portfolio
Portfolio assessment provides students with a direct view of how students organize knowledge into overarching concepts.
27
Therefore, the scoring of portfolio is done subjectively according to scoring guideline or
rubrics, and it is difficult to obtain high inter-rater reliability.
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In the other hand, there are many differences portfolio formats depending on function, content or application. Yet despite this great diversity,
portfolio assignments used in education share three general characteristics.
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a. Competency-orientation Competency-orientated education methods with integrated clusters of
knowledge elements, skills and attitudes require specially adapted assessment methods. Portfolio assessment is one such method and permits
the integral evaluation of competencies. b. Cycle of action and reflection
In order to learn from teaching performance, the student has to carry out teaching activities and then reflect on his or her performance.
c. Use of a wide variety of media and materials
In order to illustrate their competencies in a creative and personalized manner, students must make a well-considered selection of media and
27
Timothy F. Slater, authentic assessment in support of student-centered instruction, Montana State University, Vol. 309: 1103-1120, 2008, p. 2.
28
James H. McMillan and Sally Schumaher, Research in Education: Evidence Based Inquiry, ....., p. 193.
29
International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Portfolio Assignments in Teacher Education: A Tool For Self-regulating the Learning Process, Vol. 1, No. 2 July 2007,
ISSN 1931-4744, Georgia Southern University, 2007, http:www.georgiasouthern.eduijsotl.
, p. 2.
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materials, such as text extracts and illustrations. A portfolio assignment is an instrument which is very well suited to the assessment of independent
learning and enables the student to illustrate his or her teaching competencies.
In addition, Barton and Collins in Supranata book mentioned some essentials characteristics of portfolio assessment. Those are authentic,
dynamic, explicit, integrated, ownership, and goals.
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4. Principles of Portfolio Assessment
