Assessment - Guide to Teaching Computer Science: An Activity-Based Approach - page 195

Table 10.3 Professional tips—planning and using portfolio assessment. (Hayes 1998 )
Tip #1: Develop a portfolio assessment process specific to your own situation

Tip #2: Use a collaborative planning approach that involves the teachers and learn-

ers who will use the portfolio process

Tip #3: Define the purposes and audiences for portfolio assessment PRIOR to

developing the portfolio materials

Tip #4: Implement the process gradually, allowing time for experimentation and

improvement

Tip #5: Recognize the importance of students as partners in the assessment process

Tip #6: Plan additional time for students to construct portfolios, student-teacher

conferences, and teacher review of portfolios

Tip #7: Plan outgoing opportunities for staff development to address new skills

required for portfolio assessment

• Provides a comprehensive view of learners' achievements with respect to a vari-
ety of concepts
• Enables learners to identify both their weaknesses and their strengths
• Encourages learners to take responsibility on their learning process
• Enhances learners' reflective skills

With respect to portfolio assessment, Hayes ( 1998 ) claims that it is a complex pro-
cess that requires considerable planning and decision-making process, and offers
seven tips to keep in mind in the process of portfolio assessment (see Table 10.3 ). It
is worth noticing Tip #7, which specifically indicates teachers' need to develop new
assessment and instruction skills, such as methods for developing students' reflec-
tive skills, or strategies for assessing affective learning outcomes. We suggest that
the MTCS course is one venue in which such professional development and training
of CS teachers can start, and suggest that one way to evaluate the students enrolled
in the MTCS can be based on a portfolio which the students construct during the
course of learning (see Sect. 10.5 below).
In the case of CS education, it is relevant to create an online portfolio, which is
called ePortfolio: “In general, an ePortfolio is a purposeful collection of information
and digital artifacts that demonstrates development or evidences learning outcomes,
skills or competencies. The process of producing an ePortfolio (writing, typing,
recording, etc.) usually requires the synthesis of ideas, reflection on achievements,
self-awareness and forward planning with the potential for educational, develop-
mental or other benefits. Specific types of ePortfolios can be defined in part by their
purpose (such as presentation, application, reflection, assessment, and personal de-
velopment planning), pedagogic design, level of structure (intrinsic or extrinsic),
duration (episodic or lifelong) and other factors.” 2 We mention that LMSs (Learn-
ing Management Systems, such as, moodle) can serve as a platform in which the
ePortfolio items are stored and evaluated.

2 Source: http://www.eportfolios.ac.uk/definition