“Research shows that portfolios place additional demands on teachers and students as well as on ... resources” (Burke, Fogarty & Belgrad, 1994, p.9). This statement highlights the need for teachers, lecturers, and students, who are using portfolios for the first time, to be aware of the needs that will be made of them. Apart from the time required to learn about the portfolio assessment method, lecturers have indicated the time-consuming nature of providing formative feedback and the difficulty of collecting and storing portfolios. It has been described as an expensive and time-consuming assessment method (Jones, 1994; Wolf, 1991; Perkins & Gelfer, 1993).
Portfolio assessment has a strong element of self-evaluation and feedback – both for teachers and students. Educators must understand the powerful benefits to student and teacher education from the process of portfolio assessment as they plan a strategy for its successful implementation. A portfolio is merely a tool for assessment, in a more holistic student-centered approach to education. The portfolio becomes the location of the student’s work; their reflection through writing and student/teacher discussion on the work demonstrates whether the desired outcomes for teaching and learning process have been accomplished or not.
•Collecting: an expression of students' lives and identities.
•Reflecting: thinking about experiences and activities.
•Assessing: evaluating quality and development over time.
•Documenting: demonstrating student achievement.
•Linking: connecting student and teacher, parent, community, and peer
•Evaluating: generating responsible outcomes.
