Following Ranald's and Liz's serious response to Phil's 'cri de coeur',
I feel obliged to offer a more thoughtful contribution to this. In the
days when Liz Beaty and I struggled with rather weighty tomes
(comprising not one but several 3 or 4 inch thick lever arch files), I
did wonder about my ability to give instructions to the students about
the expected length and weight of the portfolios. I blamed my poor
communication skills rather than the students' ability to understand
perfectly clear instructions about what was required.
Even the following simple instruction was often overlooked: PLEASE DO
NOT include anything in the portfolio that is not your own work. Did
this stop some of the students from punching holes in the course
Handbook and making it part of THEIR portfolio? NOPE!
I agree with Ranald that both the tutors and the students need to be
clear about the purpose of the portfolio and to have clear agreements
about the format and length , if not the weight; agreements that,
however, allow for some degree of creativity.
I wonder if it is worth sharing responses to the following;
What is the shortest portfolio (fewest number of pages) that has been
passed for a PGC? In the same vein, what is the fattest portfolio that
anyone has ever given a pass to?
Phil, maybe you can call the Guinness Book Records after you have had
the responses.....
Rakesh
-----Original Message-----
From: Liz BEATY [7062] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 25 April 2007 16:18
To: Rakesh Bhanot; [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Portfolios: marking avoidance tactics
Perhaps marking a full portfolio at once is the worst of all tasks.
Offering feedback on parts as the programme goes on is a way of - a)
formative assessment for learning pusposes and b) getting to know the
learner through dialogue and c) avoiding the full agony of summative
marking at the end.
A portfolio is a collection - in art and design it is the talking
through of one's portfolio where the quality of learning becomes
visible.
Perhaps then, oral assessment based on the portfolio is a better option
than sitting with a pile of faceless and compex documents - we did this
in the early days of SEDA fellowships - it was the "interview" that was
the real assessment process.
All the best
Liz
Dr Liz Beaty,
Director (Learning and Teaching)
HEFCE
--------------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: Online forum for SEDA, the Staff & Educational Development
Association
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed Apr 25 16:11:29 2007
Subject: Re: Portfolios: marking avoidance tactics
Dear Phil
I am easily distracted as you can see...
What exactly are you asking us to do?
Give you "some advanced portfolio marking avoidance tactics"
Discuss the merits of portfolios as instruments for judging teaching
quality, or the quality of learning on PGC programmes?
Or both?
Or are you simply using this discussion forum to distract yourself from
the mundane task of portfolio marking; using it as a form of therapy?
I do agree that having a cartload of portfolio obliges one to clear the
desk if not the whole office.
How about portfolios as instruments for spring cleaning.....
Rakesh
-----Original Message-----
From: Online forum for SEDA, the Staff & Educational Development
Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Professor Phil
Race
Sent: 25 April 2007 16:02
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Portfolios: marking avoidance tactics
I'm getting more and more worried about Portfolios as an assessment
instrument for PG Certs. They do indeed give candidates the opportunity
to
demonstrate a good cross-section of their skills and knowledge, but I
fear
that:
(1) some good participants just never get round to putting a portfolio
together;
(2) some good participants' time would be better spent teaching (or
researching) than putting together the wonderful portfolios they
sometimes
produce.
However, I pride myself in never being late getting my portfolios
marked,
and have just finished writing feedback comments for my last two for the
present. But that said, I find myself doing all sorts of tasks BEFORE I
actually open a portfolio - a very good way of clearing my desk. You
wouldn't believe some of the things which take precedence over marking a
portfolio - or are other people the same as me?
Please will you reply to the list if you have some advanced portfolio
marking avoidance tactics you are willing to share? [Indeed, replying to
the list could count as one of these in its own right]. I will be happy
to
work these together into a compendium, so that we can all get even more
done while we're putting off marking portfolios.
Phil Race
www.phil-race.com
--------------------------------------------------------
NOTICE
This message and any files transmitted with it is intended for the
addressee only and may contain information that is confidential or
privileged. Unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you are not the
addressee, you should not read, copy, disclose or otherwise use this
message, except for the purpose of delivery to the addressee.
Any views or opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent those of Coventry University.
|