Portfolio Assessment: Advantages and Disadvantages

The concept of portfolio was adopted from the field of fine arts where portfolios are used to display illustrative samples of artist's work (Moya & O' Malley, 1994). Portfolio assessment is the systematic collection of student work measured against predetermined scoring criteria. These criteria often take the form of scoring guides, rubrics, checklists, or rating scales (O'Malley & Valden Pierce, 1996). According to Kaczmark (1994), portfolio is a collection of samples of student work developed over time, chosen according to specific criteria, to reflect student progress and achievement, and presented with an introduction, explanation or assessment of the contents. Portfolios, like a slide show, demonstrate student achievement, rather than the snapshot of student achievement that single occasion tests provide (Gomez, 1999).