Developing Portfolios in Education

Benefits and Challenges of Portfolio Development

       The benefits of portfolio development in education exceed the challenges for both students and instructors. The advantages of developing a portfolio according to Johnson et al. (2009), include providing another approach to assessing a graduate, a method for students and faculty to reflect on the learners progress, a way for teachers to pass learning onto their students, and a means for instructors to review and measure a student’s competencies on a global level (p. 6). Additional benefits include meeting accreditation requirements, state standards, preparing students for interviews, providing artifacts of their competency, and aid in advancing their careers (Johnson, Mims-Cox, and Doyle-Nichols, 2009, p. 4 & 5).
     There are a few challenges of portfolio development for students and instructors. The obstacles include that they require more energy and time for students to create and for an instructor to evaluate (Johnson, Mims-Cox, and Doyle-Nichols, 2009, p. 9). According to Johnson et al. (2009), they require that the student acquire additional skills to organize and utilize technology. They also require that the instructor develop an agreed upon grading rubric (p. 11). These challenges seem minor in comparison to the benefits of meeting standards, a more accurate means of assessing competencies, and preparing students for careers and advancement.
      Documentation is necessary in assessing learning outcomes for students pursuing a career in education to demonstrate that the student has the skills necessary to succeed in the field and as a means of assessment in comparing student work to determine if there are areas that need improvement (Johnson, Mims-Cox, and Doyle-Nichols, 2009, p. 9).  Students can then be recommended for credentialing, graduation, or career advancement. 

The Action Research Process Related to Portfolio Development 

      Action research is utilized in the process of developing a portfolio by students asking important questions such as to what audience should they develop the portfolio for, what pieces should they include, how can they organize their portfolio, and how can they improve their portfolio and pieces through the reflection process. This will allow students to assess themselves while expanding their knowledge at the same time. It also provides students with a view of how each piece fits together in the program and the larger picture of the program as a whole (Johnson, Mims-Cox, and Doyle-Nichols, 2009, p. 9).
      The stages of action research and how the process is related to how a student develops their portfolio is represented in Figure 2.1 - Cycle of Action Research Applied to Portfolio Development according to Johnson et al. (p. 22) The first stage of action research is identifying the problem where students analyze what pieces to include in their portfolio. The second stage, action planning involves how to assemble and arrange the pieces. The third stage is implementation and includes how many artifact should be compiled and where do they go in the portfolio. The next stage is evaluation where the student will decide if the pieces provide affirm their skills. The fifth stage is reflection where the student will consider if the portfolio defines their practice. Lastly is self-evaluation when the students how the portfolio can be improved in order to showcase their skills.
     For additional resources on understanding and conducting action research, refer to the end of Chapter 2 (Johnson, Mims-Cox, & Doyle-Nichols, 2009, p. 29): 

• Action research: To make academic research relevant, researchers should try out their theories with practitioners in real situations and real organization, by Avison, Lau, Myers, & Nielsen
• Doing action research in your own organization (2nd ed.), by Coghlan & Brannick
• Transforming inquiry and action: Interweaving 27 flavors of action research, by Chandler & Torbert 
• Improving schools through action research, by Hendricks

References

Johnson, S. R., Mims-Cox, S. J., & Doyle-Nichols, A. (2009). Developing portfolios in
     education: a guide to reflection, inquiry, and assessment [2] (VitalSource Bookshelf),
     Retrieved from http://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781452257730