Encouraging AFL (Assessment For Learning)

Reflective Blog #3

Helen's article about Electronic Portfolios as Digital Stories of Deep Learning focused on the importance of formative learning. In her article, the study of Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam of Kings College, London demonstrated that improving formative assessment raises student achievement. They also included that the most significant learning gains occur when teachers and students work collaboratively to address learning needs. This is true being that students become active learners only when they assume ownership and control of their learning. It is critical that assessment for learning be used with students so that they may understand and have a sense of ownership of their learning to maximize achievement. Therefore, how do I engage myself into this very own concept of learning? Simply put, by encouraging the use of e-Portfolios. Although the disadvantages are that some students might not have the technical know-how and consequently feel overchallenged. Moreover, students might have a lack of motivation, when the teacher does not give enough information about the topic and the task.
 
My goal as an educator is to:
 

• understand how e-Portfolios can be an alternated into the form of assessment
• understand the stages involved in the design of e-Portfolios
• understand that the artifacts, reflections, and evaluations contained in student e-portfolios can be assess students’ skills and accomplishments
• feel competent to implement e-Portfolios.

 
Also keeping in mind, if the priority is to use them to support reflection and encourage deep learning, they should not be used for summative assessment or accreditation. Students must feel comfortable displaying honest reflections and imperfect work if they are to have a true sense of their progress. The e-portfolio should not, therefore, be a mandatory requirement. To encourage students to use them they need to be given a sense of ownership of their learning and development. They also need regular feedback, to be made aware of what is expected from them in terms of contributing to these portfolios, and how their performance will be reviewed.
 
In conclusion, technology must be simple for students and teachers to use while allowing some customization of structure, navigation and appearance to give students a sense of ownership of their portfolio. Training and support are essential to overcoming technical difficulties and explicit guidelines and benefits will help to give e-portfolios a sense of context and relevance within the program of study. If these challenges are addressed and the objectives of introducing the e-portfolios are remembered and used to drive key decisions, the resulting portfolios should prevail and help students to create a useful picture of their learning journey.