Tilling the soil: Making portfolio assessment work in an integrated high school humanities setting.

摘要

The purpose of this action research study was to chronicle students' experiences of creating portfolios in an integrated Grade 11 Humanities Co-op program. The aim was to use deeper understanding gained about the portfolio process to improve the process in the future and to consider general implications for educators.;The majority of participants completed quality portfolios and derived significant benefits from the portfolio process, which proved to require deep understanding of the program's goals and content while helping students gain deeper understanding of themselves. Those participants who experienced the portfolio process positively were left with a sense of accomplishment, increased confidence, increased ownership of the learning process and greater motivation for future learning.;A small minority of participants struggled with the process and either failed to complete their portfolios or completed portfolios of poor quality. In these cases, while portfolios generally provided an accurate assessment of student learning, they left students feeling discouraged, with decreased self-esteem and ownership and a lack of motivation for future learning. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).;Students from two of the principal researcher's classes comprised the studies 26 participants. Eight of these participants were purposefully selected for in-depth interviews. Data from portfolios, interviews, and anonymous questionnaires were analyzed and coded according to emerging themes.