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MusEd 265

PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

 

General Overview

  Portfolio Assessment is used to view and understand the learning of a student over a period of time. In order to see a learning pattern, the portfolio holds not only the completed work, but items such as rough drafts and brainstorming ideas as well. It shows a completed project from beginning to end. There are portfolios, such as the showcase portfolio, that contains only the completed work. However, my research will examine the holistic portfolio for truly, the wonder of portfolios is that they lead to so much learning!! 

  The Portfolio can take on many varieties and have many components. However, there are shared goals for portfolio assessment:

  • Portfolios allow for an extended view  of growth in learning, understanding, and application
  • Portfolios allow for an extended view and assessment of the process as well as the product
  • Portfolios allow for the valuing of effort and improvement along with the product
  • Portfolios allow for engaging students in self-reflection
  • Portfolios allow for authentic assessment and activities-based instruction

  • Portfolios are student centered

  Portfolios may contain many items besides that of written work. They many incorporate items such as:

  • Web-based documentation
  • Video recordings
  • Audio recordings
  • Wav.files
  • Materials on CD-ROM
  • Composed music

  • Projects

  Students employ a variety of learning methods while working on a portfolio. Among them are methods of peer tutoring and evaluation, written work, problem solving, and activities-based exploration. However, one of the most essential parts of portfolios is that the student engages in self-reflection and assessment. It is a powerful tool for the student to learn the capability of knowing how they learn and the patterns they exhibit.

  There are some drawbacks to the use of portfolio that can't be denied. They do take time to assess and making sure that they are kept up. There are practical issues such as where to keep these portfolios. And, for the Elementary General Music Specialist, it could mean hundreds of students. However, I do believe believe that there are ways to counteract some of the usual problems with portfolios.

  As the interest in assessment grows, teaching methodologies and assessment alternatives will also have to be examined. With all of the options available, I believe portfolios lend themselves, if done properly, to a valid assessment of a student.

MY RESEARCH...

My dissertation will unfold via a quasi-experimental research study examining assessment through rubrics, reflective thinking, etc., and the more traditional assessment forms such as paper/pencil exams. 

MusEd 265 - Basic Music for the Classroom Teacher

Class One: Web-based portfolio assessment. Class Three: Traditional Assessments
Class Two: Web-based portfolio assessment. Class Four: Traditional Assessments. 

Research Questions

1.      Is there a significant difference in the view of non-music students in a basic music course regarding their musical progress and learning over a semester by those who are assessed through more traditional evaluative tools such as paper and pencil examinations and those who are assessed with tools such as rubrics, self-reflections, and the building of web-based portfolios?

  2.      Is there a significant difference in the attitudes of non-music students in a basic music course regarding the assessment tools such as rubrics, self-reflections, building of web-based portfolios, and paper and pencil examinations that were used in their section of the course?

3.      Are non-music students in a basic music course better able to describe their learning of musical concepts through self-reflections? 

4.      Did the creation of web-based portfolios by non-music students in a basic music course help the students view their semester’s progress and growth?

 

 

 

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