What does creating a science portfolio show students about their learning?

Abstract

Teachers are often surprised to find that their students have forgotten material that they demonstrated mastery of on a recent assessment. To address this issue, many teachers attempt to give students more meaningful encounters with course material through various types of alternative assessment. This study examines the effects of creating an assessment portfolio on student achievement and compares alternative assessment strategies to traditional assessment strategies. During the study students reflected on assessments that they completed and created a portfolio to show what and how they learned. Students completed surveys and interviews to determine how they felt these assessments helped them to learn.