Digital Portfolios for Authentic Assessment
Digital portfolios are transforming student assessment in secondary and higher education. Unlike traditional methods that capture learning at a single point, portfolios showcase both the process and product of student achievement. Our Middle Level Education program utilizes digital portfolios from introduction courses through final student teaching, resulting in a comprehensive showcase of each student's development.
A key element of ensuring portfolios are purposeful and effective assessments is linking them to standards or learning objectives. For example, our Middle Level Portfolio asks students to curate and reflect on evidence that they're meeting the Association of Middle Level Education (AMLE) standards.
Here are some other ideas for portfolio use in secondary and higher education:
- Interdisciplinary portfolios that encourage students to link learning across subject areas
- Course-specific portfolios that ask students to curate their work as it aligns to core competencies, power standards, or course objectives
- CTE portfolios that ask students to highlight their best work in a specific career track
- Program portfolios that move with students throughout their program of study or across grade bands
Key benefits of digital portfolios:
- Authentic assessment of student growth
- Continuous documentation across courses
- Student-led curation and reflection
- Showcase of skills for potential employers
Why choose Apple Pages for digital portfolios:
- Flexible creation and editing on Mac, iPad, or iCloud.com
- Increased accessibility and alignment with Universal Design for Learning through use of multiple media types (text, images, video, audio)
- Suitable for all content areas
- Easy sharing with students and potential employers
However, students may feel overwhelmed creating portfolios from scratch. To avoid this challenge, instructors can create and provide customizable templates, so students can focus on curating high quality evidence of their learning rather than the design element of building a portfolio.
How to Create Portfolio Templates in Apple Pages
Creating effective digital portfolio templates in Apple Pages is simple when you start with the built-in book templates on either iPad or Mac. You can also use the short video below to get started.
You can further support student creation by providing a library of how-to videos that explain how to add to and edit their portfolios, whether they're working on iPad, Mac, or iCloud.com.
Digital Portfolio Use in Secondary and Higher Education
Digital portfolios empower students to take ownership of their learning journey while providing educators with a holistic view of student progress. By implementing user-friendly tools like Apple Pages, institutions can streamline the portfolio creation process and enhance the overall educational experience.
A copy of our Middle Level Portfolio Pages template and a completed student example are attached to this post for you to explore.
How might you empower learners to highlight and celebrate their best work by using portfolios for authentic assessment?
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