THE  WRITING PORTFOLIO

What is it?

            Students and some teachers may be accustomed to high school “student folders” where the instructor keeps copies of each student’s work.  College writing portfolios—including portfolios in CWP classes—are somewhat different.

            The working portfolio contains prewriting, brainstorming, research notes, drafts, responses, and revisions of all writing assignments in the class.  Students should be encouraged to save all their work throughout the semester.  The working portfolio is a sort of archive, and it is also the most complete indication of the student’s writing processes.  Note that the student, not the teacher, is responsible for collecting and keeping the work.  The teacher may or may not require students to turn in their working portfolios.

            The showcase portfolio (often labeled the final or midterm portfolio) contains examples of the student’s best work, along with the student’s own written reflections on that work.  Some instructors specify the contents, but most have the students choose the writing that will go into the showcase portfolio, within certain parameters.  (e.g.,“Include  20 pages of your best work.”  “Submit one essay from the first half of the semester and at least two essays you have worked on since midterm.”)  The showcase portfolio is much like an artist’s or photographer’s portfolio: it is the work that the student wants to have represent him or her.   Thus, it’s important for students to make as many decisions as possible about the writing they wish to work on for portfolio presentation.

            At the end of the semester, some teachers want to see at least some drafts from the working portfolio included in the student’s final showcase portfolio.  Other instructors, having followed the students’ writing processes and drafts throughout the semester, prefer the final portfolio to be “lean and mean”—containing only the final revisions and the student’s written (and typed) reflections on each piece of writing.

What does it look like?

¨      Folder of essays

¨      Envelope

¨      Booklet or Notebook

¨      Diskette

What might the portfolio contain?

¨      Best representative work of a writer.

¨      Copies of instructor's and/or peer group’s commentary on a student's work.

¨      Copies of the student’s own analysis and commentary on the work

¨      Combination of in-class writing and take-home assignments.

¨      Different kinds of writing, perhaps showing range of student’s ability and background

¨      Final draft of a single assignment accompanied by working drafts and prewriting

Guidelines:

¨      In English 101, we would like students to produce approximately 15 pages of revised, polished writing. 

¨      In English 102, students should present approximately 25 pages of revised, polished writing.

NOTE: English 101 papers will tend to be somewhat shorter than most English 102 papers.  We want to encourage 101 students to move from the three-page paper toward more extended, fully developed writing—if only to increase their repertoire and range of writing abilities.  But we don’t want to become the “page police,” nor do we assume (at the essay level) that numbers of pages are an indication of quality.  A 101 student who has produced only three-page papers may certainly qualify for an A in the course.  Depending on the rhetorical situation, a one-page paper may be far better than a five-page piece of writing.  A successful 101 portfolio might contain a five-page essay, two three-page papers, several revised one-page journal entries, and, of course, a reflective/critical cover letter addressed to the instructor and/or other readers of the portfolio.

What are the advantages of the portfolio for writing instruction?

What does the portfolio system have to offer that cannot be accomplished through grading each paper and revision separately?

¨      The portfolio postpones evaluation so students are less frustrated in the earlier stages of a class, when they are less likely to succeed.

¨      The portfolio allows the instructor to concentrate on process rather than (repeatedly) on product.

¨      The portfolio allows students to revise or an extended period.  This simulates more closely the process of writing.

¨      By choosing the contents of the portfolio and writing reflective commentary, the student develops a critical sense toward his or her writing.  By seeing all the “best work” together in a unified presentation, the student may develop pride and satisfaction in his or her writing.

¨      The portfolio emphasizes revision as a way of making work more effective, rather than just as a way of making corrections in order to satisfy a teacher.

¨      The portfolio incorporates what we know about how students develop into writers by emphasizing process, multiple drafting, and collaborative learning.

¨      The portfolio system allows instructors to tailor classes to the students’ needs (by level or career objective).

¨      The portfolio provides opportunities for multidimensional and multifaceted assessment.  Developing the portfolio allows readers to address specific problems or offer encouragement in response.

¨      The portfolio allows for diagnosis of specific problems or progress in students’ writing skills.

What are the uses of the portfolio for various kinds of assessment?

[These uses extend beyond the individual classroom and into the program, department, and university.  But it is helpful to be aware of them because they, too, may affect classroom instruction.]

¨      The portfolio serves as a substitute for proficiency tests.  The assembling of a portfolio more nearly resembles the process of writing; it emphasizes the process as much as the product.

¨      Student portfolios may be read and evaluated as a way of determining correct placement in an appropriate English class.

¨      Student portfolios may be read, benchmarked, described, and evaluated as a way of assessing the success of a course, curriculum, or program.

¨      Portfolios can be used as a diagnostic tool for curriculum and instruction.

Download an RTF version of Writing Portfolio.