Summative vs Formative Assessment: The Case of Portfolio

Polenek, Hana (author), Sokolov, Cvetka (mentor)

The thesis examines the significance of assessment in the teaching and learning process, emphasising its role in providing feedback and guidance to both students and teachers with a focus on alternative assessment. We distinguish between formative and summative assessment, with traditional and alternative methods often overlapping within these categories. Specifically, this thesis explores portfolio assessment, highlighting its benefits such as promoting autonomy, responsibility, fostering creativity, motivating students, and reducing the stress associated with assessment, while acknowledging challenges such as subjective evaluation criteria and time constraints. Based on surveys and interviews conducted at the Department of English, Faculty of Arts of University of Ljubljana, the study reveals a positive attitude towards alternative assessment among both students and professors, despite some preference for traditional methods due to their familiarity. While students’ exposure to alternative assessment is limited, future teachers express readiness to introduce methods like peer review, research papers, and portfolios in their teaching. The findings highlight the importance of a balanced approach to assessment that recognizes the advantages and disadvantages of both traditional and alternative methods, emphasising the need for inclusivity to cater to diverse needs of all learners.

• Language: English
• Keywords: assessment, alternative assessment methods, portfolio assessment, attitudes of students and teachers
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2024
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-155412
• Publication date in RUL: 30.03.2024

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Sumativno in formativno vrednotenje znanja na primeru zbirne mape (portfolija)

Abstract

Magistrsko delo obravnava pomen ocenjevanja v procesu poučevanja in učenja ter poudarja njegovo vlogo pri zagotavljanju povratnih informacij in usmerjanju učencev in učiteljev s poudarkom na alternativnem ocenjevanju. Ločimo formativno in sumativno ocenjevanje, pri čemer se tradicionalne in alternativne metode pogosto prekrivajo znotraj teh kategorij. Magistrsko delo podrobneje obravnava zbirno mapo kot metodo alternativnega ocenjevanja. Izpostavlja prednosti zbirne mape, kot so spodbujanje samostojnosti, odgovornosti in ustvarjalnosti, motiviranje učencev in zmanjševanje stresa, povezanega z ocenjevanjem, hkrati pa opozori na izzive, ki jih prinaša njihova uvedba, na primer na subjektivna merila ocenjevanja in zamudnost vrednotenja izdelkov. Na podlagi anket in intervjujev, opravljenih na Oddelku za anglistiko in amerikanistiko Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani, študija razkriva pozitiven odnos do alternativnega ocenjevanja tako med študenti kot profesorji. Medtem ko je izpostavljenost študentov alternativnemu ocenjevanju omejena, pa študenti bodoči učitelji izražajo pripravljenost za vključevanje alternativnih metod, kot so medsebojno ocenjevanje, seminarske naloge in zbirne mape. Ugotovitve poudarjajo pomen uravnoteženega pristopa k ocenjevanju, ki priznava prednosti in slabosti tako tradicionalnih kot alternativnih metod, ter izpostavljajo pomen upoštevanja raznolikih potreb vseh učencev in učenk.

• Keywords: ocenjevanje, alternativne metode ocenjevanja, zbirna mapa, pogledi študentov in profesorjev