The Writing Portfolio Assessment In An EFL Class

The present study attempted to explore the potential of writing portfolio assessment with English as a foreign language (EFL) students, focusing on examining its effects on student learning when it becomes a routine part of the classroom, in particular, from the student perspective. Its implementation in the very context was investigated, too. Two intact EFL classes at University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) were involved in the study, with one randomly identified as the experimental group (the portfolio class). The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research, but essentially took an ethnographic approach. An experimental design was devised and carried out to compare the learning outcomes of the two groups. To examine the implementation and effect of portfolio assessment, a multitude of procedures, including observations, interviews and surveys of participants, were utilized to collect extensive data on the context of the portfolio classroom. Some assessment-related materials developed by participants in this study were also collected and examined. Quantitative data analysis was calculated using SPSS. Qualitative data were analyzed through the procedure of protocol analysis. No significant difference was found with respect to writing achievement between the groups from the pre-post test. However, qualitative dada collected illustrated that portfolio assessment did have positive effects on student learning, promoting student reflection, self-evaluation and motivation, facilitating teacher-student communication and encouraging students to take more responsibility for their learning. This study also suggested that implementing portfolio assessment was demanding and needed support.