Portfolios as a competency-based form of assessment in the context of post-pandemic higher education: opportunities and challenges
Berlin, Germany
Organization: Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT)
Abstract submission: March 30, 2023
Registration: until April 20, 2023 (or until the capacity limit is reached)
Conference languages: English and German
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and continuous digitalization, assessment methods have changed and evolved to embrace more ways to assess knowledge and skills, including a growing emphasis on formative assessment. Consequently, the focus has been shifting from mainly evaluating students’ performance at the end of a learning unit or course to providing continuous feedback on learner development.
The portfolio is a form of assessment that combines autonomous learning, regular feedback and continuous review of performance based on it. Whether in pen-and-paper or in digital form, goal- oriented or including more open tasks, short- or long-term oriented, portfolios bring many benefits to performance assessment. However, establishing performance criteria and setting portfolio goals is challenging. In a recent project, which was made possible with funding through a “Pru?fung hoch III Drei” Fellowship (sponsored by the Stifterverband fu?r die deutsche Wissenschaft), the members of the BHT Language Centre are examining the use of digital portfolios as competency-based assessment methods.
This one-day symposium, which is connected to the aforementioned project, aims to provide a space for teachers and educators interested in working with portfolios in higher education as well as scholars working on portfolio assessment and methodology. Although primarily focused on portfolio use in language teaching, the symposium aims to promote an interdisciplinary exchange on the topic and therefore explicitly invites practitioners from all disciplines to share their experiences and in the long-term, to provide a sustainable platform for the exchange of materials, assessment criteria and to discuss technical possibilities.
More information and links to the registration form can be found here (CfP in German and English):
https://projekt.bht-berlin.de/fileadmin/projekt/sprachen/cfp_portfolio_symposium2023_BHT.pdf
Dr. Alexia Schemien