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Portfolios in Classroom L2 Writing Assessment

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Classroom Writing Assessment and Feedback in L2 School Contexts

Abstract

Hailed as a useful form of classroom writing assessment and an alternative to large-scale writing assessment, portfolio assessment has, since the mid-1980s, become a popular tool for assessing writing in L1 contexts (Belanoff and Dickson 1991; Hamp-Lyons and Condon 2000; Yancey and Weiser 1997). Soon the literature on portfolio assessment in L2 writing contexts has begun to mushroom, and portfolio assessment is increasingly viewed as an effective means to measure L2 student writing progress. Theoretically, portfolio assessment is grounded in the social constructivist theory of learning, which posits that learning is ongoing and constructed through the active involvement of the learners (Alleman and Brophy 1998; Klenowski 2002). It also dovetails with the principles of assessment for/as learning, which involves students actively in the learning and assessment process. During the portfolio process, students obtain feedback from multiple sources (e.g., teacher and peers), and such interactions provide experiences within students’ zone of proximal development (ZPD) (Vygotsky 1978) and help advance their learning. In sociocultural terms, portfolio assessment is seen as a mediating factor for student learning (Vygotsky 1986). It also plays a significant role in enhancing student motivation and promoting self-regulation, which are contributing factors to academic achievement (Zusho and Edwards 2011).

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  1. Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    Icy Lee

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Lee, I. (2017). Portfolios in Classroom L2 Writing Assessment. In: Classroom Writing Assessment and Feedback in L2 School Contexts. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3924-9_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3924-9_8

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