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Listening to learners: An investigation into college students’ attitudes towards the adoption of e‐portfolios in English assessment and learning
Author(s) -
Wang Ping,
Jeffrey Ricky
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
british journal of educational technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.79
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1467-8535
pISSN - 0007-1013
DOI - 10.1111/bjet.12513
Subject(s) - active listening , portfolio , context (archaeology) , psychology , mathematics education , perception , quality (philosophy) , pedagogy , focus group , preference , medical education , higher education , assessment for learning , sociology , medicine , political science , formative assessment , paleontology , epistemology , neuroscience , anthropology , financial economics , economics , biology , law , microeconomics , philosophy , communication
This study discusses the possibility of e‐portfolio as a central component of assessment practice in the traditionally exam‐oriented context of China's tertiary education. The aim was to listen to learners, and provide them with a voice to analyse their perception of the potential advantages and challenges of introducing a learning‐focused assessment tool. From five consecutive annual cohorts (2007–2011), 220 university students completed questionnaires about their attitudes and experience of using e‐portfolio assessment in an English as a foreign language course, with 120 students participating in follow‐up interviews and focus groups. The vast majority of learners expressed preference for e‐portfolio assessment, compared to paper‐based examinations. This study contributes to understanding Chinese educational ideology of assessment, so as to place emphasis on assessment for quality learning rather than on teaching to the test.