Abstract:
When the British Columbia Ministry of Education in Canada initiated a mandatory Portfolio requirement for secondary school graduation, Mary-Anne Neal was responsible for provincial implementation of the initiative. For three years, she travelled throughout B.C. collecting information about Portfolio implementation in schools, colleges and universities. She also conducted workshops and delivered presentations at fifty conferences, meetings and gatherings, addressing more than 3,000 educators, parents, students and community members. This presentation unpacks her action research and describes the Portfolio experience in the British Columbia school system, including colleges and universities. Human, political and technological successes and challenges are identified and analysed in a Canadian context, aligned with universally-acknowledged pedagogical principles.
In B.C., the Graduation Portfolio was intended to be an alternative form of assessment for learning as well as a celebration of individual strengths and competencies. It was also meant to be a developmental process that took place over three years. Instead, the Portfolio requirement was rescinded before a full cycle was completed, and approximately 50,000 students did not complete their portfolios as originally anticipated.
Through an exploration of the British Columbia Portfolio experience, this presentation answers the questions: What happened? What lessons can be learned from the B.C. Portfolio initiative? Mary-Anne Neal presents the implications of her findings for educators and educational jurisdictions who are contemplating Portfolio implementation.
In B.C., the Graduation Portfolio was intended to be an alternative form of assessment for learning as well as a celebration of individual strengths and competencies. It was also meant to be a developmental process that took place over three years. Instead, the Portfolio requirement was rescinded before a full cycle was completed, and approximately 50,000 students did not complete their portfolios as originally anticipated.
Through an exploration of the British Columbia Portfolio experience, this presentation answers the questions: What happened? What lessons can be learned from the B.C. Portfolio initiative? Mary-Anne Neal presents the implications of her findings for educators and educational jurisdictions who are contemplating Portfolio implementation.