PREPARING AND INTRODUCING PORTFOLIO Written by: Irena Štimac

Purpose: to introduce portfolio as a way of monitoring the development of students' competences (applicable knowledge, skills and attitude towards learning and working) in comparison with aims and standards of knowledge, so that it would systematically develop a more active role of students.

Participants: • 4 teachers of vocational competences • 2 teachers of key competences • 26 2nd year car-mechatronic students • trainers in enterprises

Time of realization: April – October 2006

1. Forming a referential framework of portfolio

When forming the framework we took into consideration four fundamental areas of monitoring: vocational skills and practical knowledge, planning skills, social skills and general knowledge. We focused our attention on content and process goals – what the knowledge of our students after completing practice will be – what they will get familiar with, what knowledge they will deepen, what they will be able to do themselves, will they be able to analyse things, seek information, make conclusions, plan, present their ideas and opinions, communicate, work in a team.

Planning activities

For the development of students' competences active learning close to real circumstances is very important. Therefore workplace learning was chosen as our activity. It enables students to act in real-life situations.

Selection and preparing proofs, creating descriptive criteria

We selected a choice of proofs (work report with a drawing, sketch, plan), a product of a student's choice (a video, a product of useful value, an interview) and the presentation of his work/knowledge in public. We also determined the areas of monitoring and created descriptive criteria for them.

Planning feedback model

Feedback was planned on the basis of the proofs above, knowledge presented and on the basis of the trainer's judgement. We prepared a questionnaire intended for a student's self-reflection (self-evaluation, set aims) after completed workplace learning and feedback by employers.

2. Testing in practice

The introduction of portfolio was tested within contents Bodywork during workplace learning. Prior to the workplace learning students and employers were given questionnaires (student's report, trainer's report) which included basic information, the aims and the analysis of work. After WL was completed the students and the employers returned the questionnaires to the teachers-mentors at school. The latter analysed project work together with the students, so that the students had a short presentation of their work at the employers, plus they also had to choose one work day and talk about it (argue for it). With their teachers-mentors they went through the questionnaires and got familiar with their trainers' opinions. On the basis of a set of questions the students wrote a letter about their work which should reflect their opinion on their work.

3. Evaluation

When evaluating the activities we found we had been following the aims set because the students: • got more feedback than before which suggested whether they acquired knowledge and achieved the anticipated aims; it also provided information on problem areas and directed them towards solutions, • acquired a better knowledge through practical work, completing the questionnaire, making the report, self-evaluation, writing the letter, • got an opportunity to make self-evaluation and become aware of their weak and strong points, • got stimulation to take control over their own learning, studying, thinking and planning, • were given a more active role and thus a better motivation.

Our hard work and the prepared instructions and questionnaires resulted in employers' willingness to monitor our students' work more systematically. Since we gained positive experience from the collaboration with the employers, we plan to proceed with it and introduce it into the rest of educational programmes at our school. We were able to achieve the results because of our willingness to work in a team, our opennes for changes and novelties and also because of individual teachers' engagement. Our aim is to spread the use of portfolio into our classrooms and workshops for we are of the opinion that a properly arranged portfolio (which will also follow a student's personal development) will enable our students to be able to prove their qualifications for employability and further education, personal development and participation in society.