Writing Across the Curriculum

The Second-Level Writing Handbook // Creating and Implementing Effective Writing Assignments // Responding to Student Writing // In-Class Writing Activities // Peer Response // Preventing Plagiarism // OSU Resources.

Download Alternative Grading Models: Portfolios as a Microsoft Word file.

Portfolio grading developed as an alternative to the traditional evaluation model utilizing revisionless papers. The use of portfolios requires students to write many drafts of their papers, to receive feedback on each, and to choose which papers they want to be graded. This grading method alters the message frequently sent to students by the traditional model that the writing process is "completed" once an assignment is turned in and that the teacher has absolute control over what is graded.

• It encourages students to see revision as an ongoing process that continues after a writing assignment is turned in.
• It gives students more control and responsibility over their own grading.
• It forces students to become better readers and critics of their own work.

Assignments:

Courses incorporating the portfolio method are not radically different from those utilizing more traditional methods. Writing assignments are still given at regular intervals and due dates assigned for drafts. The key difference is that grading occurs only once or twice a quarter when the entire portfolio is turned in by the student. Students place each draft of every assignment in the portfolio, which is usually an expandable folder.

Drafting:

Assigning multiple drafts and providing a venue for feedback from the instructor, peers, or both, is essential to a course encouraging this process. Frequent peer responding sessions, conferences with, and written comments from, the instructor should be incorporated into syllabi using the portfolio grading method. Students should receive credit, "complete" or "incomplete," for finishing each draft, but not graded in the traditional sense on them. Some provision should be made for a reduction of total points, or overall grade, for failure to write certain drafts. In this way, the student receives credit for drafts even though they are not graded.

Grading:

There are several ways to grade a completed portfolio, but the basic principle is the same. The student selects a designated number of papers to be graded from their portfolio. The students may turn in the last draft of each assignment on which they received comments or may rewrite this draft as many times as they want until they have a final copy they wish to be graded. This allows the students to judge the relative quality of their work and have ultimate control over the writing to be evaluated. The selection and grading process normally occurs either once or twice a quarter, depending on the particular instructor.

The grading itself can be done holistically by a group of teachers or individually by the course instructor. The final grade may be determined by the average of the selected papers or by the improvement of the complete portfolio over the term. You may also wish to include student self-evaluation, requiring that students analyze the overall progress of their portfolios, in your grading scheme.

If you would like further information or assistance in implementing portfolio grading in your course please contact the Writing Across the Curriculum office to schedule an individual consultation at wac@cstw.osu.edu or 292-9650.