行政院國家科學委員會專題研究計畫成果報告
以學習歷程檔案作為語言學習輔助工具之研究
Using Portfolios as a Language Learning Tool
計畫編號：NSC 90-2411-H-002-045
執行期限：90 年 8 月 1 日至 91 年 7 月 31 日
主持人：楊乃冬 國 立 台 灣 大 學 外國語文學系
一、中文摘要 本研究旨在探討將學習歷程檔案融入 英語課程以及幫助學生成為有效和自主的 學習者之成效。學習歷程檔案係有目的的 蒐集學生作品，以展示其努力、進步、和 自我省思。本研究採用問卷調查大一英文 課之學生對使用學習歷程檔案之反應。第 二學期，學生回答問卷比較學習歷程檔案 和傳統紙筆測驗。研究結果發現：大部分 學生對使用學習歷程檔案持正面之態度。 學習歷程檔案的使用，其優點在於能鼓勵 學生對自己的學習採取主動和掌控，並且 有助學生省思其學習歷程；其缺點之一為 費時耗力。此外，學生大多認同學習歷程 檔案為輔助學習及評量進步之有用工具， 以及多樣評量對學習有較好的影響和幫 助。本研究並對英語教師運用學習歷程檔 案於英語課程提供教學建議，以加強學生 英語學習和培養學習自主。 關鍵詞：學習歷程檔案、自主學習、英語 學習、學習策略、學習策略教學、評量工 具。 AbstractThe study intended to investigate the efficacy of integrating portfolios into an EFL course and explore its effect on helping students to become effective and autonomous learners. As a purposeful collection of student work, portfolios show student efforts, progress, and self-reflection. The study used questionnaires to examine students’ reactions about the use of portfolios in a freshman English course. Also, students were surveyed about their reactions toward both
traditional pen-and-paper tests and portfolio assessment in the second semester. The results showed that most college students had positive reactions toward using portfolios in English class. Since portfolios could facilitate their taking control of and reflecting on their own learning, they considered portfolios a useful tool for assisting learning and assessing their progress. Besides, most students thought using multiple evaluation methods would be helpful to learning. Finally, practical suggestions on using portfolios in the EFL classroom were offered.
Keywords: Portfolios, Autonomous
Learning, English Acquisition, Language Learning Strategies, Learning Strategy Instruction, Evaluation Tools.
2. Background and Purposes
In recent years, many second language teachers and researchers have recognized the importance of helping students to become effective and autonomous learners [1]. But what teachers can do to facilitate their students’ learning and develop autonomy? Learning strategy-based (LSB) instruction has been one of the approaches to the objective [1, 2, 3].
It is the objective of this study to explore the use portfolios as a tool to facilitate student learning and develop learner autonomy. As a purposeful collection of student work, portfolios show student efforts, progress, and self-reflection [4, 5, 6]. Since portfolios are believed to be particularly appropriate for assessing language-learning process, portfolios have
been used as an alternative assessment device in writing, other disciplines in language arts, and varied educational programs [7, 8, 9, 10, 11]. On the other hand, as the use of the portfolio may encourage students to take initiative and control of their learning and to reflect on their learning over time [12, 13], the portfolio may be a useful tool for learner training and learning strategy-based (LSB) instruction. Since little research has been done concerning using portfolios with EFL college students in Taiwan, this study intended to investigate the efficacy of integrating portfolios into an EFL course and explore its effect on helping college students to become effective and autonomous learners.
3. The Study
Three research questions are asked in the study: (1) What do college students think about the use of portfolios in their EFL class? (2) What are the benefits or problems of using portfolios as tools to enhance learning in an EFL course? And (3) When comparing portfolios as an assessment tool and the traditional pen-and-paper tests, which one affect or facilitate student learning more in an EFL course?
3.1. Subjects
The subjects of this study are students enrolled in the Freshman English (with Aural/oral Training) course taught by the researcher. In the first semester of 2001, 45 students participated and in the second semester, 36 students were enrolled in the course. Among the 45 students, 13 (29%) majored in law and social sciences and 32 (71%) studied in College of Management. There are 36 female and 9 male students.
3.2. Procedures
Since the portfolio was integrated into the LSB instruction taught by the researcher, the framework for LSB instruction—i.e., diagnosis, preparation, instruction, and evaluation—was incorporated into the course
design and research design [14, 15, 16]. Therefore, the general procedures for the course go as follows: In the beginning of the semester, for diagnosis purpose, English Learning Questionnaire was used to assess students’ beliefs and learning strategy use. English proficiency test was given as pretest. Then, the guidelines for preparing portfolios were introduced to students. During the semester, portfolios were integrated into LSB instruction with activities in setting goals, making learning plans, monitoring, understanding learning styles, etc. Mid-semester portfolio sharing was arranged and students were asked to discuss their plans, progress so far, resources to share, and problems and possible solutions. At the end of the semester, English listening and reading test was given as post-test. Portfolio evaluation (including self evaluation, peer evaluation, and instructor’s evaluation) and course evaluation were conducted.
To study the effect of implementing portfolios in an EFL course, students’ reactions were solicited twice in the first semester: One after the mid-semester portfolio sharing by an open-ended questionnaire and the other after final portfolio presentation by Portfolio Survey One. To compare the impact of portfolio assessment and traditional assessment (pen-and-paper tests) on students’ learning, students were evaluated by both language proficiency tests and portfolio assessment in the second semester. Besides, students were surveyed about their reactions toward these different assessment tools (Portfolio Survey Two).
4. Results and Discussions
4.1. Students’ Reactions about the Use of Portfolios
Students were positive about the use of portfolios in the English class. Take the survey results (Table 1) as example: Many (95%) students felt that the portfolio allowed them to choose what they like to read or listen according to their personal interest. The portfolio also let them plan how to learn English according to their learning styles
(93%). The portfolio made them realize that they can learn anytime and anywhere, not just in the classroom. (91%). More details were listed in Table 1.
4.2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Portfolios as a Learning Tool
According to students’ answers to the open-ended questions, the advantages of using portfolios included: encouraging the use of metacognitive strategies (e.g., manage and organize learning, monitor and observe one’s learning, reflect on one’s learning), motivating students to learn actively and multi-dimensionally, being helpful to future independent learning, facilitating interactions among the instructor and students, exhibiting learning process and progress, presenting learning results, providing a sense of achievement, practicing presentation skills, etc.
As for the disadvantages, students’ reactions included: “It takes a lot of time”, “It is too much trouble, a burden to prepare”, “Some students may complete it in a short time and cheat at some samples or fake the records”, “Some learning results and methods are hard to present”, “Some learning process may not be easily recorded”, etc.
Students also reported some problems they encountered, such as problems in time management, learning attitudes (e.g., laziness, procrastination, and indetermination), record keeping, information management, and other computer and access problems.
4.3. Portfolios for Evaluation
When students were asked to compare portfolios as an assessment tool and the traditional pen-and-paper tests, over one half (51%) of the students liked to be evaluated by portfolios, while only 23% preferred to be evaluated by paper-and-pencil tests. It may due to the fact that portfolios offered them chances for self-evaluation, for over two-thirds (69%) of the students liked to assess their own progress. Many (89%) agreed that the portfolio provided a multi-dimensional perspective about
evaluation. The majority (94%) agreed that multiple evaluations should be used (see Table 2).
Besides, the open-ended questionnaire revealed that portfolios were different from ordinary paper-and-pencil tests in many aspects. First of all, portfolios may present students’ learning in wide range while the traditional assessment can only evaluate students in limited areas. Second, students participate in the process of portfolio evaluation while the traditional assessment is teacher-centered and usually conducted in a mechanic way. Third, portfolios take individual differences into consideration while the traditional assessment uses the same test for everyone. Fourth, while the teacher is the only evaluator in the traditional assessment, portfolio evaluation involves everybody in the assessment process, including students, teachers and peers. Fifth, self-evaluation is one of the learning objectives for portfolios, but not for the traditional assessment. Sixth, portfolio evaluation stresses improvement, effort, and achievement while the traditional assessment only focuses on results. Finally, portfolios connect learning, assessment, and instruction whereas the three items—learning, assessment, and instruction—are separated in the traditional assessment. In brief, portfolios were considered a better tool for assisting student learning.
4.4. Caveats and Suggestions
It needs careful planning on integrating portfolios into the class process, the students’ work, and the students’ assessment. Also, it takes time to prepare for evaluation, which may include assembling the finished portfolios, arranging portfolio presentation and peer evaluation, and completing the final evaluation by the instructor.
To integrate portfolios into English courses, teachers could:
1. 2.
Introduce the concepts of autonomous learning to students
Develop mini-lessons to help students compile their portfolios
3. Implement more frequent portfolio sharing and checking
4. 5.
Allocate more class time for assembling the portfolios
Consider other media instead of paper for portfolios
5. Concluding Remarks
In this study, students generally had positive reactions toward using the portfolio in the class for learning and assessment. Over 70% agreed that their experience of learning about portfolios was successful. Fewer than 15% thought that it was not very successful to use portfolios in the course. Only 5% felt the portfolio was not helpful to their learning.
The recent development of Web-based learning provides a promising autonomous learning environment that learning strategy-based instruction may play an important role. Future studies might incorporate LSB instruction with Web-based or on-line language learning with portfolios as an important learning tool. Some of the problems encountered, such as difficulty in record keeping, might turn out to be the advantage of computer-assisted or Web-based learning. To conclude, the portfolio is a good tool that helps raise students’ awareness about learning strategies, facilitate their learning process, and enhance their self-directed learning.
6. References
[1] Wenden, A. L. (1991). Learner strategies
for learner autonomy: Planning and implementing learner training for language learners. Herfordshire, UK: Prentice-Hall International.
[2] Oxford, R. L. (1990). Language learning
strategies: What every teacher should know. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
[3] Wenden, A. L., & Rubin, J. (Eds.).
(1987). Learner strategies in language learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
[4] Paulson, F. L. & Paulson, P. R. (1991).
Portfolios: Stories of knowing. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Claremont Reading Conference. (ERIC
Reproduction Service No. ED377209).
[5] Yue, H. P. (1999). Theory and practice of
portfolios. Handbook for Portfolio Workshop. National Taiwan University.
[6] Paulson, F. L., Paulson, P. R., & Meyer,
A. (1991). What makes a portfolio a portfolio? Educational Leadership, 48 (5), 60-63.
[7] Farr, R. C. (1994). Portfolio and
performance assessment: Helping students evaluate their progress as readers and writers. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
[8] Brown, J. D. (Ed.). (1998). New ways of
classroom assessment. Alexandra, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
[9] Chen, L. M. (2000). Portfolios in
second/foreign language classroom assessment. English Teaching and Learning, 25, 28-41.
[10] Huerta-Macias, A. (1995). Alternative
assessment: Responses to commonly asked questions. TESOL Journal, 5, 8-11.
[11] McNamara, M. J. & Deane, D. (1995).
Self-assessment activities: Toward autonomy in language learning. TESOL Journal, 5, 17-21.
[12] Gottlieb, M. (1995). Nurturing student
learning through portfolios. TESOL Journal, 5, 12-14.
[13] Padilla, A. M., Aninao, J. C. & Sung, H.
(1996). Development and implementation of student portfolios in foreign language programs. Foreign Language Annals, 29, 429-438.
[14] Yang, N. D. (2000). A systematic
study of a language learning strategy-based freshman English class. Report for National Science Council (NSC 89-241-H-002-002).
[15] Yang, N. D. (2002, April). Learning
Strategy Training in a Freshman English Course. Paper presented at the 36th annual meeting of International Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Salt lake City, Utah, U.S.A. April 9-13, 2002.
Table 1
Frequencies of Response (in %), Means and Standard Deviations for the Portfolio Survey One Items
Item Description 1a 2 3 4 5 Mean SD
1. It requires a clear organizing concept to compile a portfolio.
0b 2.3 7.0 60. 30.2 4.19 0.66
2. The portfolio sharing activities offer me chances to learn good English learning methods from other
classmates. 0 0 0 2.3 97.7 4.98 0.15 3. It takes me a lot of time to compile the portfolio. 0 2.3 9.3 58.1 30.2 4.16 0.69 4. I feel the appearance of the portfolio (including its
cover and art design) is important. 4.7 9.3 30.2 46.5 9.3 3.47 0.96 5. I will reflect on and evaluate my learning in each
aspect when compiling the portfolio. 2.3 2.3 14.0 55.8 25.6 4.00 0.85 6. During the portfolio sharing activities, I can share
useful English learning resources with my classmates.
2.3 0 14.0 60.5 23.3 4.02 0.77
7. I have a clear concept about how to compile a
portfolio. 2.3 2.3 58.1 25.6 11.6 3.42 0.82 8. The portfolio helps me organize and arrange my
English learning. 2.3 7.0 27.9 48.8 14.0 3.65 0.90 9. I have completed most of the learning goals I set
up in my portfolio. 4.7 20.9 44.2 30.2 0 3.00 0.85 10. The portfolio increases the burden of my study. 2.3 11.6 41.9 37.2 7.0 3.35 0.87 11. The portfolio allows me to choose what I like to
read or listen according to my personal interest. 0 0 4.7 53.5 41.9 4.37 0.58 12. The portfolio increases my willingness to learn
actively. 2.3 2.3 39.5 34.9 20.9 3.70 0.91 13. I feel the content of the portfolio (including its
organization and details) is important. 4.7 2.3 11.6 39.5 41.9 4.12 1.03 14. Portfolio sharing can increase classmates’
cooperative learning and mutual growth in English proficiency.
2.3 2.3 9.3 48.8 37.2 4.16 0.87
15. The goal I originally set up in the portfolio was
too difficult and I can’t reach it. 2.3 20.9 39.5 27.9 9.3 3.21 0.97 16. The portfolio allows me to choose how to learn
English according to my learning style. 2.3 0 4.7 62.8 30.2 4.19 0.73 17. It requires a good computer skills and artistic
talent to prepare a portfolio. 4.7 11.6 48.8 23.3 11.6 3.26 0.98 18. The portfolio makes me understand my strengths
and weaknesses in English. 2.3 4.7 11.6 69.8 11.6 3.84 0.78 19. I think reflection and self-evaluation are the most
important part of the portfolio. 2.3 7.0 14.0 46.5 30.2 3.95 0.97 20. The handout’s introduction to the portfolio is not
clear enough. 16.3 39.5 34.9 9.3 0 2.37 0.87 21. The portfolio sharing activities are helpful to my
understanding about the portfolio. 2.3 2.3 2.3 69.8 23.3 4.09 0.75 22. The portfolio will be of great help to my future
independent learning. 2.3 7.0 27.9 48.8 14.0 3.65 0.90 23. I feel some practices (like listening or speaking)
cannot be easily presented in the portfolio. 0 4.7 11.6 60.5 23.3 4.02 0.74 24. Looking at previous students’ portfolio samples
gives me a better idea about portfolios. 2.3 4.7 37.2 37.2 18.6 3.65 0.92
25. I will add appropriate explanation to the samples
or records included in the portfolio. 2.3 9.3 20.9 51.2 16.3 3.70 0.94 26. I feel the portfolio can exhibit my learning results. 4.7 4.7 30.2 51.2 9.3 3.56 0.91 27. The portfolio makes me realize that we can learn
anytime and anywhere, not just in the classroom. 0 0 9.3 55.8 34.9 4.26 0.62 28. The portfolio can show my efforts in learning
English outside of the classroom. 0 2.3 16.3 51.2 30.2 4.09 0.75 29. I still don’t understand why we need to compile a
portfolio. 32.6 48.9 7.0 9.3 2.3 2.00 1.00 30. When compiling the portfolio, I have a chance to
reflect on my English learning of this semester. 2.3 2.3 7.0 62.8 25.6 4.07 0.80 31. I feel the portfolio is not helpful to my
learning. 18.6 60.5 16.3 2.3 2.3 2.09 0.81 32.The portfolio helps me to keep the habit of listening
to, reading, or writing English regularly. 2.3 18.6 44.2 25.6 9.3 3.21 0.94 Note:
a 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, and 5 = Strongly agree. b The Percentage has been rounded.
Table 2
Frequencies of Response (in %), Means and Standard Deviations for the Second Portfolio Survey Items
Item Description 1a 2 3 4 5 Mean SD
1. The portfolio helps me organize learning in this
course. 0b 0 14.3 68.6 17.1 4.03 0.57 2. The portfolio is a good tool to show my learning
process. 2.9 0 14.3 71.4 11.4 3.89 0.72 3. The portfolio presents my learning results in this
course. 0 5.7 11.4 74.3 8.6 3.86 0.65 4. The portfolio helps me to reflect on my learning in
this course. 0 0 8.6 68.6 22.9 4.14 0.55 5. The portfolio increases the interaction between
students and the instructor. 0 8.6 34.3 40.0 17.1 3.66 0.87 6. The portfolio is a good tool to help students
learning. 0 2.9 28.6 60.0 8.6 3.74 0.66 7. The portfolio provides a multi-dimensional
perspective about learning. 0 2.9 5.7 65.7 25.7 4.14 0.65 8. The portfolio helps my learning in future courses. 0 11.4 42.9 37.1 8.6 3.43 0.81 9. The portfolio is a good tool to evaluate students’
performance. 5.7 2.9 34.3 40.0 17.1 3.60 1.01 10. The portfolio provides a multi-dimensional
perspective about evaluation. 0 2.9 8.6 68.6 20.0 4.06 0.64 11. The portfolio helps my future independent
learning. 0 5.7 17.1 60.0 17.1 3.89 0.76 12. I will use portfolios in my future learning. 2.9 0 45.7 42.9 8.6 3.54 0.78 13. My experience of learning about the portfolio in
this course is successful. 0 2.9 22.9 60.0 11.4 3.82 0.67 14. It is successful to use portfolios for teaching and
evaluation in this course. 0 14.3 45.7 37.1 2.9 3.29 0.75 15. I like to assess my own progress. 0 8.6 22.9 57.1 11.4 3.71 0.79 16. I like the teacher to assess my progress for me. 0 11.4 45.7 40.0 2.9 3.34 0.73 17. I prefer to be evaluated by portfolios. 0 8.6 40.0 48.6 2.9 3.46 0.70 18. I prefer to be evaluated by paper-and-pencil tests. 5.7 17.1 54.3 22.9 0 2.94 0.80 19. I think we should use multiple evaluation methods 0 0 5.7 60.0 34.3 4.29 0.57
Note:
a 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, and 5 = Strongly agree. b The Percentage has been rounded.
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