ABSTRACT

 

The study surveyed the level of the use of Portfolios as a method of assessment in Selected Courses of the Faculty of Environmental Design, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The study investigated the types of Portfolio use by lecturers and students; it also examined the lecturers‟ and students‟ understanding of the concept of Portfolio Assessment as well as determines the problems of using portfolios as a method of assessment. This is with the ultimate goal of establishing the need for Portfolio model in enhancing learning. Portfolios are being use but they do not provide rubric, self-reflection and portfolio model sheets. Lack of defined assessment scheme has been the gap the study bridges. The study used five research objectives. One thousand and one hundred (1,100) students and lecturers form population, while two hundred and ninety-three (293) served as sample size of the study. The selection was done by the use of Stratified Random Sampling technique. Experts were involved in order to scrutinize the research instruments in terms of construct and content validity. The study used Alpha Cronbach reliability Coefficient to ascertain the reliability of the research instrument that yield 0.951 which was obtained for student‟s questionnaire and 0.981 for lecturers‟ questionnaire. These results therefore confirmed that the instruments were reliable for collection of data. The responses were based on lecturers‟ and students‟ understanding of the concept of Portfolio Assessment, types and variations of portfolio assessment and problems of using portfolio assessment. The findings of the study showed that portfolios were mostly used as a folder. The findings indicated that both lecturers and students did not understand the concept of portfolio assessment which comprises rubric, guidelines; self-reflection and portfolio model sheets. The finding of the study on lecturers‟ knowledge of using portfolio assessment revealed that majority of them disagreed that portfolios are supposed to be used with rubric, reflection and portfolio model. The finding of the study also identified time consumption, large class or crowdedness as problems of using assessment portfolios. Provides multiple ways of assessing students‟ learning overtime and multiple opportunities for observation and assessment are the benefits of portfolio assessment among others.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page…………………………………………………………………….……………………ii Declaration………………………………………………………………………………………..iii Certification……………………………………………………………………………………….iv Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………………v Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………………..…………vi Abstract……………………………………………………………………………….………….vii Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………..viii List of Tables………………………………………………………………………….………….xii List of Appendices………………………………………………………………….……….…..xiii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study………………………………………………….…………………..1 1.2 Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………..……………….3 1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study………………………………………………..…………….4 1.4 Research Questions………………………………………………………………..…………..4 1.5 Justification of the Study ………………………………………………………….………….5 1.6 Significance of the Study ……………………………………………………..………………5 1.7 Scope of the Study ………………………………………………………..…………………..6 1.8 Definition of Operational Terms ………………………………………………………………6 1.9 Theoretical Framework of the Study……………………………………….…………………9 1.10 Research Philosophy of the Study…………………………………………………….……10 1.11 Ontology…………………..…………………………….…………………..………………11 1.12 Epistemology……………………………………………………………………………….11 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Concept of Education, Continuous and Portfolio Assessment ………………………………12 2.1.1Nature of Continuous Assessment…………………………………….…………………….17 2.1.2 Description of Types, Categories and Contents of Assessment Portfolio…………………23
2.2 Faculty of Environmental Design and Selected Courses…………………………….………25
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2.3 Professional Vocational Education Programme and Natural Policy on Education…….……29 2.4 Concerns of Portfolio Assessment in Teaching………………………………………………31 2.5 Utilization of Portfolios as a Method of Assessment……………………………….………..32 2.6 Criteria for Assessment using Portfolio Model………………………………………………39 2.7 Problems and Benefits of Portfolio Assessment…………………………………….……….40 2.8 Procedure for Utilizing Assessment Portfolio in Teaching………………………………….41 2.9 Previous Related Empirical Studies………………………………………………………….83 2.10 Summary of Reviewed Literature………….………………………………………………….89 CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….….92 3.1 Research Design………………………………………………………………………………93 3.2 Population, Sample and Sampling Procedure………………………………………………..93 3.3 Research Instruments………………………………………………………………………….94 3.4 Validation of Research Instruments………………………………………………………….95 3.5 Reliability of Research Instruments……………………………………………………………95 3,6 Procedure for Data Collection……………………………………………………………….95 3.7 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………96 CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………..97 4.1Demographic Information……………………………………………………………………..97 4.1.1a Lecturers‟ Understanding of the Concept of Portfolio Assessment………………..……..98 4.1.1b Students‟ Understanding the Concept of Portfolio Assessment………………….………99 4.1.2 Types and Variation of Portfolio……………………………………………….…………100 4.1.3 Lecturers‟ Knowledge of using Portfolio Assessment…………………………..………..101 4.1.4 Lecturers‟ Frequent use of Portfolio Assessment……………………………..………….102 4.1.5 Problems of using Portfolio Assessment………………………………………….………102 4.2 Findings…………………………………………………………………………………….103 4.3 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………..104
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CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………..105 5.1 Summary…………………………………………………………………………………….105 5.2 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………..106 5.3 Recommendations……………………………………………………………………….…..106 5.4 Contribution to Knowledge …………………………………………………………………107 References…………………………………………………………………………………..108 Appendices……………………………………………………………………………….…116

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study Teaching and learning play important roles in the life of human society. Education has been the means of development socially, economically, politically, morally and technologically. To achieve development, public education has been shifting to standard or outcome-based on performance-oriented systems. Within such systems, the basic purpose of all education is students‟ learning and assessment, and the primary purpose of all assessment is to support learning.. The support is rendered through assessment which can improve the instruction, teaching method and assessment. For instance, the Assessment Reform that began in the 1980s in North America has had numerous impacts. Most significantly, it changed the way educators think about students‟ capabilities, the nature of quality in learning as well as what can serve as assessment. During the educational reformation, the use of portfolios as a mode of assessment gained a lot of interest (Davies and Le Mahieu, 2003). Portfolio is „a flat portable case‟ or a large heavy envelope for carrying paper or drawings as well as design. Portfolio is created to give protection to works of the architect, fine artist, graphic and textiles designers. The works kept are usually two dimensional works. The portfolio protects the drawings and designs from effect of negligence, weathering and aging. It also stores all paper drawings or painting and design of any media (Ifeagwu, 2005).
Assessment Portfolio is the type that keeps design, painting and drawing collections but provides rubric, self-reflection and portfolio models which could be analytic or holistic. It also admits jurying that involves course examiners to assess the works of students together. That means, the assessment is not unilateral. It allows students to understand how they are being assessed.
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Portfolio assessment is the procedure used to plan, collect and analyze the multiple sources of data maintained in the portfolio. The process includes student participation in the selection of work, in criteria, goal setting and through self-assessment. Students and teacher collaborate in assessing and evaluating students learning from evidence in portfolio collection, then use the information to make plan and set goals for further learning. Assessment Portfolio contain guidelines for content, criteria for evaluating process and product as well as evidence of student‟s reflection (Macleod and Erlandson, 2012). Art and design teachers at all levels (9) Lower, (3)Middle and (4)Higher have traditionally used the end of lesson, a term test, semester test for parents and other stake- holders to view the works of their wards in creative arts. They use the simplest kind of judgment of “good” or “bad” or simply fix letter grades (A, B+, B, C+, and C) and arbitrary percentages to evaluate the works of the learners. Traditional Assessments are often considered as subjective (Mamza, 2006; Eisner, 2002; Mbahi, 2000; 1999, Olorukooba, 1990); because they are based on the teachers‟ perception of aesthetic qualities of the art products such as: shape, line, colour, balance, harmony and composition among others.
Thus the lack of the criteria or objectivity has often resulted in lack of proper monitoring of students‟ progress in art, and in the wrong perception that art is not a serious academic subject when compared to other school subjects. Several studies like those of English (2010), Gruber (2008) and Lorna (2003) were made in the past to correct the situation by introducing some forms of assessment in art. Mbahi (2000) and Olorukooba, (2006) observe that such attempts were usually not related to “what is taught”. The emphasis is placed on learners‟ efforts and not achievements. They also note that it is mainly concerned with cognitive, leaving out the affective and psychomotor aspects of the learners‟ development. Mamza, (2001) supporting Mbahi,(2000)
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maintains that this approach to assessing art works and design is often-times based on standards which have little or nothing to do with art or design and therefore cannot be regarded as contributing to the general education of learners in the field of art and design. In the Universities and tertiary institutions, the traditional portfolios are being used for assessment and in keeping students‟ art and design projects. The study is set out to find out if there are portfolio assessments in professional courses in Departments of the Faculty of Environmental Design, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. 1.2 Statement of the Problem
Traditional Portfolio techniques do not provide rubric, self-reflection, guidelines and feedback to the students in drawing and design courses. They store and safe keep designs and drawings which awaits arbitrary award of marks on students ‟performance at particular time. Assessment Portfolios could provide information on the academic development of the learner from the beginning to the end. Through the use of Portfolios, students are regularly asked to examine how they succeeded or failed or improved on a task or set goals for future work. No longer is the learning just about the final product, evaluation or grade but becomes more focused on students developing metacognitive skills that will enable them to reflect upon and make adjustments in their learning in school and beyond. If assessment portfolios are maintained, they may establish uniformity and standard criteria for the lecturers‟ use. Do portfolio assessments really exist among lecturers in their evaluation of students in the Faculty of Environmental Design, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria? If lecturers understand portfolio assessment they would provide the students room for expressing their full potentials. If the use of portfolio assessment is also popularized, it could be the flexible form of assessing students over a period of time. It could
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also be the best way to understand the artistic and design development of the learners from the beginning to the end. 1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study The aim of this study is to evaluate the level of the use of assessment portfolio by the Departments in the Faculty of Environmental Design, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with the view to addressing the need for a model of assessment in the portfolio. The objectives of the study are to: 1. ascertain whether lecturers and students understand the concept of the portfolio method of assessment, 2. examine the types and variations of portfolio assessment methods used in the various Departments. 3. establish the level of lecturers‟ competencies and relate it to the use of portfolio assessment method 4. study lecturers‟ use of portfolio assessment method in assessing drawing and design performances of students. 5. identify the problems and the benefits of using portfolio method of assessment. 1.4 Research Questions The study has the following research questions: 1. Do lecturers and students understand the concept of portfolio method of assessment? 2. What are the different types of the portfolio assessment methods used by lecturers? 3. Do lecturers have the knowledge of using portfolio assessment method? 4. Do lecturers use the portfolio assessment frequently? 5. What are the problems and benefits of using portfolio assessment?
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1.5 Justification of the Study Portfolio assessment method is thus an important assessment method which will help the teacher to explore ways of providing adequate time for other class activities like drawing and design. It could reveal the stages of the artistic development of the students. If the teachers are encouraged to use portfolio assessment method; students would have room for expressing their full potentials (Dilmac, 2010; Birgin and Baki, 2007). 1.6 Significance of the Study Findings of the study have possibility of helping lecturers to become familiar with portfolio assessment method as an appropriate technique for assessing design and drawing performance of students in professional courses in the Departments within the Faculty of Environmental Design of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Students would also be aware that teachers are giving value more attention to their assessed works, free of bias in allocating marks for their evaluation. They will also know that all works in the portfolio are assessed. It serves as an important contribution of research towards providing guidelines for using portfolio method of assessment. This research would also promote the use of portfolio assessment which is aimed at improving drawing techniques, skills, and competencies of students at the Faculty of Environmental Design, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The findings of the study encourages the relevant departments in the faculty to think of not only the use of portfolio assessment at all times, but also would realized the strengths and weaknesses of their assessment practices, Students would understand the ways that teachers assess designs and drawing projects and assignments that they submit for grading. The outcome of the work would hopefully invite more researchers in this area of the study.
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1.7 Scope of the Study The study was on the use of portfolio assessment method as a tool to assess students‟ performances in the selected Departments of; Architecture, Fine Arts, Industrial Design and Urban and Regional Planning of the Faculty of Environmental Design, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The study was delimited to the following: 1. Lecturers taking the related courses on portfolio; 300 and 400 level students) of the Departments of Architecture, Fine Arts, Industrial Design as well as Urban and Regional planning; . 2. Attention was given to the opinion, knowledge, experiences and use of portfolio assessment among the academic staff members; 300and400 level students of the selected Departments in the Faculty of Environmental Design, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 1.8 Definition of Operational Terms Assessment Portfolios: it is the type that keeps collection of design, drawing or painting and also provides rubric, self-reflection and portfolio model. Conference: it is one of the important procedures in portfolio assessment that would bring together students and teachers. It is a conversation between teacher and student a forum to discuss collaboratively the progress and an avenue to set goals for future. It takes several forms, such as individual student; several students or the whole class. Conference is conducted to enable students understand their strengths and weaknesses. Evaluation: it is a way of checking the effectiveness, by selecting the appropriate methods and learning experiences to give feedback to planner, teachers, students and the society.
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Faculty of Environmental Design: it is a division of the University that controls the courses of Environmental Design. The division comprises Architecture, Building, Fine Arts, Geomatics, Industrial Design, Quantity Survey and Urban and Regional Planning. Portfolios: It is „a flat portable case‟ or a large heavy envelope for carrying paper or drawings as well as design. Portfolio is made to give protection to works of architect, fine artist, graphic and textiles designer. The works kept are usually two dimensional works. The portfolio protects the drawings and designs from effect of negligence, weathering and aging. It also stores all paper drawings or painting and design of any media. Portfolio Assessment: it is the procedure to plan, collect and analyze data in the portfolios. It is purposely used for enhancing and monitoring learning. Developmental Portfolio: this is the type of portfolios that indicates the individual student‟s progress and growth over time. Evaluation Portfolio: it is the type of portfolio that documents achievement for grading purposes and place students appropriately. Showcase Portfolio: this is the type that displays and documents best work produced. Portfolio Contents: it is what an assessment portfolio contains all the time. These include: 1.Portfolio folder itself labeled with the word „Portfolio‟ boldly and student‟s Identification number is provided. 2. lists of activities (topics) to be designed or drawn; 3.Work sheet for each design or drawing identifying the topic of the work, date of production, student‟s signature and teacher‟s signature as well. 4. Self-reflection sheet for each work. 5.Record of student-teacher conferences.
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Selected Courses: these are courses selected by the study from the Departments of the Faculty of Environmental Design. Rubric: this is a scoring guide, consisting of specific pre-established performance criteria, used in evaluating students‟ work on performance assessment. Analytic Scoring Rubric: it is the first score that is given as part of the product that is sum up with the individual scores to obtain a total score. For instance, 4-point rubric can be used for grading drawing test papers of the students. it measures students‟ drawing performance against the pre-determined set of criteria. Holistic Scoring Rubric: it is the one that requires the teacher to score the overall process or product as a whole, without judging the component parts separately. Self-Reflection Sheet is a questionnaire that provides questions about the activity he or she has done. It is designed to establish if a student followed the laid down drawing or design steps. The sheet would help the teacher understand if students had followed the principles of drawing or design. The sheet is usually designed by an expert or experienced person in the field. Portfolio Assessment Model: it is a format in used to assess students in drawing or design. The nature of Portfolio model is determined by the instructional objective. If the objective is holistic; the portfolio model will use holistic scoring style and if it is analytic it will be analytic scoring type. The Portfolio Assessment Model complements the traditional test „as single measure that is incapable of estimating the diversity of skills, Knowledge, Process and strategies combined to determine student progress‟. Jurors: this is a team of experienced teachers in a particular field of study selected to assess the contents of the portfolios.
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1.9 Theoretical Frame work Gardner‟s, (1983 and 1999) theory of multiple intelligences was adopted for this study. The theory of multiple intelligences identified nine (9) different human intelligences. These intelligences are seen as human cognition and potentials in terms of people‟s different strengths and intelligences. The intelligences included: 1). Spatial -Visual Intelligence, 2). Verbal –Linguistics Intelligence, 3).Logical-Mathematics Intelligence, 4). Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence, 5). Music Intelligence, 6). Inter-personal Intelligence, 7) Intrapersonal Intelligence, 8).Naturalistic Intelligence and 9).Existential intelligence. Of these nine human intelligences, Spatial-Visual Intelligence was chosen. The rationale for selection of Spatial-Visual Intelligence was that, it is directly related to the area of the study.
The Spatial-Visual intelligence has clearly described Architecture, Fine Arts, City Planning, Building, Graphic Design, Photography and Sculpture as closely related in learning styles, roles, tasks, activities and assessment. By the framework of the theory of Gardner, (1999) the study posits that professional courses such as found in the Faculty of Environmental Design, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria possess related learning styles, activities and assessment. The study also adopted the C.I.P.P model of curriculum implementation by Stufflebeam in Yusuf, (2012). The procedures of CIPP model are characterized by Context evaluation, Input evaluation, Process evaluation and Product evaluation. The CIPP model enables the study to understand fully the implementation of the school curriculum through assessment as well as guides the study to show how portfolio assessment is used as formative and summative aspect of evaluation at the University level. The aspect of Process Evaluation (formative) and Product Evaluation (summative) would serve as a major outline of the portfolio assessment. The nature of the assessment portfolios is characterized by the principles of the theory of Stufflebeam‟s (1970).
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The functionalities of the assessment portfolios are in line with the principles of CIPP model. By the model of C.I.P.P assessment portfolios can be used in two categories. The Process Evaluation as one of the principles of CIPP model which is formative, guides the lecturers in using the developmental assessment portfolios. Product Evaluation is another principle of the CIPP model that supports the use of evaluation assessment portfolios. The two theories enable the study to identify its philosophy in terms of epistemology and ontology. 1.10 Research Philosophy This is a philosophical belief about the way in which data about a phenomenon should be gathered, analyzed and used. The study is anchored to views of the positivists (positivism). Positivism believes in reality. Positivists see that reality is stable and can be observed and described from an objective view point without interfering with the phenomena being studied. They opined that phenomena should be isolated and that observation should be repeatable. Predictions can be made on the basis of the previously observed and explained realities and their interrelationships (Saunders, et al, 2012). The study observed that at every stage, man make assumptions. It could be an assumption about human knowledge, nature of realities of educational phenomena; and look for what importance or value? It is also believed that in research such assumptions would affect the research questions, methodology and interpretation of the findings (Saunders, et al, 2012). By this it is important to adhere to a particular philosophical position to accomplish a philosophical paradigm of the study. To let the teachers, students and school administrators understand the assumptions behind the study; the research philosophy has been stated as in the following:
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1.11 Ontology The term „ontology‟ is seen as the nature of reality; it is something external to the social world.it is also something that exists in socially negotiated meanings that people give to it (Saunders, et al,2012). If ontology is reality; the study has identified the reality of portfolios as a means of assessment in teaching and learning. By the notion of ontology “portfolio is more than just a file folder” and the work of Mueller, (2012) „Authentic Assessment Toolbox‟ has provided, the reality about the functionality of portfolios as a mode of assessment has been identified in detail. The implementation stages were also provided for teachers use in their teaching. The toolbox is a guideline for teachers who are innovative and professionally sound see page 41.
1.12 Epistemology
Epistemology describes knowledge. What is considered as knowledge is based on observable phenomena. Epistemology is knowledge and knowledge is new idea. The information about rubric, self-reflection and portfolio model as described in the Toolbox of Authentic Assessment would serve as knowledge to teachers, students and other scholars interested in portfolio assessment. The study would communicate to other researchers concerning the discovered and identified knowledge. Theory has been used to give an opening to the study to clarify issues regarding assessment activities of professional courses. The Gardner‟s (1999) theory of multiple intelligences provides learning styles and assessment of professional courses as related. The study also provides new concepts which are related to portfolio assessment, which serves as knowledge (epistemology).
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