Writing portfolios: what? how? why?

This paper discusses the use of portfolios as an alternative form of writing assessment. It proposes that writing portfolios should consist of a formative portfolio and a normative portfolio maintained by students and teachers respectively. The learning benefits of portfolios are discussed, in particular the long term benefits of an emphasis on process rather than on productthe development of self-reflection which provides students with insights into their own learning process and thus encourages learner autonomythe transferability of the skills learned to other areas of learning and disciplines as well as training students how to create portfolios which are increasingly required and expected in the real worl