Portfolios: an 'affective' assessment strategy?

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Curriculum Development
• Assessment Strategies

Background:

• Many assessment schemes fail during implementation.
• Early planning, consultation, and preparation are crucial for success.
• In-service education for educators and student preparation are vital components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe curriculum research and development for portfolio assessment implementation.
• To explore the educational values of portfolios.
• To define criteria for student content decisions and educator assessment.

Main Methods:

• Curriculum research and development.
• Exploration of educational values and assessment criteria.
• Discussion on the evaluation of portfolio schemes.

Main Results:

• Portfolio assessment requires careful planning and preparation for successful integration.
• Clear criteria are needed for both student content selection and educator evaluation.
• The evaluation of portfolio schemes is critical for their sustained use.

Conclusions:

• Portfolio assessment in nursing education necessitates a proactive approach to curriculum development.
• Innovations like portfolios should be viewed as catalysts for change, not rigid implementations.
• Effective implementation hinges on addressing educational values, assessment criteria, and robust evaluation methods.