Korean University Students' Perceptions on Portfolio Assessment and Its Impact

Abstract

This study investigated university students' perceptions about the use of portfolio in the process of learning writing in English and the way portfolio affected their writing performance. Ten students who took an English writing class at a university in Korea were the participants of the study and structured interviews and pre and post tests were administered to understand how Portfolio Assessment (PA) was perceived by students and its role in their learning processes. It was found out that merits of PA far more outweighed than its demerits in that portfolio was beneficial in learning processes and outcomes. Through portfolio experiences, students came to realize that they took more responsibilities of their own learning, became aware of valuable learning strategies and made progress in organizing an effective essay. In contrast, many of the students expressed that compiling essays in the portfolio was a time-consuming and labor intensive experience.