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Teaching Portfolio
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TEACHING
PORTFOLIO As an example the following guideline
may be helpful in compiling a Teaching Portfolio: Format
A simple and practical organisation of
the Portfolio should include: · a table of contents · a prepared summary (see 2 below) · items selected (see 3 below) ·
appendices consisting of copies of the relevant
supporting documents Sequencing of items to
be dealt with in the portfolio
1. Clarify teaching responsibilities The first task is to summarise the informal and formal arrangement of teaching responsibilities and criteria. Points covered in this section may include the following: approaches to programmes being taught ; the progress expected of students ; how students will be assessed; etc. 2. Summary of what is expected of the facilitator Among the issues included in this
section can be the following : · teaching philosophy · course programmes involved in eg. description thereof, objectives, outcomes, practices, materials, etc. · how feedback will be obtained and the interpretations thereof · achievements · future plans eg. curriculum development, new initiatives, etc. It is imperative to itemise and elaborate on each item, as this will give a clear indication of what and how teaching and learning is managed 3. Selecting items for the Teaching Portfolio It is important for the facilitator to decide on the emphasis he/she would like to place on specific issues pertaining to the most applicable teaching and learning duties expected of him/her. The selection should accommodate the facilitators’ preferences and teaching style and will depend mainly on what the facilitator wishes to highlight in terms of strengths. The inter-relatedness of items that are selected, must also be taken into account. The following list may guide the facilitator to put together the Portfolio, and it comprises items that have been extracted from reviewing more than 400 portfolios. · Materials from Oneself
- Statement(s) of teaching responsibilities which will include course/programme titles, number of students and a brief description of the way each course/programme detailing content, outcome, teaching/lecturing methods, readings, assignments, etc. - Description of actions taken to improve teaching, self-evaluation, reading of journals on teaching improvement, participation in instructional skills development - Instructional innovations and assessment of the effectiveness thereof - A personal statement describing teaching/lecturing goals for the next 3-5 years
· Materials from Others
- Student course/programme feedback data reflecting on the overall rating and effectiveness or suggested improvements - Statements from colleagues i.r.o. teaching they have observed as well as received documentation that has been made available for comment - Documentation of teaching development activities involved in, submitted by the staff development unit, eg. Bureau for Educational Support - Other recognitions bestowed on eg. teaching award - Statement(s) by HOD/Deans i.r.o. teaching involvement
· Products of good teaching - Record of student successes - Student publications or conference participation in course/programmes related work - Testimonials from employers or students i.r.o. the influence in career choice - Student scores in pre- and post course/programme tests/exams · Other items (list incomplete) - Curriculum review and development - Self-evaluation of teaching-related activities - Involvement in editorial activities, writing of journal articles, etc. - Researching papers on teaching in a course/programme specific context - A video tape of teaching a typical class - Participation in off-campus activities related to teaching in the discipline - Evidence of help given to colleagues in teaching/lecturing to improve their teaching - Evidence of how education technology is utilized to support teaching/learning - Statements by alumni Remember The items chosen will depend to some degree on whether the Portfolio is prepared for purposes of own improvement or promotion. This should not be a mere pen-pushing exercise, but a systematic account of one’s teaching which will help to focus and sustain efforts in improving teaching. Facilitators may find that a Portfolio on teaching engenders intellectual as well as professional growth. It is clear from the above that a Teaching Portfolio cannot be scraped together overnight – it needs to be maintained and updated over a period of time. 4. Appendices Appendices,
consisting of copies of relevant supporting documents, should be added to verify
statements made or to prove an issue. CONCLUSION
Depending on the criteria required for submitting a Portfolio for eg. Professorship, the Portfolio can be extended to include items on research activities, initiatives, outputs, papers read, etc., and on community involvement. The Teaching Portfolio is just an example of how to go about compiling a Portfolio. As the Portfolio system is a highly individualized mechanism to reflect on what is being done, the facilitator needs to be innovative and creative in developing his/her own personalised Portfolio. |