For which purposes it is used

The portfolio is an assessment tool that shows the learning process of a teacher. By collecting the results of the different actions in class, the teacher manages and monitors own progress and achievement of goals, as well as own strengths and weaknesses.

The portfolio is a kind of holistic assessment where self and peer-assessments are playing significant role in future learning. It creates a culture of supporting learning and developing personal understanding. The portfolio is an assessment tool of products, but moreover an assessment of process. It is development portfolio of creativity and innovation which shows the teacher’s learning process, a map that contains documents, reports, tasks, reflections, evaluations, etc.

Portfolios offer teacher educators unique ways of collecting authentic, nontraditional assessment information about students.

Portfolio assessment is also perceived as an alternative to standardized testing which has been the traditional means of evaluating students. Portfolios are considered to be compatible with the process-oriented and meaning construction view of learning. One of the most prominent results of portfolio assessment is that it approves the dependence on teacher and student judgment. The definition of portfolio varies but there is a general understanding that it is a purposeful collection of student work that provides evidence of growth and achievement over time. Well-developed portfolios exhibit essential, contextualized learning that needs complex thinking and expressive skills. Portfolios demand that students continuously collect and reflect on their work. In other words, it places students at the center of the assessment process. Through self-assessment, self-reflection, group discussion, individual presentation, and collaboration with the teacher, portfolio serve as a vehicle for continued growth in the learning process . The concept of portfolio allows for ownership, reflection, and teacher-student interaction.