This reflection document discusses the use of portfolio assessment rubrics to evaluate students. The teacher notes that students were previously assessed only on theoretical knowledge, not practical skills. To address this, the teacher plans to modify the portfolio to include practical skills assessment. Research on portfolio assessment highlighted its benefits over traditional testing. Classroom observations of other teachers provided ideas on instructional strategies to incorporate. The portfolio modification and use of rubrics improved student assessment scores, showing the effectiveness of this approach.

1. Sheet1PeriodEngine Failures(a) 4-period moving average(b)
weighted moving average with weights of (6,3,1)(c) simple
exponential smoothing with alpha=0.4 and period 2 follows
naïve forecast(d) trend
projection11552178326642955330632873768398Questions1.
Please plot the data and describe the patterns2. Generate
forecasts for all possible periods using above four methods3.
Compute MAPE and explain which method you would
recommend
Reflection
The module began with assessing the current teaching approach
deployed by
teachers in class. As such, I noted that teachers are using theory
for grading the
students instead of evaluating their practical skills. The pre-
assessment given at the
inception of this module showed that only 18% of the 26
students in my
manufacturing class scored at the proficiency level while 70%
of the students score
at a lower level between 59 percent and Zero. Based on this
data, I found it
necessary to assess my students using Portfolio Assessment
rubrics. This assessment

2. has been used before solely focused on the theoretical
assumptions taught in class
while neglecting the practical skills. In this regard, the portfolio
needs to be
changed to incorporate the practical skills. Thus, the portfolio
will be structured to
integrate practical assessment for grading the students’
performance. Besides, the
evaluation approach has to be changed from a system that solely
assesses the
student’s knowledge to one that can evaluate the student’s
competence and abilities.
The portfolio assessment is a collection of purposeful
documents that gives the
outlay on how tasks are completed and competency amongst the
learners is
developed. Interest in using portfolio assessment in the class is
developed as part of
moving away from the traditional approach used by instructors
on grading based on
theory rather than ascertaining the student’s practical skills. In
the past, the students
have been assessed through the class-based teaching practice to
prove that they

3. had acquired the skills relayed by the instructor. It is through
this that I felt the
teaching approach was not sufficient to enable the learners to
grasp the required
competence and skills. To solve the issue of enhancing teaching
and learning, I think
it is important for the teachers to practice the assessment
through the use of a
portfolio with a different module, practicum. The integration of
practicum module for
assessing the students is important as this enables the learner to
acquire specific
techniques that are imperative for future success. Additionally,
there are some
techniques that can be learned through actual experience. While
theoretical
teaching might have been ideal in the past, the students should
be assessed based
on their practical skills as it enhances a deeper understanding of
concepts through
personal experience.
Notably, when I came in, the students had a problem with

4. articulating what they
know with the actual practical application of concept taught in
class to solving
regular daily problems. After this, I sought to create an
assessment that would
integrate the practical skills of the learners during the
evaluation. Primarily, I noted
that using a portfolio assessment rubric would be effective for
grading the class as it
justifies their competence and abilities. To design an effective
assessment that is in
line with this goal, I conducted research whereby I came across
numerous sources
about the use of portfolio assessment rubric to evaluate student
performance. I
began with The Use of Portfolio to Assess Student’s
Performance by Osman Birgin
and Adnan Baki. According to Birgin and Baki, (2007), recent
educational
developments such as the advent of multiple intelligence
theories have heightened
the rapid change in traditional approaches to teaching and
assessing. While the

5. educational developments have been enhanced by societal
changes, it is imperative
to acknowledge that the traditional learning approach has been
altered.
Outstandingly, theories such as constructivism have facilitated
the radical change in
learning approaches, both in teaching and assessments. For
instance, the main
objective of the earlier educational approach is enabling the
learners to know about
a certain domain. In this instance, learning the basic knowledge
was considered
important which is in line with the behaviorist approach. In the
traditional
instructional approach, knowledge is abstracted whereby both
learning and
teaching are perceived as an individual process. Besides,
learning is perceived as
the accumulation of the stimulus-response association.
Considerably, both drills and
practice are important aspects of this process. Significantly, the
assessment practice
is mainly based on the testing acquisition of basic knowledge.
Despite this, this

6. traditional approach merely promotes memorizing of the rules
or algorithms by the
learners rather than conceptual comprehension of discrete
components of the
domain. Additionally, the assessments provide less
understanding of the student’s
comprehension of high order cognitive skills such as critical
thinking, problem
solving and reasoning.
Contrary, the constructivism theory that is based on Piaget’s
and Vygotsky presume
that learners should acquire and socially construct their
knowledge and
comprehension. Notably, this approach pays more attention to
the student’s
problem-solving skills and collaborative learning. As such, the
portfolio assessment
rubric offers a wide range of assessment tools for evaluating the
student’s practical
skills that are imperative in the learning process. For example,
the manufacturing
class students will be required to apply the knowledge gained in

7. solving new
problems. Furthermore, the constructivist epistemology
heightens the need for
assessing the student’s individual performance and group
performance together to
better their learning experience. Nowadays, social trends have
mounted pressure
on the learners who are required to possess more practical and
cognitive skills. With
the new trends, educational improvements are focused on
strengthening the
learning environment. For this reason, alternative and effective
assessment
approaches are required to evaluate the teaching outcomes.
Primarily, this was
achieved by modifying the portfolio rubric used to assess the
learners. As such, new
standards were used on modifying the portfolio by integrating
new approaches such
as multiple pre and post assessment tools for the mathematics
and physics
component was built into including oral, written and
demonstration formats. To
ensure that the assessment contributes to the student’s learning,

8. they will be focused
on evaluating what the student’s knowledge and what they fall
short of. Therefore,
the use of a modified portfolio rubric is imperative as it
provides clear information
on the students’ progress to enable the teachers to plan their
teaching approaches.
The authors have highlighted the importance of using an
alternative assessment
process to better the teaching and learning of the students in the
class. An important
aspect of the use of the portfolio assessment rubric is
determining the best criteria
for evaluating the student’s performance. As highlighted, the
theoretical approach
deployed by the instructors does not provide an effective
reflection about the
student’s comprehension of important concepts in the
manufacturing class. With this,
the portfolio assessment will be focusing on the acquisition of
practical skills by the
students. This assessment criterion was used to determine the
quality of

9. performance by the student which is easy to understand.
Besides, the rubric was
also used to ascertain the quality of the evidence presented in
the portfolio relative
to student performance. Significantly, this makes the assessment
not only reliable
but also valid.
Similarly, I came across Using portfolio assessment as an
innovation to assess
problem-based learning in Hong Kong schools by Sharon Lynne
Bryant and Andrew
Anthony Timmins. The author's highlight on how Problem-
Solving Learners in Hong
Kong were required to prove that they had grasped the content
related to being a
successful teacher. By using the portfolio assessment rubric, the
learners were
assessed on how well they understood information through the
use of a practical
module. Notably, the lecturer sessions were guided through the
use of these
assessments by an agreed set of rubrics. Through this, the
portfolio assessment was

10. used to improve the teaching practice of the students. Besides,
the instructors
obtained feedback from the students through which they use to
modify their module
content and instruction. Therefore, educational work
accomplished through teaching
practical skills is deemed important to improve the learning
outcomes of the
students. While the portfolio will be modified by integrating the
assessment of
practical skills, it is imperative to take into consideration the
student’s feedback. It is
through this that I intend to incorporate feedback from the
learners to better modify
the portfolio assessment rubric feature the important aspects
highlighted. Therefore,
using feedback to improve teaching and learning is vital as it
dictates how to modify
better the portfolio. Additionally, obtaining continues feedback
from the students
will enable them to reflect on their studies and review their
progress. Primarily, this
is enhanced by the fact that it provides visual and dynamic

11. proofs of the student’s
skills development, success, and weaknesses that need
improvement. As such, not
only does the portfolio assessment rubric provide me the
opportunity to have a
different perspective in the teaching process, but also enables
students to reflect on
their skills and offer feedback for improving the teaching and
learning outcomes.
While reading the professional texts, I came across the
sociocultural theory that
focusses on key aspects of knowledge and learning that should
be situated,
mediated and dependent on practical participation. Often, these
learning aspects
are perceived to be of importance in the organizational setting
rather than
institutional settings. However, this is not the case as a practical
participation of the
students improves both teaching and learning outcomes. The use
of portfolio
assessment rubric is important as it will also improve self-
assessment skills of the
students. This approach enables them to monitor their learning

12. progress,
understand their strengths and weakness that can be used to
better inform the
instructional design adopted by the teachers. By being aware of
the learning
progress, the students will be required to provide feedback
which will be used to
design the instructions in accordance with their needs.
Therefore, I will modify the portfolio rubric being used for
student assessment in my
manufacturing class as continuous feedback is obtained from the
students.
Additionally, the sociocultural perspective governs the
understanding and practice
of the assessment. This means that the instructors and the
students will be well-
informed about the teaching and learning outcomes expected in
class. Through this,
the portfolio can be modified by integrating important aspects
that are highlighted
both from the feedback or learned through its continuous
practice. By modifying the

13. portfolio, I will facilitate the need to evaluate the practical
skills of the learners rather
than merely explaining theoretical perspectives.
In addition to the professional texts that I have read regarding
the importance of
portfolio assessment rubric, I intend to observe other teachers
and see how I will
learn within their class to integrate physics, math, and
marketing into the portfolio
assessment rubric. Often, instructors have different teaching
approaches, all of
which improve learning outcomes for the students.
Subsequently, it is important to
acknowledge that different subjects are characterized by
different instructional
designs. For example, demonstration of formats is imperative in
the mathematics
and physics classes. These approaches differ to that of the
marketing class. As such,
the portfolio should be comprehensive enough by covering
important teaching and
learning approaches that can be effective for the different
subjects. Furthermore,
this highlights the need for additional modification of the

14. portfolio to accommodate
the different learning styles for the various subjects. Further
insights will be
collected from attending these class sessions as I can garner a
physical approach for
the different instruction designs. This escapade will enable me
to learn the important
activities for the different classes and most importantly ideas
for use in modifying the
portfolio.
The assessment of other teachers and how they teach in their
class will enable me to
target the required modifications based on the grade-level
expectations for the
students. The in-class observations will form the basis of
informing me on
instructional strategies that can be adopted to improve my
instructional
methodology. Notably, evidence will be garnered from this
assessment to evaluate
the learning outcomes of the different teaching strategies and
instruction designs.

15. The data from this assessment will be used to identify areas of
success and parts that
need improvement before modifying the portfolio. If students do
not master
mathematical equations, for instance, such as algebra, this will
highlight the need for
a better instructional approach for the given subject. As such,
the classroom
assessment of other teachers will provide necessary feedback
that can be used in
modifying the portfolio to better integrate effective teaching
approaches. The results
from the assessments will dictate on whether I will be required
to change my
teaching strategies. As highlighted earlier, I noted that most
students had a problem
in articulating what they knew with an actual practical
application of the concept to
daily real-life problems. Notably, a similar outcome can be
garnered from these
assessments which will highlight the need to alter the
instructional strategies and
incorporate a more practical approach. Assessing their practical
skills will be used

16. to reinforce the concepts learned in class. For instance, the
instructional design for
the math class will be required to integrate the SMART board
technology and
require the students to work in groups to enrich their learning
process. It is through
this that their practical skills can be ascertained.
Observing how other teachers teach in their class for the
different subjects will be
important as this will form the basis of identifying students
struggling with the
instructional approach. Notably, while instructional approaches
can be favorable to
some students, particularly the quick learners, some learners
struggle as they often
require additional reinforcement or need other forms of
engagement to improve
their learning outcomes. This highlights that there are two
groups of learners in the
class. With this, the observation will form a basis for
identifying individualistic needs
of the learners and areas of improvement for the instructional
designs. As such, the

17. observation demonstrated the teaching activities that are
effective and those that
require improvement. Such information cannot be collected
without practical
observation thereby highlighting the importance of this activity.
The primary
objective of the observation process is to probe how better the
students can apply
the learned concepts in real-world settings. Thus, the
information garnered from the
observation was used to form the basis for differentiating the
portfolio rubric lesson
materials, lesson approaches and assessment of the students, all
of which will be
integrated into the portfolio assessment rubric. I attribute that
student growth and
improved performance outcomes are enhanced by continuous
data collection to
determine the effectiveness of the teaching approaches which
will be integral when
modifying the portfolio.
The assessment will fully capture how I and my students operate

18. in the learning
environment. The daily interactions afforded by the teachers to
the students
demonstrated their comprehension of the learning materials and
practical skills
garnered. This information will be used to improve both the
teaching and learning of
the students by modifying the portfolio. The world is a natural
part of the classrooms
which differs from the formal examinations. With this, it can be
acknowledged that
the acquisition of practical skills is vital for use in the real
world setting. The
assessment information of both the teachers and the students
will provide
conclusions on the desirable modifications of the portfolio.
Therefore, I intend to
conduct these activities to improve the overall academic of the
students by bringing
the teaching and learning outcomes to a higher level. As at the
reporting period that
will end in April, there has been a dramatic improvement the
assessment report of
my students at least the post rubric report had shown an

19. improvement of about 15%
bringing the number of students that scored on the proficiency
level to 29% and still
counting.
As I reflect on the information garnered during this module, I
drew several
conclusions on the usefulness of the portfolio assessment rubric
to improve student
performance. First, my understanding of their use is that it
enables the learner to
acquire specific techniques that are imperative for future
success. Additionally,
there are some techniques that can be learned through actual
experience. I noted
that using a portfolio assessment rubric would be effective for
grading the class as it
justifies their competence and abilities. The different
professional texts have
highlighted the importance of this approach based on theoretical
backgrounds such
as the social construct theory. Moreover, a modified portfolio
will guide the lessons

20. enabling the instructor to identify areas that need improvement.
Furthermore, the
student’s self-assessment skills will be enhanced in that they
can identify their
learning progress, strengths and weaknesses. From this, the
provided feedback will
be used to justify the appropriate modifications to be enacted on
the portfolio.
Besides, the rubric will be used to ascertain the quality of the
evidence presented in
the portfolio.
Secondly, the physic class observation on other teachers will
form the basis of
informing me instructional strategies that can be adopted to
improve my
instructional methodology. The data from this assessment
showed that my student’s
grade improved by 18% more after taken the post rubric
assessment and this data
will be used to identify areas of success and parts that need
improvement before
modifying the portfolio. This will be enhanced further by
reading the textbook on
portfolio assessment and classroom differentiation for different

21. students to address
their needs. As such, these activities are meant to raise the
student’s performance to
a higher level by improving both the teaching and learning
outcomes and my
teaching and learning process was drastically improved doing
this process.
Regular reflection about the portfolio assessment of the students
will enable me to
garner insight on high order cognitive skills such as creative
thinking and problem-
solving which are imperative in the real world setting learning
and teaching
situations. I also realized the use of the portfolio assessment
rubric had guided my
instruction design is important as it can be aligned with the
learning objectives and
created in a manner that the students can demonstrate ways
through which they
learn the best. No longer will I consider the traditional
instructional approach as an
effective teaching and learning methodology as it solely focuses
on formal

22. examinations and mastery of content. As such, continuous
reflection is important as it
enables me to identify the current educational developments and
the focus of new
theoretical perspectives. Therefore, the portfolio will be
modified by adopting
effective instructional strategies such as integration of
practicum module and
feedback from learners to improve their learning outcomes.