Section 5

Portfolio Development

There are few ways for volunteer literacy programs to track their learners’ progress. Often learners become discouraged if they do not feel they are progressing or if they cannot see the changes for themselves. If learners develop portfolios, they will then have tangible proof of their learning and programs will be better able to track learner progress.

Activity A

Developing a portfolio

Not many people have experience in developing a portfolio and tutors may question using one. This activity will explain the value of developing a portfolio and show tutors how to do it. Emphasize to tutors that they should only build portfolios if their learners agree.

Discussion, use of handouts

Materials and equipment

Handout 4.18: Developing a Portfolio
Handout 4.19: Portfolio Assessment (2 pages)
Handout 4.20: Components of a Portfolio (8 pages)
Note: Handout 4.20 (page 2) is a blank form for tutors to use with their own learners
Flip chart and markers

Preparation

Copy handouts.
Write the following questions on the flip chart:

  • What are portfolios?
  • How do you put them together?
  • What do you and your learner need to decide?
  • What types of materials and information can you keep in a portfolio?

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

  1. Ask tutors to share what they know about portfolios.
  2. Using the flip chart you prepared, have your tutors answer the questions with the help of the handouts Developing a Portfolio and Portfolio Assessment.
  3. Review the handout Components of a Portfolio. (Note that the second page is blank for tutors to use with their learners.)
  4. Have tutors discuss how they would feel about using this process to help learners monitor their own progress.
  5. Suggest to tutors that they may want to develop a portfolio of their tutoring experience. Ask them to brainstorm items they could put into their own portfolios.

Facilitation tip

In the step-by-step process for this activity, you will talk about how tutors help learners monitor their progress. The term “monitoring progress” suggests a process that is driven by the tutor, such as you would find in the traditional teacher-student relationship. In this activity, you can reinforce the philosophy of learners tracking their own progress, so that it is the learners who determine what is “success.”