1. Alternative Assessment : Portfolio in Teaching Writing to EFL Learners
Prepared by: Ms. Hedjaz Ahlem
With the assistance of the inspector: Mr. FRIHI

2. Changing the environment from Grading to that of Writing.

3. Introduction
writing skill is very challenging to EFL learners. With so many conflicting theories concerning writing, teaching writing has undergone a great change and this change affected the process of assessment since instruction and assessment are closely interrelated to each other. The shift from focusing on product to that of process in teaching theories has resulted a shift from traditional to alternative assessment by using portfolio assessment as the world’s viable tool to better evaluates the writing capacities. For decades teaching writing in Algeria focused on the final product and evaluated Ls writing by scores rather than writing development. This explains that assessment was not given enough importance although it is a crucial element to teaching

4. What is Assessment?
“Assessment performances are day to day activities that can also be engaging for students to grapple with the central challenge of a discipline in real life context” (Kuleke,Bakker, Collins Ferminore, Herman, Fine Jones and Timzmam 1990 p.2).

5. Assessment vs Testing Testing Assessment
-Any method (other than tests) used to collect data about what students learn and what they can do
-provide scores or feedback
- Exercised at any time in any situations
Formal assessment
Standardised
Scored
One-shot timed exercised

8. The shift from traditional to Alternative assessment
Traditional assessment (Testing), was criticised for many reasons among which:
Indirect an inauthentic
Standardised
Cannot portray progression and difficulties s/he faced during the test
Assess the lower-order thinking

9. Alternative Assessment
Independent projects
journals
portfolios
- Assess the higher order thinking
-Focus on growth and performance

10. Portfolio Assessment
Portfolios were first used in fields related to the visual arts ( architecture, desiggn and photography). It was then adopted to the educational sphere in Britain in the early 1970’s and in USA during the mid 1980’s; after Belanoff and Elbow’s explaination of how beneficial portfolio is to teachers, learners and curricula

11. In education, Portfolio Assessment is the purposeful collection of learners’ work that demonstrates their growth and achievements in a given area.in terms of writing assessment, PA is the collection of students’ writings over a period of time. The use of portfolio is meant to involve students in a continuous and systematic process of writing, and to develop awareness of their writing skill performance. It then shed light on a new believe about writing instruction focusing the idea of “Assessment FOR Learning” and not “Assessment of Learning” (Bryant & Timmins)

12. Characteristics of Portfolio Assessment
Selection
Collection
Reflection

13. Collection: the learner is going to collect his writings over a period of time to compile his portfolio. Selection: because the learner is going to select; under the guidance of her/his teacher, the best writings to include in the portfolio. Reflection: in that students must reflect on their work in deciding how to arrange the portfolio and are frequently asked to write a reflective essays about their development as writers and how the pieces in the portfolio represent that development.

14. Reasons for Using Portfolio Assessment in EFL Classrooms:
Integrates students in a very systematic process of writing
It helps learners to better their performance in writing.
Promotes learners confidence and autonomy towards writing
It demonstrates how the writing process is carried out from developing ideas to producing the final draft.
Gives both teachers and learners the opportunity to evaluate students writings, therefore it enhances self-assessment and peer –assessment
Brings positive effect to interact between teachers and learners .

15. Change the environment from grading to that of writing, in portfolio assessment learners are not worry about grades but about their performances.
Offers the teacher ideas about giving feedback.
It can stand for both formative and summative assessments.
It is fairer than the timed tests with EFL learners because it provides a broader measure of what students can do, EFL learners under time condition are handicapped, stressed and unfocused on the skill

16. Suggestion and Recommendation for the application of portfolio assessment in the Algerian classes
Teachers should introduce the term to his learners.
Portfolio should be developed by the students
The educational goals should be set before designing the portfolio.
The teacher should devote regular session for giving feedback.
Each item should be dated
The portfolio should be assessed

17. Conclusion
With the fact of students’ catastrophic failure in writing, Algerian EFL teachers and syllabus designers should rethink of the actual instruction and the assessment of the writing skill. Integrating portfolio assessment as an alternative to traditional testing would change the environment from grading to a writing , this would not eliminate the traditional assesment, portfolio assessment can be required in addition to inplace final exams