Scientific Letter

The use of portfolios for continuing assessment of physiotherapy students in clinical practice settings

N. Naidoo
South African Journal of Physiotherapy | Vol 60, No 4 | a193 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v60i4.193 | © 2004 N. Naidoo | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 12 January 2004 | Published: 12 January 2004

About the author(s)

N. Naidoo, Physiotherapy Department, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa

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Abstract

Many and varied methods of assessment are used to evaluate undergraduate physiotherapy students. Different modes of assessment occur as a result of contrasting educational theories and because the purpose of assessment is variable. In this era of performance assessment related to  the students’ mastery of the core curriculum, portfolios can enhance the assessment process by revealing a range of skills and understandings. This fits snugly into the physiotherapy curriculum for undergraduate continuous assessment purposes. Portfolio assessment can facilitate more reflection on students’ learning, more ownership of learning and more awareness of self-development. This supports the South African Qualifications Authority’s objective for higher education of reflection and life-long learning in our students. This article presents discussion on the use of portfolios in physiotherapy student learning and assessment in clinical practice.

Keywords

assessment; portfolio; continuous assessment; reflection; life-long learning

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Crossref Citations

1. The Feasibility and Acceptability of Using a Portfolio to Assess Professional Competence
Patricia A. Miller, Rosine Tuekam
Physiotherapy Canada  vol: 63  issue: 1  first page: 78  year: 2011  
doi: 10.3138/ptc.2009.43