Portfolio-based exams: analysis of an alternative grading practice

Abstract

Conventional assessments have harmful effects on students’ perseverance and health (Gaudreau, 2018; Hétu, 2019). Alternative grading practices remedies this by giving students opportunities to retake the test without penalty (Nilson et al, 2023; Voisard et al, 2024). This article presents a type of alternative grading practices easily adoptable by a teacher, portfolio exams, and reports an analysis of its use among 341 students in five different types of courses, both pre-university and technical, at the Quebec college level between 2015 and 2022. Almost all said they were «Satisfied» with this method, that gave them a better understanding and less stress. Marks increased significantly in three of the five course types, without decreasing rating for the best students for university admission. Overall, portfolio exams seem to be an excellent, appreciated and helpful method of continuously assessing skills.