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What is a Teaching Portfolio?
A teaching portfolio is a structured collection of a teacher’s
best work that is selective, reflective, and collaborative. It demonstrates
the teacher’s strengths and accomplishments over time and
across a variety of contexts. It includes documents and materials
which collectively suggest the scope and quality of a teacher’s
educational commitments and practice.
Why Have a Teaching Portfolio?
A teaching portfolio allows a university teacher to document information
not captured by the other sources of teaching appraisals such as
student feedback and peer review. It is useful for teachers to keep
a systematically updated portfolio as part of the ongoing process
of self-review and self-improvement. Another use of the teaching
portfolio is as evidence of quality of teaching when applying for
tenure, promotions, or new jobs. At NUS, the dossier used for promotions
already includes a form of teaching portfolio.
Components of a Teaching Portfolio
1. A statement of the candidate’s philosophy
and teaching strategies. This articulates the candidate’s
objective as a teacher, what the candidate hopes to achieve through
teaching, and his/her ongoing reflections on teaching and learning.
2. The range of teaching. This includes
(a) a range in terms of depth (i.e. the flexibility to teach different
levels of students, e.g. ranging from undergraduate to PhD levels);
and (b) a range in terms of scope (i.e. the breadth and variety
in the special areas of teaching, and multidisciplinary experience).
3. Evidence of innovativeness such as
awards for innovative teaching, curriculum design and/or teaching
materials (e.g. audio-visual tapes, computer software, websites,
textbooks, laboratory manuals), innovative modes/styles of teaching
(including active/interactive strategies, innovative exercises,
strategies for promoting critical thinking, design of assessment
tasks, etc.).
4. Demonstration of teaching quality
through examples of the lecturer’s module folder(s) (e.g.
syllabuses, class notes, textbooks, audio visual tapes, computer
programmes, websites, laboratory manuals, question papers, etc.),
including a summary of additional evidence from external sources
such as student feedback, peer review, and teaching excellence awards.
5. Continual self-improvement. This involves
components such as the ability to keep abreast with recent advances
in the field (e.g. updating syllabuses, reading lists, class notes,
projects, etc.), to teach more effectively, to keep in harmony with
the changing world (e.g. using IT in teaching), participation in
the teaching skill enhancement workshops, and seeking qualifications
in education.
6. Contributions to the cause of education. This
includes (a) service to the university, or national or international
bodies; (b) research on education; and (c) leadership in education.
Further Reading
Seldin, P. (1997). The Teaching Portfolio:
A Practical Guide to Improved Performance and Promotion/Tenure Decisions
(2nd ed.). Bolton, MA: Anker Pub. Co.
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