Portfolio: Is it a valid and reliable assessment instrument for academic writing skills?

Abstract

This paper critiques one assessment strategy of a level 9 academic writing module. The module supports masters students in a School of Business by utilising a number of innovative approaches to teaching and assessing of academic writing skills. The assessment instruments include a portfolio of evidence of improvement in writing skills and a series of online discussion postings; the module is 100% continuously assessed. The use of portfolio is critiqued based on both validity and reliability of the assessment instrument, and also on conformity with the concept of formative assessment.