If I use the portfolio in order to assess students will this affect their creativity and freedom of expression?

Previously, I have argued that the e-portfolio could be used in order to ‘assess’ students, but without clarifying whether this portfolio could be also used in order to ‘grade’ students, for example with a mark from 0 to 10. In fact, the possible use of a grading system, made me wonder whether this, would make student to try over excessively to meet the assessor’s needs rather than try to self-judge their own work and to use the feedback for their own learning. In addition, it made me consider, that an overemphasis on communicating criteria and providing feedback, in conjunction with the students’ effort to get a good mark, would  eventually infuse every aspect of the learners experience and would risk to influence negatively students’ spontaneity and creativity.

Thus, the use of the portfolio as a formative assessment entails the risk of making assessment procedures and ‘criteria compliance’ to dominate the learning experience and hinder students ‘autonomy’.

Consequently, special emphasis should be given on self-assessment procedures and on how the students feel about their own work. What it needs to be assessed is not the work itself, but the judgment of the students, either in an individual or in a collective level.

However, empowering students to self-assess their work is not a totally unproblematic decision, since it might contradict with the institutional policies and the requirement for ‘summative’ and ‘objective’ assessment.  

Ironically, this last dilemma takes us back to the first dilemma where the problem and the limitations of focusing on the ongoing activity were seriously raised. Consequently, this final part of Task A should not be seen as a strict finale but rather as an open and ongoing opportunity for further reflection and thinking.