Competency Portfolios in University Education
Understanding the Learning Portfolio
The portfolio is a personal document, promoted by the European Consensus, in which the user or student learning a language—either within a school context or outside of it—can record their learning experiences, reflect on them, and self-assess using the objective parameters of the European Framework for Languages.
University Competency Portfolio Implementation
The dynamics of using portfolios for competencies at the university level would generally follow these steps:
Initial Steps and Student Planning
- At the beginning of university studies, first-year students are informed about the meaning of competency-based training, specific and cross-curricular skills, and the certification and accreditation system for their procurement.
- They are also informed at this time of the obligation to submit a portfolio of skills upon completion of their studies.
- As part of this initial information, it’s important to state that students can acquire skills through the development of each subject. When starting their studies, they can be provided with a pathway related to competencies to plan their learning appropriately, aligning with the accountability and autonomy promoted by the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
- Considering the potential lack of prior experience with competency-based training and the emphasis on student accountability for their own learning, it is advisable that the entire process is properly documented and sequenced in a “Skills Plan“. This plan should be provided to the student in writing, and the student should sign a learning agreement concerning it.
Acquiring and Documenting Evidence
- In each subject, the student has the opportunity to participate in activities planned by the teacher for the acquisition of skills.
- These activities are evaluated by the teacher.
- When an activity associated with a competence is evaluated favorably, evidence of this achievement, signed by the teacher, can be incorporated into the portfolio of competencies.
- Logically, if the teacher’s strategic planning is effective, such evidence will typically be produced later in the course after the student has worked on the competence.
Handling Insufficient Evidence
It may also be the case that a student does not achieve a sufficient level during the course to incorporate evidence into the portfolio. In this situation, the student must acquire the necessary evidence in another subject where the same competence is addressed (hence the importance of the student having the “Skills Plan” from the beginning).
External and Generic Skills Evidence
- Likewise, evidence for acquiring certain generic skills through other university-organized activities can be added to the portfolio, in accordance with program responsibilities.
- The incorporation of evidence obtained outside the university is an issue for discussion. This might be acceptable in certain cases (e.g., language proficiency) depending on the external agent’s credibility, requiring the establishment of strict criteria.
Portfolio Validation and Reflection
At the end of their studies, the portfolio of skills must contain a minimum amount of competence evidence, determined by those responsible for the degree program.
Summative and Reflective Components
Besides being a collection of evidence (summative portfolio), the portfolio can also have a reflective nature. This requires the student to reflect on the acquisition process, explaining their starting point, the difficulties encountered, the results obtained, etc.
Validation Process and Tutor Role
- It is proposed that the portfolio of skills be validated at the end by the tutor or advisor assigned to the student under the tutorial action plan (mandatory partial evaluations could also be established).
- This same tutor/advisor is responsible for monitoring the process to prevent the student from neglecting this part of their training.
- Monitoring involves periodically reviewing the portfolio, obtaining information from other teachers as needed, potentially using learning style assessments to predict where each student may have more difficulties and offer specific guidance, determining prior skill acquisition levels, etc.
Final Accreditation: A Collaborative Effort
The final validation primarily certifies compliance with the minimum content requirements of the portfolio. The actual evaluation of the competence is completed by the teacher who authorizes the incorporation of each piece of evidence into the portfolio. Thus, while individual teachers retain responsibility for the training activities within their subjects, the final accreditation of skills acquisition becomes a collaborative process among faculty.