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U2020-Norsk utdanningsforskning 2009-2018

Portfolio practices in higher education in Norway following the Quality Reform; -diffusion characteristics and learning achievement

Awarded: NOK 0.30 mill.

This application refers to topic B in the announcement from 'Utdanning 2020', Assessment methods, learning processes and learning achievement. Previous studies conducted in connection with the evaluation of the Quality Reform documented a proliferation o f portfolios in Norwegian higher education after 2002 as a direct result of the reform. However, we have no research based knowledge about what has happened in the institutions since then and we know even less about how the use of portfolios as a learning - and assessment tool has affected students` learning. Our main research questions are: 1) What characterizes portfolio practices in higher education in the wake of the Quality reform? We want to give an overview of our national 'portfolio situation' a t this point of time and show how this has evolved from 2004 when the 'Quality reform' was introduced. Our second research question is: 2) What kind of influence does portfolio-based assessment seem to have on the students` learning activities in Norwegi an higher education, and what are the implications for students` achievement, both for practical and theoretical aims? By using existing data and analyses from the implementation period of the Quality Reform and compare those with data we propose to col lect as part of this project, we will be able to study the development of assessment practices in a longitudinal perspective. Such a study is also interesting in an international perspective. The Norwegian reform was a direct consequence of the Bologna process, but had a much wider scope than Bologna follow-up in other European countries and also included distinctive pedagogical changes. Comparing the use of portfolios in Norway with two or more other European countries would therefore be of particular interest. The aim is during the pre-project period to develop a design based on the collection and analysis of a combination of data from surveys and some qualitative in-depth studies in the Norwegian context

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U2020-Norsk utdanningsforskning 2009-2018

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