The portfolio assessment

Doctoral candidates in Applied Linguistics and Technology will submit three copies of a portfolio no later than the announced deadline in their third semester in the program (not including summer terms). The portfolio may make reference to online sources, but the full portfolio should not be submitted electronically.

The ALT Examinations Committee, consisting of three TESL/Applied Linguistics faculty members elected each year, will set a precise deadline for each semester and announce the dates no later than the third week of the fall semester.

Purpose

The portfolio should represent the best scholarly work of Ph.D. students to determine their readiness to undertake research and writing tasks in applied linguistics and to demonstrate their ability to define problems/issues, to make and support scholarly claims, to cite and synthesize previous research literature, and to sustain a coherent argument. All elements of the portfolio must be of excellent quality, must conform to the professional writing conventions of the Applied Linguistics field, and must adhere to the style of the American Psychological Association (APA).

Contents

The portfolio will include the following (provide three copies of all documents in typed, double-spaced, 12-point font format), completed during the student’s course work for the Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Technology at Iowa State University (i.e., work completed in a master’s program prior to entry into the Ph.D. program may not be included):

• 1. A 1,000-1,500 word reflection paper which explains the contents of the portfolio in terms of how it reflects the intellectual development of the student in the program so far. It should also be used to highlight possible paths for forthcoming research.
• 2. A critical analysis of a current topic in applied linguistics and technology (5,000-7,000 words). Students are encouraged to focus on a research topic of interest or on their future dissertation work. This paper is intended to demonstrate a student’s ability to synthesize and evaluate published research and to identify key research questions and issues based on analyses of previous work.
• 3. An empirical research article of 5,000-7,000 words. The study, either qualitative or quantitative, should be on a topic related to the student’s research interests (which may or may not be the subject of his or her future dissertation work). In this paper, the student is expected to report a well-developed study with well-defined research questions, a thorough explanation of the research methodology selected and used in the study, a clear presentation of the findings and the subsequent implications of those findings. This paper is intended to demonstrate a student’s ability to conduct research and appropriately report that work to the academic community.
• 4. A 1,000-1,500 word critical review of a book, test, or software. This paper should demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate the book, test, or software in the context of larger relevant issues in the field.

Evaluation

Each portfolio will be evaluated by the ALT Examinations Committee. Portfolios will be evaluated as a demonstration of the candidate’s proficiency in academic writing and potential promise for completing the work for the degree.

The four papers should, taken together, demonstrate a student's ability to

1. define a problem or issue
2. make and support claims and subclaims
3. cite and synthesize sources
4. sustain a coherent argument
5. carry out and report on a well-developed research study
6. evaluate research in applied linguistics

Because the portfolio demonstrates a broader range of competencies than any individual course assignment and because it focuses on a student's ability to address a wider disciplinary audience than an individual instructor, even papers receiving superior evaluation in graduate courses will typically require significant revision.

After evaluating the portfolio, the ALT Examinations Committee will rate it either a pass or a fail. At least two members of the ALT Examinations Committee will meet with the student to provide feedback on his or her scholarly writing, as demonstrated in the portfolio submission.

In the case of a portfolio that does not show sufficient mastery of the scholarly writing essential for achieving the Ph.D., the ALT Examinations Committee will provide feedback to the student indicating the reasons for the evaluation and what the student must do in order to resubmit the portfolio, which, at the ALT Examinations Committee’s direction, may include different papers and analyses. This second portfolio must be submitted by the announced deadline the following semester. The same evaluation and feedback procedures will be used as for the first submission. However, the Director of Graduate Education will also participate in the evaluation and discussion of the second portfolio, but only the three members of the ALT Examinations Committee will vote on the success or failure of the second portfolio. Students can submit only two portfolios, and a passing portfolio is necessary for a student to continue in the Ph.D. program.

Procedure

Because the TESL/Applied Linguistics faculty expects that students will revise their papers before submission, a student may wish to seek clarification of an instructor’s feedback on the paper as originally submitted (unless that instructor is on the ALT Examinations Committee) as well as suggestions from other readers. A student is prohibited from asking members of the ALT Examinations Committee for feedback on papers during the semester in which that student is taking the exam.

To facilitate anonymous submission to the extent possible, names should be removed from the papers, which should be identified with a five-digit number chosen by the student. Students should realize that members of the ALT Examinations Committee may recognize papers even after the writer's name has been removed. Instructors' comments and grades should also be removed.

Three copies of the portfolio materials should be submitted in expandable, closeable folders, identified only by the student's five-digit number, to the graduate secretary in the Graduate English Office, 403 Ross Hall. The graduate secretary will distribute the portfolios to members of the ALT Examinations Committee.

Scheduling

Portfolios will be evaluated twice a year, in the fall and spring semesters. No later than the third week of the fall semester, the ALT Examination Committee will announce the dates that the portfolios are due each semester. Students should notify the graduate secretary of their intent to submit a portfolio in a particular semester. Students must submit their portfolios no later than their third semester in the Ph.D. program. Failure to do so will be considered lack of satisfactory progress toward the degree. Any request to change procedures for the portfolio assessment must be made in writing by the student to the Director of Graduate Education before the second Tuesday of the semester in which the portfolio is due, specifying the request and providing rationale for the request. The Graduate Studies Committee will decide if such requests will be granted.

Grievances regarding the portfolio assessment

Students who believe that they have legitimate reasons to appeal the decision of the ALT Examinations Committee may follow the grievance procedure outlined in the Graduate College Handbook under “Grievances Related to Scholarly and Professional Competence.”