Portfolio assessment of intercultural competence

Portfolio assessment has been gaining prominence among U.S. educators as a valuable tool for authentic assessment. Whereas more traditional forms of assessment attempt to somehow quantify students' learning, portfolio assessment recognizes that learning is not always easily quantifiable, and calls on students to demonstrate their learning by selecting and presenting examples of their best work. This paper describes our procedures for introducing, developing, evaluating intercultural communication skills portfolios with our Intensive English Program students at The University of Iowa. We have found portfolio assessment to be well-suited for promoting our students' awareness of and reflection on their intercultural learning. Based on our initial experience using portfolios for this purpose, we recognize three distinct types of intercultural learning among our students, and offer suggestions for using portfolio assessment in intercultural education settings.