A Study on Washback Effects on Learning Portfolio
This study investigates washback effects on the learning portfolio of university students. The washback effects were explored using a questionnaire and interviews with two groups. The results were as follows. First, although learning portfolios have no effects on English learning purpose, other areas (English learning activities, language skills and language knowledge, and perception of assessment system) experienced partial washback effects. Second, there were significant changes and differentiation in each language skill(reading, writing and listening) and significant partial changes in English knowledge (vocabulary). Third, overall, learners preferred the traditional result-oriented assessment system to a process-oriented assessment system like a learning portfolio, despite that two groups have no differences in perception of assessment systems between the process-oriented assessment and product-oriented assessment system. Fourth, learners showed mixed opinions in the interviews: embarrassment from unfamiliar learning portfolio assessments and expectation of novelty. That is, although learners obtained their passive learning attitudes from the pre-existing instruction methods, they appreciated the merits and importance of learning portfolio assessment. Therefore, this study suggests that the washback effects of learning portfolio can be implemented for university students carefully.