A washback study on e-portfolio assessment in an English as a Foreign Language teacher preparation program

Washback refers to both positive and negative influences of testing on teaching and learning. While washback studies abound in the literature, most of them deal with high-stakes, standardized tests or large-scale entrance examinations. Scant efforts have been made to uncover washback effects in alternative assessments. This study implemented an e-portfolio project as an alternative assessment technique in a language teacher preparation content course and explored the positive and negative washback effects that e-portfolio assessments produced on learning. Eighteen English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student teachers in a graduate course of a Master's program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages participated in this assessment project. Data were collected through multiple instruments, including interviews, observations, document analysis, and reflective journals. The findings suggest that e-portfolio assessments generate positive washback effects on learning, including building a community of practice, facilitating peer learning, enhancing learning of content knowledge, promoting professional development, and cultivating critical thinking. However, e-portfolio assessments also bring some negative washback effects, such as learning anxiety deriving from larger audiences, and resistance to technology. Finally, it is concluded that EFL professionals make judicious use of e-portfolio assessments to balance classroom assessments and to facilitate the learning of content knowledge.