The portfolio as an evaluation tool: an analysis of its use in an undergraduate nursing program.

This qualitative study was carried out between April and August 2007. It analyzed the use of portfolios in the academic community. A total of nine full-time professors and 119 students enrolled in their third semester were interviewed through a semi-structured interview. Content analysis was used to analyze data. Learning evaluations are seen as a verification of knowledge and efficacy of pedagogical method, and also as an incentive to study. Evaluations are procedural, that is, evaluation is continuous, or one-time, e.g. semester end tests. The portfolio is defined as a gradual and continuous evaluation tool. The faculty members and students need to accept the use of portfolios and evaluate the possibilities of this resource. This study is a first attempt to appraise the evaluation process of an undergraduate program, and the use of portfolios and other strategies needs to be consolidated in order to improve the educational process in undergraduate nursing programs.