Promoting Formative Assessment of Transversal Skills in Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning: Exploring the Role of a Reflective Portfolio

Abstract

Formative and shared assessment offers students feedback on the go and promotes self-regulation. When integrated with project-based learning (PBL), portfolios can structure the formative assessment of transversal competencies and support metacognitive development. However, reflective portfolios have not been studied in interdisciplinary settings. This article explores the role of an initial version of a reflective portfolio as a formative assessment that supports self-regulation of learning and the development of transversal competencies in interdisciplinary project-based learning. For this purpose, we first propose an assessment design using a digital portfolio for structured reflection. Second, we report an initial application of the design, adopting a qualitative case study at a master’s programme of a higher education institution, involving 38 students from varied undergraduate backgrounds. Data were collected through written reflections and self-assessments of communication and teamwork competencies and subsequently analysed using thematic analysis and lexicometric analysis; self-assessment ratings were analysed descriptively based on their distribution across proficiency levels. The initial resulting themes indicate that students identified a lack of engagement and a disconnect between theory and practice as limitations in their prior educational experiences. Lexicometric analysis indicated the centrality of collaboration-related terms and suggested interest in the new formative experience. Finally, we discuss how the reflective portfolio may have supported metacognitive awareness in the interdisciplinary setting by creating structured moments for students to connect prior experiences to emerging challenges, including psychological safety, complementary strengths, and shared responsibility. These preliminary findings suggest that digital portfolios can help structure self-regulatory processes in formative assessment. As early-stage research reporting a first application of the design, the findings are preliminary and serve primarily to inform the refinement of the proposed assessment design.