Abstract:

INTRODUCTION
The portfolio is a method of teaching, learning and evaluation. It is useful in an educational program from the constructivist approach. Its main objective is that students learn to find, correlate and analyze information to strengthen and complement the classroom sessions.

METHODS
In order to assess its usefulness, advantages and disadvantages in the course "General Procedures in Physiotherapy II” (PGIF II) we carried out a closed survey with students (Likert-type scale). The survey was completed after the semester of classes and performed voluntarily. The development of the portfolio represents a volume of 0,5 ECTS credits and the mark is 20% of the total course marks.

RESULTS
The survey was answered by 99 of the 126 students enrolled. The activities that scored highest (10 points, mean ± standard deviation) were notes supplementation (8.94 ± 1.50) and the development of case studies (8,01 ± 1,53). 85,9% of the students felt that the portfolio had helped them to supplement the theoretical concepts; 65,7% replied that it had enhanced their critical and reflective thinking; 46,5% considered it as a motivational tool and 91,7% saw it as a learning facilitator tool for the subject; 36,4% stated they felt unsecure during the performance. 27,3% of students considered they expent too much time. After the final exams for the academic year 2010-2011 the main results for the subject PGIF II were that 73% of enrolled students passed the subject. 53,8% of them got a mark between 7 and 8,9; and 1,9% achieved a mark between 9 and 9,8. 17,6% failed and 9,7% didn’t take the final exam.

CONCLUSION
The portfolio is considered by students as a teaching-learning method useful for promoting self-study, completing the information obtained in the classroom and facilitating learning of the course "PGIF II”. After the academic course we can say that this methodology could be useful to prevent truancy and lack of motivation. If we compare the final marks to thous obtained in others subjects that did´nt developed the portfolio, we can see that our students had failed and had missed the final exam in a lower percentage.

Keywords:

Portfolio, physiotherapy, teaching-learning method.