The use of portfolios in family science.

The constructivist paradigm states that students have a basic need to understand their experiences and they are the center of the learning process while the instructor should only be the facilitator. Working and presentation portfolios support this approach by making students active participants in their learning and providing them with opportunities to reflect on their knowledge. Additionally, using portfolios within family science also helps clarify for both students and their potential employers what makes family science distinct from other related social science disciplines. The purpose of this article is to present the experience of how portfolios were introduced into the family science curriculum at a small Midwestern university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]