LEARNING PORTFOLIO IN STRENGTH OF MATERIALS

Objectives:
This portfolio aims to assess the information about the following:
a. the attitudes and values you have developed in this course,
b. your understanding of the concepts and principles of strength of materials,
c. the skills that you have developed as shown in the products of your learning.

Description:
The portfolio is used in to demonstrate what you have learned and are capable of producing, as
well as to sell your services to clients. This portfolio will specifically demonstrate what
you have learned in this semester.
An important part of the learning process is reflecting on what you have learned, how you have
learned it, and how you know that you have learned it. The process of putting together a
learning portfolio will facilitate this reflective process and allow you to describe and
document your learning.
Your learning portfolio will have two components:
(1) a reflective essay that communicates your description of what you have learned this semester
in ASTRENGTH, how you have learned it, and how you know you have learned it; and
(2) a set of documents that illustrate what you describe in your reflective essay. The
reflective essay is described in more detail below.
Possible and required illustrative documents are listed in a following section.

Reflective Essay:
Using the statement below as a catalyst, reflect on your learning experience, with special focus
on these four areas: structural concepts, structural skills, problem-solving abilities, and
learning abilities.
The Learning Objectives listed in the syllabus have specific actions listed that demonstrate
learning. These objectives should be kept in mind while reflecting on what you have
learned to do.
The questions below will help get you started, but you are encouraged to use these only as a
starting point. As you consider the quality and quantity of what you have learned,
remember to refer to your supporting documents as evidence of this learning.
For example, you might write that “The __________assignment required me to_____________ ,
and by doing this, I understood _______________more clearly. This is illustrated in
Appendix 1, where you will see my original assignment along with the revised
assignment and my description of what changes I made and why I made them.” The
above example refers to a specific area of improvements or learning and relates it to a
document that illustrates that learning. The more concrete your illustrations, the better.

Architectural Structures Concepts:

What are the major structural behavior, analysis or design concepts that I have either learned for
the first time or learned at a deeper level? What do I understand now that I did not understand at
the beginning of the semester? What concepts were difficult to understand? How do I know that I
understand these concepts? Have I improved my ability to articulate the meaning of these
concepts? Have I recognized these concepts when they come up in other courses or in my
everyday experience? Can I describe any structural concept with an operational definition?
Architectural Structures Skills:
How confidently can I establish a free body diagram with unknown quantities and set up the
equations for equilibrium? Am I able to relate the unknown quantities to the type of structural
member or to design requirements, like stresses and strains? Am I able to calculate geometric
properties important to analysis? Do I know how to use design aids, and charts, and the design
methods they can be used with and so on?
Problem-Solving Abilities:
Am I willing to explore and persevere with a problem that I have never seen? Have I gained
confidence in applying structural concepts and processes to new situations? Have I learned to
solve problems involving loaded areas or lengths that I can trace for a structural analysis? Do I
know what correction needs to be made if my beam deflects too much?
Learning Abilities:
What have I learned about myself as a learner? Have I grown in my ability to formulate and ask
questions that help me deepen my understanding? Have I identified my learning strengths? Have I
identified my weaker learning styles and found ways to strengthen them? Have I developed skills
in working and learning with other people? What learning activities did I respond to most easily?
Why? What learning activities did I find most difficult? Why?

Illustrative Documents:
These should be selected from all of the work you have done this semester for the purpose of
illustrating what you write in your reflective essay. Possibilities include in-class exercises or
quizzes; assignments, projects; examples of architectural structures or related concepts from other
courses, newspaper articles, and the like; e-mailed explanations to friends; analysis of before and
after self-assessment; copies of your reading notes; other work that you may do specifically for
this portfolio; and so on. You must include a revision to an assignment or quiz.
Format:
The format that you choose for presenting your portfolio is up to you. A notebook or folder with
dividers is one option.

Evaluation Criteria:Your portfolio will be evaluated over the following:

Criteria A : Reflection of the Owner’s Personal Traits/Attitudes/Values/Habits - 20%

(This includes the final packaging of student’s learning portfolio which are indicators of his/her attitudes
and values. The portfolio owner, his/her peers and teachers can be involved in rating this part of the
portfolio)
1.Practicality in the Choice of the Container. (Can it last for more than 2 years e.g. accordion bag,
bound material?)
2. Flexibility in the Use of the Container. (Can it allow addition and deletion of entries?)
3.Attractiveness of the Cover. (Will viewers explore and read all the contents?)
4.Creativity in the Layout of Entries. (Are entries displayed artistically?)
5.Resourcefulness in the Material (Were alternative or indigenous materials used in developing
the portfolio?)
6.Neatness of work (Are all entries neat?)
7.Organization of Entries (Is there a table of contents, which reflects what entries were kept and
where to find them at one glance?)
8.Enthusiasm in doing the work (Is it decorated reflecting one’s enjoyment in doing the work?)
9.Promptness in submission (Is it submitted on time?)
Criteria B : Reflection of the One’s Knowledge and Understanding of the Course Contents
- 40% (The student’s written reflections (e.g. logs, journals, diaries, statement of goals /
accomplishment, etc. are possible evidences of one’s knowledge and understanding of the course
contents.)
1. Completeness (30%)
a. Have you addressed all four areas of interest?
b. Within the areas “structural concepts” and “structural skills,” have you included all of the key
concepts and skills we have covered this semester?
c. Have you included documents that illustrate the points you make in your reflective essay? Have
you provided an example revision with appropriate narrative?
2. Depth of reflection (30%)
a. Does your reflective essay go beyond surface statements and does it demonstrate that you have
examined not only the “what” but the “how” and the “why” of your learning?
b. Does your portfolio demonstrate growth such that you have included how you relate new
learning with existing knowledge or previous experiences.
3. Application of Ideas (25%)
a. Are there many explanations of how ideas could be applied in the future work as an architect.
4. Organization and readability (15%)
a. Is your reflective essay organized in a way that makes it easy to read and understand?
b. Is it free of mechanical (spelling, grammar, and the like) errors?

Criteria C: Evidences of what the Student is Capable of doing in Relation to the Course
Contents - 40%
(The student’s written outputs e.g. checked and revised assignments, quizzes and mid-term exam are
evidences of student’s level of performance on the expected products of his/her learning. To assess the
student’s level of performance on the expected products of his/her learning. The course professor will be
the one to rate the work on specific dates. However, revised outputs are included to validate student’s
skills on expected learning outcomes.)

1. Determining external forces and moment analysis as applied to statically determinate systems.
2. Determining external forces and moment analysis as applied to trusses.
3. Calculate stresses and strains in axial members
4. Recognizing cross-sectional properties of section (centroids and moment of inertia)
5. Determine bending and shear stresses in simple beams
6. Solve simple beam design equations

Criteria D: Above and beyond - 10%

(This section is included for innovative and creative entry that is not explicitly asked for and includes a
clear explanation its significance explaining well explained and the entry is worth keeping in the
portfolio)