Development of Electronic Portfolio Assessments to Optimize Students' Critical Thinking Skills in Measurement Materials

Abstract

Critical thinking skills are an important competency in 21st century physics learning. Ideally, assessments not only measure conceptual understanding but also facilitate the development of critical thinking through sustainable and transparent assessment instruments. The novelty of this study lies in the integration of electronic portfolio assessment with the Liveworksheet platform, a combination that has not previously been directed specifically at optimizing students' critical thinking skills in physics measurement materials, and which offers a practical contribution as an alternative formative assessment tool that embeds critical thinking indicators, transparent rubrics, and continuous feedback directly within the assessment medium. Preliminary findings at SMAN 1 Sungai Tarab show that students' critical thinking skills are still low, teacher assessment questions are still procedural and not in line with critical thinking indicators, feedback has not been given optimally, and assessment rubrics have not been communicated to students. Based on these findings, this study aims to analyze the need for the development of a Liveworksheet-assisted electronic portfolio assessment to optimize critical thinking skills in measurement materials. The research uses the Research and Development (R&D) method of the 4D model, limited to the define (needs analysis) stage, with a quantitative descriptive approach involving 30 students of class X Phase E1. Data were collected through Facione (2011) indicator-based critical thinking tests, questionnaires, and teacher interviews. The results showed that the average critical thinking skills were in the low category (39%), with the highest achievement in self-regulation (43%) and the lowest in evaluation (36%). Teachers' instruments do not reflect indicators of critical thinking, feedback is minimal, and rubrics are only used internally. These findings establish the empirical basis for the subsequent design of a Liveworksheet-assisted electronic portfolio assessment that integrates critical thinking indicators, transparent rubrics, and continuous feedback; the effectiveness of this assessment in improving students' critical thinking skills has not yet been evaluated and remains a direction for further research