Using ePortfolios to facilitate the development of reflective skills in preservice teachers

Using ePortfolios to facilitate the development of reflective skills in

preservice teachersPauline RobertsEdD Candidate

Murdoch UniversityP.Roberts@murdoch.edu.au

ePortfolio Forum 2012

Background and Context:Perth metropolitan university.4th Year Bachelor of Education students.Difficulty in developing specific reflections.Needed to complete and Action Learning

Project but were unsure where to start.ePortfolio platform was introduced as means

of recording and presenting research.Resistance by the students to the project and

the technology.

Research Question 1:

What impact does engagement in the ePortfolio environment have on the level of students' reflection?

Research Question 2:

How effective are the prompts and reflective learning activities provided in the environment in increasing engagement and developing students’ reflections?

Research Question 3:

What strategies are most successful in developing reflective interactions amongst students and why?

Overall Framework:

In what ways can an ePortfolio platform provide an environment for the scaffolding of the development of reflection in pre-service teachers in a University environment?

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ACTION RESEARCH

DESIGN-BASED RESEARCH

Enculturation Teaching Model:

Tishman, Jay and Perkins (1993)

Framework for Teacher Reflection:

Colton and Sparks-Langer (1993)

What was implemented:Within the PebblePad platform,

prompts were placed in the “Gateway Blog”

Students were asked to complete, comment and interact.

Data collected via blog posts, focus group interviews, online survey, individual interviews, document analysis and learning analytics.

Cycle 3: Focus on learning the new platform.Review of previous experience.

Prompts to encourage interaction.Focus on first submissions

Cycle 3:Prompts Focus Comments

A reflection on teachers

[3] Prior experience, personal values

Yes - feedback

Something to talk about

[2] Interactions – set up groups No

Reflective Journal as a Blog

[3] Scripts No but 104 blogs

Plan/Rationale Outline Assessment [1] & [2] Yes - questions

Adding Ethics Checklist

Assessment Yes – questions

Time to refine [3] review of all aspects No

Progress Report Outline

Assessment [1] & [2] Yes – feedback

Uploading Evidence Assessment [3] Yes - questions

Result:Platform being used

Usage Stats in platformAssessment tasks in formatBUT

Comments not being madeDiscussion not happening

Changes made:Questions added to the assets to direct the discussion

Reference added to the prompts to show strength of theory and allow follow up if desired

Cycle 4:

Consolidating the platform and the process.

Cycle 4:Prompts Focus Comments

Reflective writing review

[2] & [3] content and scripts No

Outline of the 4R’s [2] Levels of writing Yes- feedback

Video Review [2] constructing meaning No

Verbal 3-Step Framework

[1] Plan, implement, review No

Reflective Journal Review

[2] & [3] No

Conclusion Questions Assessment [1] Evaluating No

Final Report Assessments [1], [2] & [3] Yes- questions

Attachments Assessments Yes - questions

Current conclusions:Prompts were read by the students

but not acted upon unless directed towards assessment.

Interaction was happening in other forums.

Students still resistant to new technology, especially in the final year.

Results overall still alter across the cohort.

Fewer questions than previous years.

Where to now:Finalise the data collection.Review which prompts worked and

why.Outline an environment that may be

able to be applied in other platforms.Make changes to implement in 2013.

References:Colton, A. B., & Sparks-Langer, G. M. (1993).

A Conceptual Framework to Guide the Development of Teacher Reflection and Decision Making. Journal of teacher education, 44(1), 45–54.

Phillips, R., Kennedy, G., & McNaught, C. (2011). Evaluating e-learning: Guiding research and practice. New York: Routledge.

Tishman, S., Jay, E., & Perkins, D. N. (1993). Teaching Thinking Dispositions: From Transformation to Enculturation. Theory into Practice, 32(3), 147–153.

Further information:Pauline RobertsMurdoch UniversityP.Roberts@murdoch.edu.aupauline_k_roberts@me.com0419 447 832paulinekroberts.com#paulinekroberts