Using ePortfolios to facilitate the development of reflective skills in preservice teachers
1. Pauline Roberts
EdD Candidate
Murdoch University
P.Roberts@murdoch.edu.au
ePortfolio Forum 2012
2. 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.
3. Research Question 1:
What impact does engagement in the
ePortfolio environment have on the
level of students' reflection?
4. Research Question 2:
How effective are the prompts and
reflective learning activities provided in
the environment in increasing
engagement and developing students’
reflections?
5. Research Question 3:
What strategies are most successful in
developing reflective interactions
amongst students and why?
6. Overall Framework:
eLearning Lifecycle
• The cycles of implementation
Phillips, McNaught & of the environment.
Kennedy (2011)
Enculturation Teaching • Examples of Good Practice
Model • Activities to Complete
Tishman, Jay & Perkins (1993) • Interaction Amongst Students
Framework for Teacher • Action
Reflection • Constructing Knowledge and
Colton & Sparks-Langer Meaning
(1993) • Professional Knowledge Base
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?
10. 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.
11. Cycle 3: Focus on learning the new
platform.
Review of previous
experience.
Prompts to
encourage
interaction.
Focus on first
submissions
12. 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
13. Result:
Platform being used
Usage Stats in platform
Assessment tasks in format
BUT
Comments not being made
Discussion not happening
14. 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
16. 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
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. Further information:
Pauline Roberts
Murdoch University
P.Roberts@murdoch.edu.au
pauline_k_roberts@me.com
0419 447 832
paulinekroberts.com
#paulinekroberts