Relational constructionist concepts supported by the community of inquiry model promotes the development of student voices … … based on their shared experiences and not on expectations from others

1. PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS AND THE
RELATIONAL CONSTRUCTION OF
TEACHING KNOWLEDGE
PAUL LESLIE
PAUL@PAULLESLIE.NET
SHARJAH HIGHER COLLEGES, UAE
INTED MAR 2-4, 2015
MADRID, SPAIN
WWW.PAULLESLIE.NET

2. Abstract
Relational constructionist concepts supported by the community of inquiry
model promotes the development of student voices …
… based on their shared experiences and not on expectations from others

3. Portfolio approach to learning
 To manage ‘21st century learning’, the concept of a ‘portfolio approach to learning’ offers a
framework in which to pursue educational activities.
 “… holistic approach to teaching and learning that encompasses the varied activities involved
in providing an educational experience” (Leslie, 2012, p. 166).
INTRODUCTION

4. Portfolio approach to learning
INTRODUCTION
capture their ideas
externalize ideas
make connections
between ideas
Share those ideas
Benefit from other’s
experience and knowledge
Create curations
collections of work for
various stakeholders
 The “portfolio” in a ‘portfolio approach to learning’ refers to an actual portfolio
that starts at the beginning of learning and allows students and teachers alike to…

5. Theory and practice: Theory
 Freire (1970/2000) states that liberated educators and students share their thoughts and ideas
and then reconsider all ideas as expressed by their community.
 This idea highlights the relational construction base upon which the portfolio approach is
constructed
LITERATURE REVIEW

6. Theory and practice: Practice
Figure 1: Community of Inquiry (Garrison, Anderson & Archer,
2000, p. 88).
 The Community of Inquiry model provides a
framework for portfolio learning.
 Teaching presence:
 comes from all participants
 provides guidance and direction to the
community
 (Cleveland-Innes & Garrison; 2010)
LITERATURE REVIEW

7. Context of the study
At the Higher Colleges of Technology, all Education students are required to develop and
maintain an e-Portfolio.
Participants:
 30 students from a fourth year cohort of the Educational Technology Program at Sharjah
Women’s College (SWC), whom I taught for 4 years.
 From this cohort, three groups of five students participated in focus groups
 Paper-based surveys were conducted with members of the first and third year cohorts.
 Artefacts from all e-portfolios of each cohort were examined, initially for assessment purposes
and subsequently for this paper.

8. Portfolio as a teaching and learning tool
 The associated paper investigates how web 2.0 tools and activities may best support teaching
and learning through the concept of a ‘portfolio approach to learning’ as social process in a 21st
century classroom.
INTRODUCTION

9. Portfolio learning tools
 Mahara eportfolio system
 SharePoint MySites
 Various social media tools including:
 Blogs (Blogger, WordPress)
 Discussion boards (Moodle, Blackboard – exported to HTML)
 Microblogs (Twitter, Instagram)
 Various cloud storage tools
 Image storage (Flickr, Picasa)
 Documents (Google Drive, DropBox, SkyDrive)

10. Relational construction
 Social media and cloud based tools allow people time to present a more focused and thus
greater voice in their own affairs, minimizing the influence of power structures interfering with
their desire to say what they really think.
Participant comments:
“In real life, I don’t like to argue with someone about my opinion but in social sites, I say my
opinion.”
“Online, people are more open to what they say. We can ask anything without having to be shy.”
FINDINGS

11. Teaching presence
 In a portfolio process, the responses and guidance which comprise a teaching presence need
to come from all participants as much as from the teacher.
 Students are given guidance and ‘permission’ to question each other.
Participant comments:
“They are looking at our work and doing their work according to your own work and this is very
motivating to do more work.”
FINDINGS

12. Portfolio: Curation of ideas as artefacts
 An aggregator site (e.g. Mahara) provides a
community.
 Numerous curations can be presented, often
using the very same artefacts, organized
according to stakeholder needs
 Participant comments:
“If it is an e-portfolio, everything can be shared
easily and even students and parents can see
parts of the work and materials.”
FINDINGS

13. Portfolio: The curation of artefacts
FINDINGS

14. Conclusion
 Curations are based on feedback from teaching presence …
 Feedback allows for discerning curation of portfolio artefacts for specific audiences.
 All participants, including the teacher, benefit from better curations.
 Participant comments:
“I think teachers need to develop their ideas and they can do this by seeing other people’s work
and share their ideas through their journals.”

15. References
Higher Colleges of Technology. (2013, August 29). EDU 1302. Retrieved from Higher Colleges of Technology - Curricunet:
http://www.curricunet.com/HCT/reports/record_outline.cfm?courses_id=7353
Barrett, H. (2007). Researching electronic portfolios and learner engagement: The REFLECT Initiative. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 50(6), 436-449.
doi:10.1598/JAAL.50.6.2
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical Inquiry in a Text-Based Environment: Computer Conferencing in Higher Education. The Internet and Higher Education,
2(2-3), 87-105. Retrieved September 1, 2012, from http://communitiesofinquiry.com/sites/communityofinquiry.com/files/Critical_Inquiry_model.pdf
Garrison, D. R., & Vaughan, N. D. (2008). Blended Learning in Higher Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Leslie, P. (2012, September). Portfolio Approach to Learning: Application with Educational Technology Students. In Dowling, S. (ed.), Opening up Learning (Vol. 1, pp. 153-162).
Abu Dhabi: HCT Press. Retrieved from http://shct.hct.ac.ae/events/edtechpd2013/articles2012/index.asp
Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the Opppresed. New York: Bloomsbury Academic.
Ash, S., & Clayton, P. (2009). Generating, Deepening, and Documenting Learning: The Power of Critical Reflection in Applied Learning. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher
Education, 1, 25-48.
Leslie, P. (2013). Communities of Inquiry and Assessment: Graded Discussions. In Dowling, S. (ed), Redefining Learning(Vol. 2, pp. 153-164). Abu Dhabi: HCT Press.
Cleveland-Innes, M. F., & Garrison, D. R. (2010). (eds) An Introduction to Distance Education. New York: Routledge.
Haughey, M. (2010). Teaching and Learning in Distance Education Before the Digital Age. In Cleveland-Innes, M. F., & Garrison, D. R. (2010). (eds) An Introduction to Distance
Education. New York: Routledge.

16. Education is a community affair