Building connections through integrated ePortfolio curricula Jessica Tsai, Christine Slade
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
1 like•88 views
Due to the expectations of industry to employ accomplished graduates in competitive environments, students need discipline knowledge connected with what they learn at through professional development opportunities and experience. EPortfolios provide a way to facilitate this learning/experience connection for students so they can develop their unique identity or ‘personal brand’. The use of ePortfolios, however, can tend to be used in a siloed way, commonly for reflective practice, which in itself is a noble activity. Others use it for accreditation requirements, or for showcasing for employment. We present a heuristic framework that identifies four key models of ePortfolio use: Developmental; Collaborative; Reflective; and Showcase that can be scaffolded (exposure, immersion, competency to mastery) across the curriculum in a program of study, dependant on discipline needs. We envisaged that students should experience an integration of all models to establish personal branding and to able to build professional connections.
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Similar to Building connections through integrated ePortfolio curricula Jessica Tsai, Christine Slade
Similar to Building connections through integrated ePortfolio curricula Jessica Tsai, Christine Slade (20)
More from ePortfolios Australia
More from ePortfolios Australia (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Building connections through integrated ePortfolio curricula Jessica Tsai, Christine Slade
- 1. Building Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum Dr. Christine Slade and Jessica Tsai
- 2. Technology is driving global interaction and integration Introduction CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 2 Industry GovernmentPeople Personal BrandingInteraction
- 3. Due to the expectations of industry to employ accomplished graduates in competitive environments, students need discipline knowledge connected with what they learn through professional development opportunities and experience. Current curriculum tend to compartmentalized into separate: • Courses/Units • Formal and informal learning opportunities • Theory versus practice “It is challenging for students to connect their learning from formal and informal settings, and from theory to practice, across different contexts and over time.” (Huber & Hutchings, 2004) Introduction CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 3
- 4. “Integrative learning is a broad term that captures a variety of integrative forms such as interdisciplinary study, service-learning, experiential learning, cooperative learning, and the blending of in class and out of class learning that could occur in almost any context” (Kuh, 1995; Newell, 1999, 2001a; Thompson Klein, 2005b) Integrative Learning CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 4 Source: https://csumb.edu/tla/holistic-wellness-integrative-learning “...making connections within a major, between fields, between curriculum, cocurriculum, or between academic knowledge and practice." (Huber, Hutchings & Gale, 2005)
- 5. Dimension Description Explanation 1 Identify, demonstrate and adapt knowledge gained within/across different contexts The ability to recognize the tacit and explicit knowledge gained in specific learning experiences and the capacity to adapt that knowledge to new situations. 2 Adapt to differences in order to create solutions The ability to identify and adapt to different people, situations, etc., while working with others to create positive change. 3 Understand and direct oneself as a learner The ability to identify one’s prior knowledge, recognize one’s strengths and gaps as a learner, and know how one is motivated to learn. 4 Become a reflexive, accountable and relational learner The ability to reflect on one’s practices and clarify expectations within oneself while also seeking feedback from others. 5 Identify and discern one’s own and others’ perspectives The ability to recognize the limitations of one’s perspective and seek out and value the perspectives of others. 6 Develop a professional digital identity The ability to imagine how one will use current knowledge and skills in future roles and how one will create an intentional digital identity. Source: Peet et al, 2011, p.12 Six Dimensions of Integrative Learning CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 5
- 6. Current ePortfolio Practices CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 6 Development Tracks student performance across chosen performance indicators over time. Collaboration Provides a platform for the creation of learning activities based upon student collaborative production and peer assessment. Reflection Develops self- and peer- reflective practices within students. This allows students to contextualise their work within their academic and professional growth. Showcase Provides students with a means of presenting an array of exemplary work. Established ePortfolio practices at UQ:
- 7. Current ePortfolio Practice CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 7 Development Collaboration Reflection Showcase Established ePortfolio practices at UQ: • Single use of each area, based on purpose • Linear based, mainly focus on student learning progression may include showcase in capstone
- 8. is how you present your uniqueness, qualities and attribute to others. Personal Branding … CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 8 ePortfolio: • Packages your attributes and artefacts together • Allows you to share • Conveys your personality, and expand the bullet points in your résumé • Connect learning and experience
- 9. Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 9 Establish personal branding & build professional connection my ePortfolio Extra Curriculum (Personal Skills) Self-Learning (Learning Skills) Collaboration (People Skills) Professional Education & Competencies (Discipline Skills) Understand Discipline Threshold Concepts ------------------------------------- Professional Knowledge, Standards & Practices Cultivate Collaborative Practice -------------------------------------- Interprofessional Education (IPE) Foundation Why and How to Reflect (knowledge) Knowledge on: Professional identity Employability I Digital etiquette & ethics Use of ePortfolio Career pathway & Industry expectation Synthesis Discipline Threshold Concepts ------------------------------------- Professional Skills & Competencies Disciplinary Collaboration Reflect within Discipline Context (guidance) Knowledge on: Employability II Digital literacy & capabilities Industry affiliation or social media Collection of Artefacts (curricular & extra curricular) Articulate & Translate Threshold Concepts into Practice --------------------------------------------------- Articulate & Translate into Workforce Performance Interdisciplinary Collaboration + Network Incorporate Self Experience (Interpret) Narrative Construction (recognize, develop & articulate common themes through professional & personal experience) Articulate & Translate Reflection
- 10. CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 10 Extra Curriculum (Personal Skills) Self-Learning (Learning Skills) Collaboration (People Skills) Professional Education & Competencies (Discipline Skills)
- 11. CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 11 Establish personal branding & build professional connection my ePortfolio Extra Curriculum (Personal Skills) Self-Learning (Learning Skills) Collaboration (People Skills) Professional Education & Competencies (Discipline Skills) Understand Discipline Threshold Concepts ------------------------------------- Professional Knowledge, Standards & Practices Cultivate Collaborative Practice -------------------------------------- Interprofessional Education (IPE) Foundation Why and How to Reflect (knowledge) Knowledge on: Professional identity Employability I Digital etiquette & ethics Use of ePortfolio Career pathway & Industry expectation Synthesis Discipline Threshold Concepts ------------------------------------- Professional Skills & Competencies Disciplinary Collaboration Reflect within Discipline Context (guidance) Knowledge on: Employability II Digital literacy & capabilities Industry affiliation or social media Collection of Artefacts (curricular & extra curricular) Articulate & Translate Threshold Concepts into Practice --------------------------------------------------- Articulate & Translate into Workforce Performance Interdisciplinary Collaboration + Network Incorporate Self Experience (Interpret) Narrative Construction (recognize, develop & articulate common themes through professional & personal experience) Articulate & Translate Reflection
- 12. Implication of the Model CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 12 Student articulate their current perception Guide student with hypothetical scenario (pre-defined) Mentor student and prepare their exit portfolio Student refine their exit portfolio and network
- 13. • The integrative model facilitates transfer of knowledge from educators to students, and for students to make connections. • The model focuses on students building their digital professional identity and personal branding. • The model also provides opportunities for educators to work as partners with students. • The connections made between professional and personal identity can be developed into Life Long Learning. Summary CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 13
- 14. Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum Questions and Feedback CRICOS code 00025BBuilding Connections through Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum | 9 October 2018 14 Establish personal branding & build professiona l connection my ePortfolio Extra Curriculum (Personal Skills) Self- Learning (Learning Skills) Collaborati on (People Skills) Professional Education & Competencies (Discipline Skills) Understand Discipline Threshold Concepts ------------------------------------- Professional Knowledge, Standards & Practices Cultivate Collaborative Practice -------------------------------------- Interprofessional Education (IPE) Foundation Why and How to Reflect (knowledge) Knowledge on: Professional identity Employability I Digital etiquette & ethics Use of ePortfolio Career pathway & Industry expectation Synthesis Discipline Threshold Concepts ------------------------------------- Professional Skills & Competencies Disciplinary Collaboration Reflect within Discipline Context (guidance) Knowledge on: Employability II Digital literacy & capabilities Industry affiliation or social media Collection of Artefacts (curricular & extra curricular) Articulate & Translate Threshold Concepts into Practice --------------------------------------------------- Articulate & Translate into Workforce Performance Interdisciplinary Collaboration + Network Incorporate Self Experience (Interpret) Narrative Construction (recognize, develop & articulate common themes through professional & personal experience) Articulate & Translate Reflection
- 15. Thank you Dr. Christine Slade | Lecturer in Higher Education Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation c.slade@uq.edu.au Jessica Tsai | eLearning Coordinator Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences j.tsai@uq.edu.au Contact Details:
Editor's Notes
- At University of Queensland, we have implemented an university wide ePortfolio system in 2017, the uptake and the depth of use various between different faculties and schools. Christine and I had put together a discussion paper to generate conversation on how we can embed more ePortfolio practices within curriculum.
- Technology is driving global interaction and integration of people, industry and government. It is essential for today’s graduates to demonstrate more than disciplinary skills. Graduates also need to demonstrate their ability to interact and integrate with other people and systems, and confident in their own personal branding.
- Due to the expectations of industry to employ accomplished graduates in competitive environments, students need discipline knowledge connected with what they learn through professional development opportunities and experience. Yet curriculum in higher education tends to be compartmentalised into separate courses/units, formal or informal learning opportunities, theory versus practice. It is challenging for students to connect their learning, students may miss connections between the different areas that they need for the development of their unique professional identity.
- The term integrative learning comes in many varieties. The definition of Integrative learning is yet to be clearly defined. And, educators might not be familiar with the term integrative learning and how to translate into curriculum.
- Melissa Peet of University of Michigan has defined these 6 dimensions through a study with 620 students in various learning environments, it was published in the 2011 International ePortfolio Journal. The results from the study found that students can achieve significant gains through such an approach, but support is needed in the curriculum design. I think current curriculum design covers most of the dimensions, however more work need to be done on the 6th dimension. In a lot of the cases, at UQ, professional digital identity is usually addressed at capstone, as students are about to graduate. ePortfolio has the potential to facilitate these dimensions however current practice tends to use ePortfolio in silo ways.
- These are the 4 main models of use we defined at UQ. Developmental, tracks student performance across chosen performance indicators over time. Collaborate, provides a platform for the creation learning activities based upon student collaborative production and peer assessment. Reflection, develops self and or peer reflective practices within students, and allows students to contextualise their work within their academic and professional growth. Showcase, provides students with a means of presenting an array of exemplary work.
- The emphasis placed on each of the model is different in disciplines or schools, depending on educators’ knowledge around ePortfolio, purposes and desired usage. Usually, in early stages of implementation, the focus is on one significant area, such as developmental assessment and/or reflection. The learning process tends to be linear based on student progression throughout the program, from 1st year to final year, which may include the showcase at capstone or final year or semester. There is a need for integrated ePortfolio pedagogies across curriculum for students, so they can ultimately develop their unique professional identity or personal branding. We envisage students should experience the integration of all models to establish their personal branding and build their professional connections.
- When we talk about personal branding, it’s how you present your uniqueness, qualities and attributes to others. ePortfolio can package your attributes and artefacts together in a stylish portable format that you can share. It also provides an opportunity to convey your personality, and expand the bullet points in your resume. ePortfolios can also be used to facilitate the connection of learning and experience for students, so they are better equipped to recognise and develop their unique identity or personal brand, and be competitive in today’s workplace.
- Integrated ePortfolios in curriculum pushes the boundaries of linear mapping as it introduces important extra-curricular elements, subjective moments of personal development, and encourages self-authorship and personal branding before the final semester or year. We would like to present this heuristic framework to support educators in using integrated ePortfolio approach, by scaffolding student learning across a program. The aim of this model is to facilitate transfer of knowledge from school to students and enable students to make connection at personal and professional level.
- This model is based on a common program duration of 4 years. Students move from initial exposure to immersion, to competency and to mastery. Students begin at the knowing stage and progresses to the doing stage. We still utilizing the 4 models of use. The model covers different skills sets, the discipline skills, people skills, learning skills, personal skills and experience.
- It starts from year 1, exposure, the knowing stage, School providing the knowledge, for students to acquire the knowledge. In year 2, immersion, students synthesis or interpret the knowledge, school guides the students in controlled environment, and start collection artefacts. In year 3, competency, students interpret the knowledge and incorporate personal attribute in the field of study, making their study relevant or being able to relate at personal level. In year 4, mastery, the doing stage, joining the dots between professional and personal connections, and establish personal branding. To apply the model, firstly we need to get the educators on board, establish the same goal or outcome, that is, by the end of the program students would establish their personal branding in the specific profession, allowing students to build professional connection. With the common goal, we can look at each components of the model and review the curriculum, identify courses that might already be covering similar topics or activities if any. This allows us to evaluate the level of adjustment required within the curriculum and for us to negotiate changes required to reach the common goal.
- An example of how we can apply the model, in first year, students to articulate their current perception of professional identity or personal branding, e.g. do you think professional identity or personal branding is important? In second year, educators guide the student with hypothetical identity or branding purpose or scenario. In third year, educators mentor the students in preparation of their exit portfolio with discipline artefacts, and to establish their own purpose, target audience and goal of the branding. In fourth year, students refine their exit portfolio, their own brand to convey themselves to the industry, and start networking.
- The Integrated ePortfolio Curriculum Model facilitates transfer of knowledge from educators to students, and for students to make connections. It focuses on students building their digital professional identity and personal branding. It also provides opportunities for educators to work as partners with students, emphasise on personal learning with useful output, a portfolio at the end of study that student will be able to utilise when they graduate. The connections made between professional and personal identity can be developed into Life Long Learning.