Activity 8 - Strategies

Overall Strategy and Dimensions	Content	Activities	*Communication Interactions	Assessment
Strategy: ePortfolio (Reflective Learning Portfolio)	Development of an interactive Learning ePortfolio for the Certificate in Veterinary Nursing ( year 2 distance programme)	Students will choose and create their own individual ePortfolio ( platforms for example could be: blogger, picasa, even facebook and entries can include, written, audio or visual posts ) Activities completed could involve both individual and collaborative work based on the unit standards studied throughout year 2. Questions and activities will be posted by the lecturers. This could also involve discussions around cases seen in clinic (privacy and confidentially must be adhered to when discussing any clinical cases)	Initially Face to Face contact with the students at the first block course at the beginning of the year to discuss concepts and reasoning behind the creation of an ePortfolio (Also assistance in the initial creation process to get the students started) Monthly contact with every student – formative feedback given and student collaboration expected at some point throughout the year.	Formative assessments would be provided throughout the year before the due date of each unit and a final summative assessment would happen at the end of the year after all units have been completed.
Dimensions:	A live working document that is used as an open communication portal between both students and lecturer’s to show a deeper understanding of learning.	Allows students to reflect on current learning and experiences in clinical practise	Frequent communication between lecturers and students by providing comments and feedback, and allowing peer collaboration	A marking rubric would be used to assist with the summative assessment of the portfolio at the end of year.

The first strategy I have looked at is the creation of an e-Portfolio. From all of the materials I have read I can see that this is a fantastic tool to both encourage reflection and deeper thinking as well as offering a fantastic way for peer collaboration and an extra bonus of providing further digital literacy which can often become a barrier to online learning.

 

The benefits of using an e-Portfolio from the students perspective was nicely detailed by David DiBiase (2002) “the process of e-Portfolio development encourages students to become more actively involved in planning, and more responsible for achieving, their own educational goals”  

 

I feel the benefits of e-Portfolio’s would work well within the structure of the second year Distance Vet Nursing Certificate as students begin to make connections with course materials and the skills they are developing when working in clinical practise placements. Initially students would need to be taken through the process of what an e-Portfolio is all about and discussion around the types of platforms that could be used (blogger/ Picasa for example). The best time for this to take place would be during the first face to face block course of the year so potentially all the students will have an active portfolio by the end of these three days.

 

As the year begins to progress students would be expected to actively contribute to their portfolios through individual and group activities and well as reflecting on clinical placements and case studies. This would then allow feedback and discussion from both the lecturers and students and will also aid as formative feedback around activities before summative assessments for units are due. Students will have the choice of how they complete their portfolios for example written, audio or visual posts and be given time within each of the units to complete these especially if activities are to work as formative assessments. At the end of the year the portfolios can be used as a final summative assessment alongside the industry verification workbook to demonstrate their learning throughout the year. It is also highlighted that e-Portfolios can then be used as a showcase of work that can be presented to potential employer’s (Lorenzo, G & Ittelson, J. 2005 )

 

 

References:

 

Challis, D. (2005). Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology Volume 31(3) Fall / automne 2005 Towards the mature ePortfolio: Some implications for higher education. Retrieved from http://cjlt.csj.ualberta.ca/index.php/cjlt/article/view/93/87%20

DiBiase, D. (2002). Using e-Portfolios at Penn State to Enhance Student Learning Status, Prospects, and Strategies. Retrieved from https://www.e-education.psu.edu/files/e-port_report.pdf

 

JISC Innovation Group. (2008). Effective Practice with e-Portfolios. University of Bristol. Retrieved from http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/effectivepracticeeportfolios.pdf

 

Lorenzo, G & Ittelson, J. (2005). An Overview of E-Portfolios. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3001.pdf