Eportfolios As an Alternative Assessment Tool Toward Empowering Economics Student Teachers Micheal M van Wyk
Curriculum and Instructional Studies College of Education University of South Africa
[email protected]
Thistle Brighton, Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom July 2, 2015
Challenge forces University of South Africa (Unisa) introduction of alternative assessment approach
• University of South Africa –open distance learning institution with 10 Colleges – The African university in the service of humanity • ManCom – 2013-2017 Strategic plan to increase throughput rate for undergraduate students low - 43% past five years to increase to 67% • New student profile – Lack in sufficient student support programme • In the last ten years - Increase venue-based examinations centres • Increase examination cheating and plagiarism – disciplinary cases double last five years • Semester modules - not enough constructive feedback regarding assignments to student teachers • Task Team – 2013 piloting modules with less than 300 registered students – Officially started in middle of 2014 – specific modules • College of Education – specific modules identified for pilot project • My module SDEC00N –Subject Teaching Economics (Senior & FET phase)
Unisa Alternative assessment practices project • University of South Africa (Unisa) Task Team- 2013 to review and reconfigure alternative assessment practices to explore alternative ways of assessing student learning. • These alternative forms of assessment were to be technology-enhanced, non-venue based. • 10 Colleges (Unisa) - nominate a number of modules to participate in the project. • Alternative assessment types- take-home assessments (including timed assessments and MCQs), portfolios (online and e-portfolios), webinars, peer review assessment and continuous assessment. • Unisa Senate approved the alternative assessment pilot project 2013. • Review and Reconfiguration of Assessment task team met weekly to develop the business procedures and ICT systems to support implementation of the alternative assessment types.
Unisa- Alternative assessment approach •
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In education, alternative assessment or eportfolio assessment is in direct contrast to what is known as performance evaluation, traditional assessment, standardized assessment or summative assessment. Alternative assessment is also known authentic assessment, integrative assessment, holistic assessment Unisa - Combined formative and summative assessment for / of / as learning Characteristics of an eportfolio assessment- emphasizes evidences of the learning process as an active demonstration of knowledge, skills and attitude. Eportfolio- evaluating learning processes and learning outcomes. Alternative assessments are used to encourage student involvement in their assessment, their interaction with other students, teachers, parents and the larger community. ePortfolios is organized by developmental category, content area, or by topics or themes. ePortfolios have three main purposes. 1] assessment and evaluation, 2] assessing progress, achievement, developmental strengths, 3 areas for continued work 4] selfassessment and reflection Quality assurance process of all activities on learning outcomes per module / course After completing the module course –eportfolios are archived for five years
Why using an ePortfolio in Teacher education programmes? •
To showcase the person’s personal growth (Barrett & Carney, 2005).
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Use for learning, assessment and employability.
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A recent literature review by Bolton (2014) identifies learning; professional development; assessment; job applications, and promotions as key indicators for using ePortfolios (p.376).
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Fisher et al. (2011) investigate the use of digital portfolios at the University of Hong Kong. Findings of study highlighted that digital portfolios must be integrated as part of personal growth to achieve objectives such as developing of personal growth plans, improving and acknowledgment of measurable standards and creating self-efficacy of students.
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Scholars argue that the developing an evidence-based approach to ePortfolios is at the heart of documenting life learning experiences (van Wyk, 2014; Quinlan, 2002; Wang, 2009).
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In developing the ePortfolio according to Yancey (2009), reflection, engagement, and active learning is created in the process of producing evident of self-directed and authentic learning (van Wyk 2014)
ePortfolio as alternative assessment project
• Learning objectives • Criteria / Criterion • Referencing • Development assessment Phase 1 Conceptualization
Phase 2 The development of
• Feedback • Validity
• Reliability • Standards
Phase 3 The grading of the portfolio
Phase 4 The examination of the portfolio
• Marking of final eportfolio
ePortfolio process as alternative assessment approach
Formative Support learning and teaching Professional development
Summative Appraisal/promotion High stakes e.g. examinations
Co-Constructivist learning
Reflective thinking
Dialogic learning
Experiential learning
Self-evaluation
Meta-learning
Meta-cognitive skills
SDEC00N – myUnisa (Sakai LSM) link to Mahara platform (ePortfolio) Pedagogy paradigm shift from an examinationbased to alternative assessment - constructivist approach to student teachers own learning path. In this approach there is •… a shift from a stress on individual responsibility for learning to a more collaborative view, allowing learners to identify issues in their organisation and society which affect their learning and well-being and then to act to bring about changes. Learning, in this model, involves reflective processes, critical investigation, analysis, interpretation and reorganisation of knowledge. Personal meanings and constructs are understood in their unique social and political context. Specific artifacts and evidence 1. Blog postings with specific assignments, 2. Podcasting pieces, 3. Reflective journal entries, 4. Specific lesson plans 5. Collage of personal documents and 6. Digital video recordings (DVDs) of lessons presented. 7. Research academic writing assignment 8. eDiscussion forums
Methodological considerations constructive alignment research design
• Interpretive bricolage phenomenological analysis perspective • The research design was chosen which emanating from Denzin and Lincoln’s (1998) view of the qualitative researcher as a bricoleur. • An interpretive bricoleur is a researcher who “understands that research is an interactive process, shaped by his or her own personal history, biography, gender, social class, race and ethnicity, and by those of the people in the setting” (p. 6).
Research paradigm
Research design • Interpretive bricolage phenomenological • Narrative-based inquiry
•On the blog platform these reflective journals were uploaded and linked to ‘ePortfolio” such as blog postings, podcasting pieces, reflective journal entries, lesson plans and digital video recordings (DVDs).
Data collection
Themes emerged from data analysis • Empowering and enhancement of the reflective competence, • Critical thinking abilities, • Constructing a philosophy of teaching, effective assessment tool, • Personal tool in development of professional practice. • Monitoring and Assessment feedback
Theme 1: Empowering and enhancement of the reflective competence •
ePortfolio activities empower student teachers with reflective competencies
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The results showed that student teachers (93%) perceived reflective journal writing as a crucial tool in developing their ability for reflection:
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. . … for me this writing is very important because I was accomplishing it. I learned more than I would out of other courses in the university. It is a real opportunity to reflect, react and rethink what I do and see in the school; it is a window to look at my experiences. I cannot learn it until I have done it, so everyone has to have this significant experience
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… I have found that this sort of writing has forced me to review and rethink of my classes, my students, my methods of teaching, my approach and most importantly, myself. It has enabled me to look back at what I have done
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… I think it is a mirror of my performance which gives me a clear picture of what happened on my teaching day. Therefore, I could reflect on my classroom experiences. It helps me modify my teaching practice.
Theme 2: Critical thinking abilities •
ePortfolios were used to record ideas, including the premises for arguments, beliefs and positions taken on issues, and to organize the structure and content of written assignments. The responses to questions designed to help course-participants read critically were included, but the notes on readings and personal thoughts recorded during the sessions were the most helpful.
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The results also showed the importance of journal writing with respect to learning to teach economics education. It can help student teachers to build up their critical thinking abilities.
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… This sort of writing your assignments helps me think critically and rationally, before and after writing journal or on our blog posting page and podcasts - I was forced to analyze what I am going to write or what I have written or planning my next lesson session with my class
• The eportfolio put order into chaos. It prompted me to structure my learning and build a book that enabled me to access all readings, thoughts, pre-session preparation and reviews easily. When it came to writing an assignment I was able to travel through all the ideas presented and use these as sources … There it is a reflective journal of all my thoughts.
Theme 4: Reflect to constructing a philosophy of teaching •
The compilation of evidence in the ePortfolio through out the year by student teachers compel them to reflect on all lesson plans, classroom presentations to construct a teaching philosophy
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The results showed that most student teachers (97%3) believed that reflective journal writing as one of the activities was a way of constructing their philosophy of teaching.
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… It is easy to talk about good teaching, good learning, good teachers and good learners, but when you start thinking to write about your daily teaching in the field (as a new experience) it is definitely a different story I feel that this writing forces me to think about every single issue concerning teaching and how this would help me learning to perform well and better in the field.
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… When I go back through my teaching lessons, reflectively in papers- or classroom settings and interactions, I can think how I will teach better tomorrow Knowing what is good and what is right in the economics education classroom is not an easy issue, it takes me time to think about I think it changed my conception of teaching economics education
Theme 5: A personal tool in development of professional practice •
Literature indicated that ePortfolio is an effective e-Learning tool to enhance student teachers ability to become a professional
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Student teachers emphasised that journal writing helped them to develop. Student teachers stated:
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… I realized how effective and helpful in terms of my self development the ePortfolio is, because I could see myself as learner and teacher. It is completely different … it helps me promote a selfexploration of my personal views about learning and economics teaching. These views will exceptionally affect my personality It made me strong and proud of myself.
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… I learned a lot about myself. Most of the 8 activities in the ePortfolio has definitely developed my level of self-confidence. It enabled me to document my own professional development…. Writing about my professional practice helped in promoting my personal values. To be serious, honest, industrious, cooperative, faithful, determined.
Theme 6: Monitoring and Assessment feedback •
After submitting activities into the ePortfolio, constant constructive feedback is provided. A plagiarism detectingTurnitin programme
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As a category, the analysis revealed that the ePortfolio activities was viewed as a successful monitoring and assessment method. Student teachers thought that it prepared them to be effective self-assessors:
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… It is an opportunity to assess my growth as a teacher. It offers insights into what I am learning and reveals the development of my thoughts and feelings. … For me, my regular and constructive feedback received was significantly beneficial and help monitoring my teaching and my classroom progress. It offers me an assessmentfeedback.
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… Subsequently, I can read back over my experiences and observe my progress critically. This rereading could help me deepen my understanding of learning to teach purposefully as well as avoid the mistakes.
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… I used this ePortfolio (DVDs, blogs postings, Reflective journal entries) in all my other related activities as a method of assessing my professional development. It serves as valuable feedback on all of my teaching experiences
Conclusion remarks •
Providing critical and insightful constructive feedback to student teachers' e-portfolios, professional identity, teaching methods, and attainable of personal growth and professional development.
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ePortfolios demonstrated a record of lifelong learning of knowledge, values, believes, attitudes and skills accomplish over time.
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Throughout the process of collecting, compiling and reflecting on authentic evidence, student teachers are taking ownership of learning their process because they want to produce the best ePortfolio.
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It is an ultimate goal of any student teacher to establishing personal goals and achievements during the period compiling evidence for their ePortfolio.
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In compiling and sharing evidence in the ePortfolio students developing their collaborative and cooperation skills.
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Student teachers can share and critique of information in the ePortfolio collectively by giving constructive feedback on the quality and authentic of evidence produce.
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Student teachers share information, collaborate to complete group tasks, reflect critically about their writing and critiquing each other’s work in a collegiality manner.
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Finally ePortfolios were used for self-reflection, critical thinking, and alternative assessment practices.
Practical implications to strengthening SDEC00N module • Teaching philosophy = Practice what you teach approach –teaching in any context after completion of module • Rethink/Reconstruct the SDEC00N - course learning outcomes (Tutorial letter 101/0/2016) • Redesign of module guide – co-constructors of module information (a team-based approach) • More support to students – allow for more creative and innovative ways in compiling evidence • Include the ”flipped classroom pedagogy” to help and support student teachers • No prescriptive to specific sources – include more OERs in modular course (TL 101/02016) • Scale down on types of activities –let’s student teachers decided how many to be included in final submission –best pieces of evidence in ePortfolio (self-directed and authentic learning)
