Exploring the potential  of an e-portfolio

for Blended Service-Learning

Service-Learning

Service-Learning = high impact strategy 

• positive impact on student success and satisfaction (Kuh, 2008)
• positive impact on academic learning and student retention  (Astin & Sax, 1998)
• ability to apply knowl­edge in practical settings (Kendrick, 1996)
• enhancement of critical analysis (Eyler & Giles, 1999)
• enhanced career development (Astin & Sax, 1998)
• positive personal outcomes, such as moral development, enhanced per­sonal efficacy and leadership skills (Astin & Sax, 1998)
• positive social outcomes, such as a sense of social responsibility and involvement (Mabry, 1998)

• increased com­munity involvement after graduation (Astin, Sax, & Avalos, 1999)

Blended Learning

Design based

Authentic experiences

Projects

Inquiry

Autonomy

Flexibility

Student-centred

co-creation

Differentiation

Our vision

about Blended service Learning

...

collaboration

• Makes learning visible to student and teacher ​

• Stimulates metacognitive awareness through critical reflection (Bass & Eynon, 2009)​

• Facilitates ‘deeper learning’ (Gencel, 2017)​

• ‘Ownership’ fosters engagement & motivation (Entwistle & Karagiannopoulou, 2014) ​

• Allows creativity and goes beyond the classroom (Mohamad, Embi & Nordin, 2018)

e-Portfolio for Blended Service Learning

Two cases under magnifying glass

Main goal​

Acting in a methodological way to improve educational design processes​

Applying theoretical knowledge in the context of an authentic educational problem​ (CSL)

Organisation​

F2F practical seminars​ + Online assignments (portfolio)

Group assignment on an educational design problem ​

Two feedback sessions for group work​

Evaluation​

Formative evaluation : Feedback sessions, group presentation​

Summative evaluation : Portfolio, individual exam​

​

The course ‘Educational Design’​

• Personal digital repository ​

  • Portfolio builder with various options (activity logs, reflections, video/audio, blogs,…)​

• Group work functionalities​

  • Structured worksheets and workbooks (scaffolds)​

  • Collaboration possibilities​

  • Formative and summative feedback options ​

• Support​

  • Consultant that provides ongoing support (email)​

  • Weekly Skype sessions​​

E-portfolio Pebblepad​​

Two cases under magnifying glass

                  Main goal​

Acting in a methodological way to improve ICT-related educational design processes​ + Applying theoretical knowledge in the context of an authentic educational problem​ (CSL)

                     Organisation​

F2F practical seminars​ + Online assignments (portfolio)

Group assignment on an educational design problem ​

Two feedback sessions for group work​

                    Evaluation​

Formative evaluation : Feedback sessions, group presentation​

Summative evaluation : Portfolio, individual exam​

​

                                  The course

Results

1. students value CSL as a meaningful strategy due to its societal relevance and positive learning impact

"CSL makes learning more 'concrete', it helps to 'process theory' and 'challenges you to reflect on your learning process in the interim".  

"Continuous feedback, reflection on one's own practice, reflecting on this is an important skill for teachers".

 2. authentic cases and cooperation with professionals and peers are factors that enhance motivation and involvement 

"Knowing that something will really happen to your project is stimulating"

 "Working with a real life case is more interesting than working with a hypothetical problem"

"The feedback you get from partners / people in the field is valuable"

"Throughout this profession, I have really experienced the added value of diversity in a team"

3. students need / value personalised and regular FB throughout their learning process

"The feedback within Pebblepad was too general to be meaningful.


The F2F feedback sometimes came a little too late.

4. a blended approach is valuated as a means to provide more personalised learning possibilities

"Variety of online instruction/F2F feedback really worked for me. This enabled me to grow with the profession and gradually gain valuable insights. It taught me to work systematically"
 
"The combination of freedom and responsibility that you get as a student', that's what makes the combination F2F/online interesting"

5. providing time and space for feedback/interactive dialogue leads to a more meaningful learning process

"The Foundry" is a welcome change from the traditional classrooms"

"The informal character, the loose, pleasant atmosphere are an added value"

6. e-portfolio is not used as a working instrument but as a tool for showcasing the learning process

"We decided not to work in CANVAS because it was not clear that the group page was visible to the teacher"


"The partners could not cooperate in the portfolio" 

Discussion: 6 tension fields

Students want autonomy but don’t always feel  prepared to steer their own learning process

Too much steering undermines ownership of/and involvement in the learning process (conditions for meaningful learning)

Steering versus autonomy

Structure = possibilities for scaffolding learning process, guiding students to self-directed learning

Predetermined structure can undermine creativity, risk of losing ‘outside the box’ - thinking

Structure versus creativity

Full transparency of the learning process offers opportunities for ‘just-in-time’ feedback, information and assistance.

Expecting students to show mistakes, be vulnerable to peers, stakeholders, teachers is uncommon in our performance-based educational system

Comfort versus vulnerability

Strict deadlines offer an opportunity for in-depth and broad learning and can be a preparation for self-regulated time management

Strict timeframes take away responsibility of the student, can be perceived as an obstacle for self-regulatory learning and can enhance the perceived workload.

Strict timing versus open time-frames

Organisation and evaluation of learning process must reflect individual contributions and align with individual capacities.

Collective learning process must be more than the sum of individual contributions. The added value of this must be visible and acknowledged.

Individual growth versus collective learning outcomes

capacities.

Differentiation in learning assistance and expectations triggers well-being, motivation and learning outcomes.

Differentiation and adaptability can affect evaluation practices and standards.

Uniformity versus  adaptability