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Developing a successful academic identity for non-traditional students:
the role of the electronic portfolio
David Blundell (Dept of Education) & Peter Chalk (Undergraduate Operations)
London Metropolitan University Learning & Teaching Conference 2008
Takashi’s showcase:uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PFNWTPlz10Q
Background
Autumn 0809 pilot ePortfolio project (Chalk 2008)
Foundation Degree in Community Sports Coaching (Blundell & Cunningham 2007)
ePortfolio placed at the centre of the curriculum (but no template or structure)
Students encouraged to use it as a repository for a variety of digital resources.
‘Non-traditional’ students Contested term: ‘modern’ better? Perceived as ‘deficit model’:
Class First in family ‘Non-standard’ qualifications, i.e. ‘less’ Race
Alternative view – diversity as positive self-identity, alternative cultural capital…
1. Prior achievements Diverse achievements in ‘non-academic’
field, e.g.sport.
2. ‘Digital natives’ Diversity of IT experience & self-
confidence – 1st semester learning object:
In first 10 days, links to web 2.0 sites:
3. Diversity of race/ identity
Positive images of cultural icons (in learning object built by Marcus):
Brian Lara – Chantelle’s learning object ‘box’
Towards an academic identity
Showcasing a writing skill
ePortfolio & academic identity
ePortfolio work in all four modules: Learning object in HEO Performance standards achievement Coaching plans Reflections on feedback SMART analysis Wagon wheel performance analysis
Examples follow:
Evidence of planning Coaching plan
Evidence of reflection
Coaching plan - evaluation
SMART analysis
Wagon wheel analysis
From self to academic identity
Transition in ePortfolio from evidence of personal accomplishment to records of academic achievement
Assisted by embedding in all 4 modules, small group (of 3), IT Lab support, use of ePortfolio to store evidence of
standards attainment.
Positive self-identity
Of nine pilot ePortfolio modules this was probably the most ‘successful’ – why?
Perhaps it was the L&T strategy above Perhaps it was fact that ‘non-traditional’ ‘diverse’
students typically have Positive self-identity Achievements Experience
Leading to a self-confidence we need to ‘unlock’
Towards a theoretical understanding…
‘Otherness’ inherent in diversity not a barrier, but can be a tool to help realise academic excellence
ePortfolio provided a dwelling space (Heidegger 1971) “…Only if we are capable of dwelling, only
then can we build…” Chantelle’s ‘Brian Lara learning object box’
Another explanation?
Sports achievers use immediate feedback Knowledge of Results (KoR) theory:
Fast, positive feedback is inspirational ePortfolio, perhaps, also provided a form
of immediate feedback, e.g. achievement evidence showcased on web
Tentative suggestion: transference of skill/ expectation/ experience going on?
Conclusions
Initial focus on prior positive achievement Confident successful self-identity Encourage initial show-casing Other ‘traditional’ degree students not
engaged with ePortfolio (why not?) All students should be encouraged to
approach ePortfolio as showcase Avoid ‘deficit model’ of non-trad student
References
Blundell, D. and Cunningham, P. (2007) ‘Community Sport Coaches as Social Pedagogues and Agents of Citizenship Education’, CiCe Nordic Conference - Citizenship Education in Society - A challenge for the Nordic countries at Malmö University, School of Teacher Education, Malmö, Sweden, 5th and 6th October, 2007.
Chalk, P. (2008) ‘Introducing an electronic portfolio: results of a one semester pilot’, London Metropolitan University PDP Group Report.
Heidegger, M. (1971) Poetry, Language, Thought. New York: Harper and Row.