A Case Study

Evolving methods and media for building communities of practice with electronic portfolios

Desmond Rodney Florida Atlantic University

Agenda

     Introduction – Rationale Theoretical Framework What is a Community of Practice (CoP) Recent studies in TE about CoP Eportfolios & CoP •Methodology •Coding framework •Coding items •Findings •Trends •Key Questions

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Introduction - Rationale



Accountability

 Accreditation bodies e.g. NCATE recognize portfolios as authentic assessment Wright & Wilson, 2005). tools for teachers (Read & Cafolla 1999, NCATE, 2002; 

Research

 New teacher’s feel unprepared technology (Doering, Hughes, & Huffman, 2003; USDOEOET, 2004) to integrate 

Professional Development

 Education technology standards e.g. NETS are indicators of involvement in technology integration as a

community of practice

.

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Theoretical Framework

 eportfolios as they have evolved in the department of IT & R at FAU are based on the

social constructivist

paradigm of providing “cognitive apprenticeships” (Read and Cafolla, 1999; Rodney et al, 2001).  Premise of cognitive apprenticeships suggests that new knowledge exists within the setting in which such knowledge occurs (Lave, 1988).  To be effective integrators teachers must become participants in a community of practice in which it occurs.

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

What is a CoP?

 A CoP is defined primarily as

“ a sustained social network of individuals who share a common set of core values and knowledge”

(Hung et al, 2005).  A spatial location for implementing cognitive apprenticeships.

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Recent studies in TE on CoP

 Sutherland et al (2005) examined teacher education and university partnerships within the context of CoP.  Reid-Griffin et al (2004), examined CoP as a tool for dealing with increased work intensification and collaboration in higher education environments.  Hung et al (2005) examined instructional sequencing and scaffolding as elements of learning within CoPs.  The role of Computer Medicated Communications (CMC) in the development of “virtual” CoP for in-tern teachers (Hough & Evertson, 2004).

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Recent studies in TE about CoP

Gaps

 Not much on how CoP help teachers become better integrators of technology  Not much on how the development of eportfolios help teachers become better technology integrators.

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Research on eportfolios and CoP

Emerging

 Focuses largely on eportfolios as tools of authentic assessment.

Should also focus on:

 competencies which novice portfolio developers need to activate “professional growth and achieved competence” (Campbell et al. p.3, )  eportfolio development as an effective framework for helping teachers become better integrators of technology.

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Methodology

 100 eportfolios selected from two undergraduate courses taught by the investigator.  Courses targeted towards preservice teachers or in-service teachers seeking State certification  Course curriculum standardized around text, syllabus, content and concepts. Is therefore typical of portfolios of other instructors.

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Methodology

 eportfolios created between 2002 and 2005  investigator-designed coding scheme based on Barrett’s framework.

 examined constructs that foster apprenticeships that lead to legitimate peripheral participation in the technology integration CoP.

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Coding Framework

 Barrett (2000) derived framework for developing and assessing eportfolios. This framework was “derived from two bodies of literature: portfolio development in K-12 education and the multimedia or instructional design process” (Barrett 2000). Planning Evaluate/Revise

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Designing Implementing

Coding Framework

This framework identified a five stage process for portfolio development, these stages include:

1. Identify

portfolio the rationale for and goals of the

2. Determine & utilize

portfolio artifacts software tools to amass

3. Identity and select

reflective portfolio artifacts for moving to a

4. Assemble and hyperlink

artifacts

5. Record

the portfolio to a storage medium and

present

in a public forum

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Some Coding Scheme Items

      Year eportfolio was made Development rationale & objectives Software applications Responsibility for artifact inclusion Complexity & type of portfolio artifacts Publishing/delivery & storage medium

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Findings

 Helped students learn and integrate diverse software types into their range of skills  Some software tools resulted in portfolios that are consistent creating reflective portfolios  Explicitly stated rationales and or defined applications of professional standards were more organized/navigable  Provided space for learners to infuse their personal and cultural experiences into their educational experience

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Findings - Challenges

 Unclear rationale for eportfolio use   Complex ity of design applications Limitations of localized storage & delivery media  Non-accessibility for simultaneous shared, iterative assessment  Availability to wide audiences while maintaining creator privacy.

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Trends in Eportfolios (When to use)

Growing:  In contexts that reflect diversity in the local student population.  Through the ubiquity of, OpenSource, inexpensive or easily available software & hardware  Is a practical tool that engenders cognitive apprenticeship experiences for students.  Is a specific tool that responds to standards in relation to accountability processes now apparent in US education.

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Key Rising Questions

1. Hardware interoperability     How do we select creation & delivery systems for eportfolios in an environment of multiple divergent technologies?

WWW – Dept/College Blackboard – University/School district Content management – University  Network drives - University

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

Key Rising Questions

2. Study on eportfolio & student learning  In what ways can student eportfolios be used to support learning & assessment in a standards based “high stakes” environment?

 Knowledge, skills, attitudes & teacher role    School Based Assessment e.g. CXC [ go ] School Based Portfolios e.g. eVIVA [ go ] Open Source Portfolio e.g. OSPI [ go ]

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005

End

  Thank you for viewing Thanks for the opportunity to show 

Desmond Rodney, FAU, 2005