Transcript Document

Overview
•Small scale example of e-learning to develop
reflection in professional social work degree
•Outline student use of the Blackboard blog tool
•Linkage of academic learning with practice learning
•Evaluation & dilemmas
But first… Social Work is a beleaguered profession….
Learning Context of Social Work
BSc (Hons) Social Work = professional qualification, protected title
Develop tools for lifelong learning for practice
-Education versus training
Profession governed ethically by Care Council for Wales
Academic learning 50%: Assessed practice 50%
-200 days Practice Learning Opportunities (PLO) over 3 years
Students encounter complex and challenging situations in PLOs
Level 1 Social Work Students
53 level 1 undergraduate Social Work students
Student characteristics:
-Range of experience; current practitioners to
minimum requirement of 210 hours experience
-Range of ages from 18 to mature return to learn
Module on Diversity & Values (20 credits) in first term
-1st run of re-written module
-Embed critical thinking & reflective practice
-Link to 20 day observational PLO later in year
What is Reflection?
‘Reflection is an important human activity in which people
recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over and
evaluate it. It is this working with experience that is important in
learning. The capacity to reflect is developed to different stages in
different people and it may well be this ability which characterises
those who learn effectively from experience.’
(Boud, Keogh & Walker 1985:19)
Many practice assessors ask students for reflective log on PLO
Develop ‘ Culture of thoughtfulness’ (Gibbs & Gambrill 1999) –
competent practitioners and workplaces
Another View of Reflection
Harry stared at the stone basin. The contents had returned to their original
silvery white state, swirling and rippling beneath his gaze.
‘What is it?’ Harry asked shakily.
‘This? It is called a pensieve’, said Dumbledore. ‘I sometimes find, and I
am sure that you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts
and memories crammed into my mind.’
‘Er,’ said Harry, who couldn’t truthfully say that he had ever felt anything
of the sort.
‘At these times,’ said Dumbledore, indicating the stone basin, ‘I use the
pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one’s mind, pours
them into the basin, and examines them at one’s leisure. It becomes easier
to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form.’
From Reaction to Reflective Practice
Place of reflection & reflective writing in social work:
Progression from description of events to reflective practice (Moon
2004)
Reflection as higher order thinking (Biggs 1988)
Established use of diaries/reflective logs to aid reflection (Boud,
Keogh & Walker 1985)
Use of models as aid to structure reflective practice, e.g. Gibbs
(1998)
Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (1988 adaptation of Kolb)
Description
(what happened)
Action Plan
(if it arose again,
what would you do?)
Conclusion
(what else could
you have done?)
Feelings
(what were you
thinking and feeling?)
Evaluation
(what was good and bad
about the experience?)
Analysis
(what sense can you
make of the experience?)
Blogs in HE Context
Blended learning =norm: increased use of e-learning
Impetus to use Blackboard as more than electronic filing cabinet:
-‘E-tivites’ (Salmon 2004)
-individual interaction
Blog (weblog):
Personal commentaries/online diary
-published electronically
-ordered in reverse temporal order
-encourages regular postings
Blog Task
Students asked to write weekly blog analysing learning from
individual teaching sessions
Privacy settings- not a discussion board
Module convenor commented briefly on each blog entry
Supported by seminars on reflective writing, values & practice
Not compulsory to use Blackboard blog tool – but encouraged
Basis for a component of assessment
My first use of blog and Blackboard: co-learning?
What the Format Looks like
Formative Assessment
Blog postings formative task -not part of summative assessment
Summative assessment:
Synthesise blog into academic submission of reflection on learning
-Account of student’s learning, its impact & use of reflection for
practice
-Reflective log as raw material
-Edit and re-work
-Introduce models of reflection and theory of reflective writing
-Include academic references
Summative Assessment
Reflective commentary comprised 20% total module marks
Decision to assess:
-Level 1 marks do not ‘count’ to degree classification
-Student tendency to be strategic and assessment- driven
-Focus on analysis rather than content of commentary
Different register of writing compared to essay/journal article
style: explicit guidance that can use personal pronoun
Student Use of Blog
19 students used it
Variable frequency:
9 used it once –like final assignment draft
5 used it twice
2 four times
2 five times
1 six times – more iterative & developmental
Blog Content
Users & Refusers:
2/3 did not use Blackboard blog
-Preference for pencil & paper
Styles:
Descriptive (‘ wow…that was really interesting/boring…’)
Informal analytic (‘I used to think that…now I think this…’)
Formal analytic (‘I used a model of reflection to analyse
emotions etc. and why my thinking changed…’)
Assessment Outcomes
All completed the summative assessment
-No fails in reflective account alone
One applied model of reflection throughout; most ‘name-checked’
Evidence of attitudinal change (e.g. in perceptions of disability)
Examining emotional reactions and controversy (asylum)
Dilemmas of assessment
-No agreement of appropriate criteria for marking reflective
work (Moon 2002)
Evaluation
Module ended December 2008
Specific blog/reflective exercise evaluation after first PLO (ended in
May 2009)
-ongoing
Questions about prospective links made from reflective exercise in
module to PLO experience
-8 responses so far
-3 of whom used the blog
Student Comments
Reflective Commentary Task:
Allowed me to think about my feelings more and also to reflect on ethics/dilemmas
that I faced/observed social workers facing in their day to day work, therefore, useful!
I found the reflective account on the PLO experience very useful as I could reflect
back on my own thoughts and experiences. Also I could take then with me to
supervision to gain a productive session.
I felt the reflective exercise beneficial as I was able to prepare for the PLO by keeping
a daily diary. Had we not carried out the exercise (…), I don't think I would have
considered the importance of using a tool to help with reflecting.
I found the reflective work we did in your class extremely helpful when preparing for
my PLO accounts. It enabled me to think about what was happening and why as well
as thinking what I would do in a similar situation and this can be important when we
finally begin to practice.
I feel the reflective recording exercise needs to continue in future years, I will
definitely continue to do this in the other PLO placements.
Hindrances
Those who didn’t use blog tool ranged from techno fear…
I didn't use it because I was worried that I would do something wrong - press
the wrong button and my blog would be on view to everyone - Sounds a bit
irrational, but I didn't want to risk it! I wrote in an exercise book instead.
At the time of your module I was finding the whole blackboard site confusing
and was unsure how to use any of its features (unlike now).
Only improvement is maybe a little more time explaining the blog tool or a
separate class on the whole blackboard site and features.
…to not feeling a need:
I find reflective writing to come more natural to me. I guess this is due to my
previous counselling training courses. I imagine the blog tool to be more helpful
in years 2 and 3.
No reasons really, had some computer problems and also like to write things
down in journal form as can look back on this far more easily
Blog Issues for Future
Opportunity to practice & develop e-learning skills at early stage in degree
-Potential for greater use of e-portfolios
Blog is a safe ‘try-out’ of engaging with SW issues before exposure to
practice settings
Should it be a summative or formative task?
-Summative requires all to participate (though blog optional) – less
need for persuasion later in course?
-Summative may inhibit honesty
-Careful not to ‘mark’ experiences, but how they were dealt with
-Link to learning outcomes
Progress to blogs open to other students – peer evaluation?
Development of reflective skills across the academic & practice
curriculum
What do you think?
References
Biggs, J. (2003) Teaching for Quality Learning at University (2nd edition).
Buckingham: Open University Press
Boud, D., Keogh, R. & Walker, D. (1985) Reflection: turning experience into learning.
Kogan Page, London.
Eraut, M. (1994) Developing Professional Knowledge and Competence. London:
Falmer
Garrison, D. & Anderson, T. (2003) E-learning in the 21st Century: A Framework for
Research & Practice. London: RoutledgeFalmer
Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods.
Oxford: Oxford Further Education Unit
Gibbs, L. & Gambrill, E. (1999) Critical Thinking for Social Workers: Exercises for the
Helping Profession. Thousand Oaks CA: Pine Forge Press
Johns, C. (2004) Becoming a Reflective Practitioner (2nd edition) Oxford: Blackwell
Moon, J. (2002) The Module & Programme Development Handbook. London: Kogan
Page
Moon, J. (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and
Practice. London: RoutledgeFalmer
Salmon, G. (2004) E-Moderating: The Key to Teaching & Learning Online. (2nd
edition). London: RoutledgeFalmer