Transcript Using blogs for critical reflection: a case of a blended postgraduate module Cheryl Brown & Dick Ng’ambi.

Using blogs for critical reflection:
a case of a blended postgraduate
module
Cheryl Brown
&
Dick Ng’ambi
Context - teaching
Teaching Strategies have a strong authentic
learning focus.
One dimension is to
• provide the opportunity to reflect
Pedagogically reflective writing has
• Metacognitive benefits
• Expresses understanding and captures
ideas
• Creates intellectual space for learners
Reflection
• Becoming aware of and assessing taken for
granted assumptions in order to construct a more
valid belief (Mezirow 1991)
• Its about the “you plus course material” (Ross
2012)
• the kind of thinking that consists of turning a
subject over in the mind and giving it serious and
consecutive consideration (Burnett and Lingam
2007)
• Active and deliberative cognitive process involving
sequences of inter connected ideas which take
into account underlying belief and knowledge
Process of reflection
• Descriptive writing - reports events.
• Descriptive reflection - attempts to provide
reasons based upon personal judgment
• Dialogical reflection - discourse with one's self
through the exploration of possible reasons
• Critical reflection - involves giving reasons for
decisions or events, which takes into account
the broader historical, social and/or political
contexts.
Adapted from Hatton and Smith 1995
Critical Reflection
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Assumptions - thinking in such a manner that it
challenges our beliefs, values, cultural practices, and
social structures in order to assess their impact on our
daily proceedings
Contextual awareness - Realizing that our
assumptions are socially and personally created in a
specific historical and cultural context.
Imaginative speculation - Imagining alternative ways of
thinking about phenomena in order to provide an
opportunity to challenge our prevailing ways of
knowing and acting.
Reflective skepticism - Questioning of universal truth
claims or unexamined patterns of interaction through
Blogging
• Web2.0 saw growth in technology with
increased emphasis in participation over
presentation
• Blog - online journal that users can
continuously update in their own words
(Matheson 2004)
• Progressed from a “geek niche” to
dominant publishing paradigm on Internet.
Gartner Education hype cycle
2011
Off the hype cycle
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Blogs
Grid Computing
Microblogging
Podcasting Learning
Content
Blogging in Education
• Promoted in literature as student centred
learning
• Ability of online writing linked to students
productive thinking and reflection (Churchill
2011)
• Learning journals, records of everyday life,
Space to express emotion, means of
assessment, task management tool (Sim and
Hew 2010)
• Yinger and Clark (1981) believe that reflection
results written down are more powerful than
Blogging - affordances
• Enables people with little technical
knowledge to publish thoughts opinions
and emotions online
• Personal writing space in which to reflect
• Enables self expression and self reflection
• Research suggesting use of blogs
positively affected depth and breadth of
reflection (Stiler and Phileo 2003)
Reflection in our course
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Private blogs (in LMS)
Used as learning journals
Assessed (10% of component of course mark)
Closed (only person reading bogs is the
teacher)
• Literature does raise concern about
assessment influencing reflection BUT we
dont assess content rather participation,
engagement and level of criticality reached
Role of teacher
• Responding by asking stimulus questions
or probes
• For example
• Reacting - reacting with a personal comment
about the posting.
• Elaborating – commenting on other postings, or
referring to a general principle, a theory, or
position.
• Contemplating – trying to focus the student on
constructive personal insights or on problems or
difficulties
Adapted from Surbeck, Han, and Moyer (1991)
EXAMPLES OF TYPES OF
REFLECTION
Descriptive writing
• A lot has happened in the last two days
(Wednesday & Thursday); and I have been
exposed to a range of technologies that can be
used to enhance one’s traditional teaching &
learning techniques. Quite interesting, the
instructors (presenters) did not only focus on
exposing us to the Technologies, they
continuously referred us to publications, journals,
and people (experts in the field) that have used
these tools, and we were provided with evidence
of how technology has been used… it was made
very clear to us that a lot of planning needs to be
Descriptive reflection
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We were assigned the task to create a podcast. In hindsight the task was
relatively simple: create a recording of yourself introducing a resource and
upload this to the dropbox as a podcast.Well, frankly, there was meltdown and
a hint of chaos. A fellow student sniped about his frustrations on Twitter while
most gathered around those who looked like they were getting somewhere.
After a frustrating 45 minutes and too much carrot cake, I completed the
task…with help from those around me and in turn passed forward that which I
had learned to others struggling along.I chatted to the tweeter about his
progress, finding out that he had gone home frustrated, focussed on other
related tasks, consulted YouTube and from there, completed the task. He
acknowledged that using the classroom community of practice could have
been an option and maybe next time he would do so.
This situation brought to mind Dick’s comments in his lecture about
determining the right time to help someone in need and how in the
Mathematics case study an option to send an SMS for a hint was offered. In
our case too, we had control over when to ask to help. In terms of educational
interaction, student to student and student to content took place.
Dialogical reflection
•
I can't believe we're more than halfway through the course already. It was really nice to
have lectures by Dick and Cheryl today. And mobile learning has me really excited,
because I definitely think that I'll be able to implement it in my teaching.
It's weird to think that something like a cell phone could be an educational tool, but after the
sessions today there really do seem to be so many ways to incorporate into lessons. From
using QR codes, which I think is an incredible idea, to allowing students to sms answers or
questions during class, to recording lessons so that you can play them back, I've even
seen students take photos of their homework instead of writing it down. The only
reservation I have with using cell phones in class is that I'm worried that my students will
spend all their time on bbm or whats app or facebook or anything else that will distract
them from work. If only there was a way to ensure that they didn't do this. Maybe cutting
the signal in the classroom, so that they could only use it for academic purposes, or
alternatively making the lessons so entertaining and enthralling that they want to pay
attention. But I suppose that's what we're all striving to do, especially through the use of
technology. The other problem I have with having students send smses, is that it's wasting
their airtime, which they might not be very keen to do. I think I'm going to look into if there's
a way to set up a toll free number that they can sms, preferably one I don't have to pay
for... Unfortunately my brother just pointed out that he thinks you still have to pay for toll
free numbers. Maybe this needs a bit more looking into.
Critical reflection
•
This may sound like a "daily diary"paragraph, but it is not. I am
specifically referring to that as I reminded myself that I am
experiencing the pressure our students are under. Constantly.
Because of TSiBA's extended contact hours, students are on
campus 08h30 - 17h00. They hold down part time jobsand the
learning curve is steeper as they arrive at TSiBA ill prepared for
tertiary studies. They have commitments at home and transport
problems. And we are merciless with deadlines. How do they feel?
Are we sure that this is, and should be, part of the higher education
"skills set" as it were? What is the affordance of insisting on
attendance registers, closing doors when exams started, changing
assignment dates, expecting more than one assignment due on the
same date?
I am not advocating for "lowering the standards" but it was good to
see how I had a tense 1/2hour when I was annoyed, cranky, tired
and mentally dull. Fortunately the power of self reflection pulled me
FROM DESCRIPTIVE TO CRITICAL
Descriptive reflection
• The concept of evolving technologies was well
articulated and equally provoked critical thinking
concerning the 'flipped classroom' and the
Gartner Hype cycles including the functional
cycles. Laura Czerniewicz put the icing to the
cake on this subject in the context of trends and
practices in Higher education. I found the
illustrations given by these two lecturers on
terms such as 'disruptive' and 'affordances' quite
enlightening.
Reacting, elaborating,
contemplating
• Teacher response
• You really are being very committed to
documenting your experiences here. Its been
nice to read. Tell me when you think an
emerging technology can have a disruptive
(negative) effect in your context and a
disruptive (positive) effect and why. I know we
have covered alot in class already but I am
interested in how you imagine some of these
working (or not working) in your own work life
back home.
Challenging assumptions
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Student response
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I spent a good deal of time this evening to read a little more
on the concept of “disruptive change/technology”. I first
begun by exploring the synonyms of the word disrupt, these
were the words I got: disturb, upset, interrupt, dislocate,
disorder, unsettle; whereas disruptive had: troublesome,
troublemaking, unruly, disorderly, unsettling, disrupting and
disturbing (Word Thesaurus). All these words portray a
negative connotation, that of bringing up confusion. All
these words portray a negative connotation, that of bringing
up confusion.
Therefore, if one was to by this notion, then one would infer
‘disruptive change/technology’ as that which is disorderly or that
which brings about trouble! And yet, these emerging technologies
up through innovative ways meant to add value to their
functionality.
Contextual awareness
• With further reading and reflection, one example of
a disruptive technology/change that came to my
mind was the mobile phone. This technology has
brought about a lot of development in Zambia in
terms of communication and the way people in
general carry on with their lives. Just this evening,
my over 65 years old mother called me on her
mobile phone and we were able to discuss many
issues. Writing a letter would have taken long, and
probably may have found me gone to Lesotho.
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Imaginative speculation
When I think of my students back in Zambia, whether in
secondary school or university, most of them have the
mobile phones, and keep improving the versions of
smartphones they get. Many of these students are able to
utilise the many affordances these smartphones come with,
although I should be quick to point out they spend much of
their on social media, but all this a positive thing. For the
university studies, they are unable to receive their
assignments, results, announcements on these platforms.
With the knowledge I have gathered now, I am now
provoked to think of best practices I could use to tap into
what these students possess, the skills of using these mobile
phones. .... As Velestsianos (2010) argues, ‘we should
remain open to the idea that existing ways of teaching and
the designing of learning environments may not serve the
twenty first century purposes of education’.
Reflective skepticism
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All these words portray a negative connotation, that of
bringing up confusion. Therefore, if one was to by this
notion, then one would infer ‘disruptive change/technology’
as that which is disorderly or that which brings about trouble!
And yet, these emerging technologies up through innovative
ways meant to add value to their functionality.
... the man who coined the term ‘disruptive technology’
described a disruptive innovation as an ‘an innovation that
helps create a new market and value network, and
eventually goes on to disrupt an existing market and value
network (over a few years or decades), displacing an earlier
technology. .... I found this definition interesting as it had
the words (in bold) – disrupt and displacing which may
denote disorder (negative) as earlier alluded to, and yet in
the definition we see the driving force, to improve a product
Dilemmas
Authenticity
• Focus on self
expression and
reflection
• Capturing or
recording ones
experiences to extract
meaning from them
Audience
• Students writing for
the person who is
marking it
• Dependency on
feedback
• Right way to write
Student comments
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The blogs. I enjoyed the space to reflect. Feedback is
also useful.
The blogs helped me reflect on my learning and
progress.
The blog sessions forced me to critically analyse my
views. I have to make a lot of changes.
Initially, the blogs as I was not so sure of what was
supposed to be reflected on. After the clarification, I
knew what was expected of us.
I really liked it and, as mentioned in a blog, felt
"connected" to the group and the course. It feels "safe"
that everything is there.
Conclusions
• Not all students demonstrate productive
blogging practice “Need to get into this
reflecting task. Never been good at
keeping a diary. The closest I have to that
sort of daily record is my bank statement
and online/email trail.” Andrew 29 Mar
But ...
• Most students managed to be reflective
and our experience has shown that it is
possible - with strategically guided
questions - to move student along the
continuum of reflection to become more
critical.