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PLE-SN-CoP. General Overview 2008

Russell Butson

Higher Education Development Centre

Emerging Educational Paradigm

Instructional ParadigmTraditional

Self-Directed ParadigmEmerging

Knowledge Transfer from faculty to students Jointly constructed by students and faculty

StudentsPassive vessel to be filled by

faculty’s knowledgeActive constructor, discoverer, transformer of own knowledge

Faculty Purpose Classify and sort students Develop students competencies and talents

RelationshipsImpersonal relationships among

students and between faculty and students

Personal transactions among students and between faculty and students

Context Competitive and individualisticCollaborative learning involving

teams and faculty

Assumptions Any expert can teachTeaching is complex and requires

considerable training

In higher education the focus has been on content and the delivery of this

content to the student. Adopting this new paradigm would see us

harnessing the collective intelligence of our students to continually

improve the student experience through a more intensive interaction in

the educational process. This represents a far more complex environment

than is presently in place. Students would be viewed not as receptacles

for information but as an integral element of the educational process. In

fact, to adopt this approach is to make students an essential part of the

educational process in ways that blur the boundaries between our

traditional conceptions of teaching and learning.

The Potential of the Emerging Model

ePortfolio

Present Environment

In New Zealand the implementation of the Health Practitioners Competency ACT 2003, has resulted in the Dental Council of New Zealand (DCNZ) requiring dental practitioners to maintain a professional portfolio1 as evidence of their competence and fitness before they are recertified to practise through the issue of the annual practising certificate (APC).

1-Policy on the Recertification of Dental Hygienists, Dental Auxiliaries and Orthodontic Auxiliaries under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance (HPCA) Act, 2003

Aim – To create an ePortfolio environment

The aim of this project is to explore the potential of professional portfolios to assist staff and students to manage and control their continuing professional development in a manner that allows them to make sense of and map out their academic and professional expectations and subsequent achievements.

Challenge – Promote Self Governance of the CPD

However, as with any compulsory activity it is inevitable that these portfolios are likely to be regarded by practitioners as a regulatory requirement, considerably weakening any prospect they might have of supporting career development.

Design-Based Research – The Intervention

Three prototype portfolios have been developed in the first instance:

-Dental Hygiene

- Dental Therapy

- Bachelor of Oral Health degree.

ePortfolio - Prototypes

Professional ePortfolio - Structure/Process

1 2 3

File Repository

Non-Verifiable CPD Form

Portfolio Sections

Selecting Evidence Files

Portfolio Sections - share

Share Portfolio Sections

Comments

List of sections being shared

Comments others have made on my Portfolio

Comments I have made on others Portfolio

Social Networking

Comments from Students...

This site is much more user friendly than Blackboard and is actually enjoyable to use. I only use Blackboard because I have to. This site I use because I enjoy it.

I think this site has been very successful. The best part is that we can post information and set up study groups very easily. It has been an excellent way to communicate and has enabled the class to get to know each other well.

This site is Kick Arse, its great because:

1. Its made Microbiology less boring and even kinda exciting (dare i say it) cause we have a mechanism to meet and find out about the people in our class. And they are really cool and share the same goals and want to work together.

2. We can organise things like the study posse for collaboration on exam prep

3. It can largely replace group meetings cause we are all busy and organising a time to meet is a nightmare. Also everything is recorded in the discussions so info/ideas/opinions can be looked up and referred back to super easily.

4. definite sense of community

5. My flatmates and friends are jealous and want a site like this for their course.

6. It beats blackboard any day.