school of exercise and health sciences edith cowan university – western australia caphia forum 18...

School of Exercise and Health SciencesEdith Cowan University – Western Australia

CAPHIA Forum 18th-19th September 2014

UWA

Eportfolio and engaging with Industry partners: A flexible approach for work ready graduates.

Anne Polley, Edith Cowan University, WA. Jill Darby, Edith Cowan University, WA.


Our Approach - agenda

Job ready graduates

Industry Partners

Technology and teaching

tools

Employability activities scaffolded in first year and capstone unit

.

• Agency Interviews• Agencies engaged to conduct

mock interviews.• Career and Heath agency

Showcase.

• E Portfolio• Practicum integration and

reflection

Theoretical framework

Strengths, Challenges, Future


Theoretical framework


OSH Health Promotion

Addiction studies Nutrition

Job ready graduates


First Year Unit: Student

Learn how to use Pebblepad eportfolio Start collecting evidence Start to think about themselves as health

professions Think about how to present themselves Consider possible working roles and future

careers in Public Health.


Capstone Third Year Unit: Student

• Reflect on their ‘Ethical perspective’.• Undertake Career planning - All about me!• Prepare for apply to work in public health• Industry interview• Pitch to potential employers

showcasing their webfolio/

Eportfolio.

Learning Outcomes

Workplace principles

Professional competencies

Job Application

Workplace interview

Pitch to an employer

Employability Skills

Workplace culture

Professional Communication

Ethical work practice

Volunteering and further study options

Job applications and Interview Skills

Working in Partnership

Regional and remote challenges


Industry Partners


Student feedback: Voxpop teaching toolsI now know what specific skills, experiences needed and to be undertaken to get a job in industry.

I absorb the experiences, knowledge and ideas they have presented.

It opened up my view on job opportunities and where I can go.

Provides an insight into health professionals and their companies expectations or criteria aspects to assist undergraduates into their speciality.

Allows us to establish a baseline in our particular industry and produce an insight into different roles and experiences within our area or major.

Straight to the point, short and sweet.


Student industry interviews


Reflections on the Interview Process


EPortfolio Showcase and networking


An eportfolio provides a scaffolded opportunity for students to achieve higher order thinking:– Allow and encourage student autonomy– Empower students to take responsibility for their

own learning

Use of an ePortfolio system requires a “considerable level of learner autonomy and initiative, of learner responsibility for their learning and of opportunities to refine their learning based on feedback from the teacher.” (Stefani, Mason & Pegler, p.12)

Technology and teaching tools


First year unit: A simple, personal approach.

• A structured assessment and EP activity (workbook) populated by the student with their information.

• Activity is simple and closely links to unit learning outcomes.


‘All about me’ page in a Structured Workbook


Reflection activities and goal setting


Feedback

Provided through the Pebblepad system, using Rubrics.


Third year Capstone Unit• Students pitch

themselves to a potential employer.

• Use of JING, online software video recording.


Pebblepad Support

• 5 ‘How to’ Videos.

• BB, Pebblepad tools and announcements.

• TLD Support Officer.

• Adobe Connect Pro Online meetings with Tutor.


Challenges to overcomeStrengths, Challenges, Future


Strengths

• Student career planning initiated early in the course

• Assessment of career based competencies was effective.

• Innovation of eportfolio for potential employers


Challenges• Technical - software, access, with IT • Embracing new practice – Pebblepad ‘literacy’• Teaching and learning support• Valid assessment tools• Clear assessment submission process• Investment in time Vs innovation in teaching• Students not maximising the potential of

eportfolio post unit.


Student Reflections on Unit

It has increased my professional level for jobs with use of resume and skills.

It is very, very good and it has been helpful. I feel a lot more confident to go out in the workplace / workforce now

‘Good to be forced out of our comfort Zone.

Interesting to understand and recognise the skills required for employability. It shows concepts, structures that we can utilise in the future

STAR actually has to do this in class – Gives examples to the rest of the class, peer review of skills, practical computer work.

Maybe have a practical placement to enhance knowledge.


Opportunities

• Course wide implementation - Scaffolding is essential across a course.

• Student submission early in semester to engage

• Support staff training, create own eportfolio

• Strengthen support for online students• Integrate a practicum placement


Student Feedback: embedding Practicum

‘It could be useful to link learning material of the unit to a practicum placement.’

‘Practicum would be beneficial to students, however I don't believe there is enough unit content to cover a whole year.’

‘Would be amazing, great idea.’

‘I think this will enhance the value of this unit- putting into practice what one has learned!’

‘Not sure how that would work. I find a long practicum to be time consuming if its a third year unit maybe that could work.’


Reflective Logs and journals

Reflective practice… ‘a form of practice that seeks to problematise many situations of professional performance so that they can become potential learning situations so the practitioner can continue to learn, grow and develop in practice.”

(Jarvis, 1992 p.180).


Future

Marketing package to incorporate student practicums into future unit Preparation for Practicums to Health

Science Students in 2015 unit. ‘Selling’ practicum opportunities to industry.

1. How have you used portfolios to support the development of employability skills?

2. Have you considered transferability of eportfolios to post graduation?

school of exercise and health sciences edith cowan university – western australia caphia forum 18...

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