The onward march. Are ePortfolios in Monash radiography helping students prepare for life after University.

John Mc Inerney

MODERN GRADUATES Ever increasing complexity for graduates

A rapidly changing, ever more complex, healthcare system (Wolff, Pesut & Regan 2010)

Where is the complexity arising?

Multifaceted

– Exponential increase in healthcare knowledge

COMPLEXITY Increasing regulation

– Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia (MRPBA) in 2012 – Capabilities Framework published in 2013 (MRPBA, 2013)

– CORU in Ireland

Radiographers and health professionals are obliged to embrace a contemporary and integrated conceptualisation of competence (Mc Inerney & Baird 2016)

– Read: more complex

Need to ensure the regulator that students can understand and evidence the registration requirements on graduation

EXTENT OF THE ISSUE Surveyed first and final years in two institutions

– Ireland– Australia

Registration requirements

75 % of first years did not know the requirements for REGISTRATION as a radiographer

29% of final years did not know the requirements for REGISTRATION as a radiographer

COMPLEXITY Upon graduation healthcare students are now required to exhibit the

capacity to demonstrate the achievement of identified graduate attributes required for employment, rather than simply being able to perform tasks (Ulfvarson & Oxelmark, 2012. Baird, 2008)

The extent to which university teaching and learning processes develop these in graduates is highly contestable (Barrie, 2008)

EXTENT OF THE ISSUE Final year students across two institutions

– Ireland– Australia

Graduate attributes

45 % were unaware of the fact that graduate attributes exist

Of these 50 % could not appreciate the relevance of graduate attributes to the Radiography profession

COMPLEXITY There are many more elements to current accreditation activities and a

greater number of criteria to fulfil by institutions and students

Current accreditations are not time-based

– Perpetual monitoring is required

The previous underlying assumption was that criteria were achieved unless evidence gathered in the process showed otherwise

– The modern assumption is that a criterion is not met until evidence is sighted that it has been

THE ISSUE Monash’s commitment to developing critically reflective radiographers

with the multifaceted skill base to match

Despite the best of intentions, paper workbooks were seldom seen by clinicians and students as testament to the whole journey from student to registered radiographer

Ensuring students understand and evidence the demands difficult with paper based workbooks due to their static nature

Imperative to establish a more integrated, permanent and forward looking system of monitoring and evidencing students’ professional development

SOLUTION Portfolios are used for a variety of theoretical and clinical reasons

including assessment of clinical competence, reduce the theory practice gap, monitor student learning over a period of time and for personal and professional development (Nairn et al, 2006)

Portfolios are especially useful where higher levels of learning are expected, such as critical thinking (Davison, Kudlas & Mannelin 2003)

ePortfolios can provide students with a means by which they can demonstrate progressive achievement of competence (Andre et al, 2017)

ePortfolios can provide students with a holistic, scaffolded, cohesive and integrated learning experience with a stronger focus on preparation for their professional life (Andre et al, 2017)

SOLUTION!! ePortfolios to the rescue!

Initial implementation focused on evidencing clinical competencies using workbooks and feedback templates

Needed to be much more than a repository for clinical documentation

Allow academic and clinical staff to assist students to prepare for life after Monash in a more comprehensive manner than was previously the case

Students developing portfolios address AHPRA registration requirements as well as explore their professional identities

SUPPORTING STUDENTS

SUCCESS?Preliminary results, small number of respondents, one institution

– Australia

Registration requirements

In 2017 we 20% of final year radiography students did not know the requirements for REGISTRATION as a radiographer

Graduate attributes

40% of students remain unaware of the fact that graduate attributes exist in their institution

100% could now appreciate the relevance of the attributes to the Radiography profession

SUCCESS?Showcase

In May 2017 year a showcase seminar: “Why should I be registered”

– Students

– Academic staff– Clinical staff

6 CP unit: ePortfolio comprises 30% of the Unit grade

Rubric for corrections

SUCCESS Let the students efforts speak for themselves

With kindest thanks

– Tan Hong

– Sophie Barry

– Daniella Gudzoski

– Haylee Murphy

– Stephanie Sipus

Spend one morning at the showcase portfolio with these bright young things, give some guidance and do final corrections or……….

WHAT ELSE WE LEARNED Perceptions of academic staff differ for the showcase

Minimising instructions paid off, but the “meaning” of the ePortfolio needs to be maximised

Rubric for corrections were invaluable

Clinical staff were extremely hard markers

WHAT NEXT Surveyed second years

85 % agreed that they could appreciate the advantages of PebblePad™ for clinical documentation

Further research needed to define these

REFERENCES Andre K,. Heartfield M, & Cusack L. (2017) Portfolios for Health Professionals. Elsevier, Australia.

Baird M. (2008). Towards the development of a reflective radiographer: challenges and constraints. Biomedical Imaging and Intervention Journal. 4(1), e9.

Barrie, Simon C. (2006). Understanding what we mean by the generic attributes of graduates. Higher Education, 51(2), 215.

Chow, S., Chin, W., Lee, H., Leung, H., & Tang, F. (2012). Nurses’ perceptions and attitudes towards computerisation in a private hospital. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 21(11 12), 1685-1696.‐

Davison H.C., Kudlas M.J. & L.R. Mannelin, Portfolios and critical thinking. (Teaching Techniques). Radiologic Technology, 2003. 74: p. 509+

Mc Inerney, J., Baird, M. (2016). Developing critical practitioners: a review of teaching methods in the Bachelor of Radiography and Medical Imaging. Radiography.

Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia (2013). Professional capabilities for medical radiation practice. Professional capabilities for medical radiation practice. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Available at http://www.medicalradiationpracticeboard.gov.au/Registration/Professional-Capabilities.aspx

Nairn S., O'Brien E., Traynor V., Williams G., Chapple M. & Johnson S. (2006). Student nurses’ knowledge, skills and attitudes towards the use of portfolios in a school of nursing. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 15(12), 1509-1520.

Wolff, A., Pesut, B., & Regan, S. (2010). New graduate nurse practice readiness: Perspectives on the context shaping our understanding and expectations. Nurse Education Today, 30(2), 187-91.