educational blogfolio - exploring student teacher’s concepts and competency of integrating web...

CITE Research Symposium 2010

Mike H.L. Chui

mikechui@ied.edu.hk

The Hong Kong Institute of Education

Student-teachers (STs) generally perceive an e-portfolio in form of a CD-ROM Static reflective statement/ Static content

Instructors cannot provide instant feedback corresponding to a specific items

No interaction with other student-teachers

Learning experience in teacher training has not been associated probably

No further e-portfolio development

Environmental issue (dispose over 400 CD-ROMs each academic year)

IT provisions (previous practice): Briefing for the assessment items of e-portfolios

Creating a Web site with commercial Web authoring tools (hands-on) - academic years before 2008

Computer-based training (CBT) related to Web authoring (self-directed study + in-campus)

Student-teachers (STs) are unable to update their e-portfolios: Time limit for the trial version of the commercial Web

authoring tool

Unable to master the basic HTML manipulation (with/ without the commercial Web authoring tool)

Unable to master the FTP functions

Unable to understand the server-side structures

Not all student-teachers process the technical skills to create e-portfolios (Montgomery & Wiley, 2004)

Only a static Web-based e-portfolio is created (Yuen, C.Y. & Yang, H., 2010)

Viewers cannot leave feedback (Yang, 2008)

By using blogs as e-portfolios Reduce the technical setbacks for content creation

(Martindale & Wiley, 2005)

Allows publishing instantly to the Internet from any Internet connection (Richardson, 2006)

More features for interactions and updatability Share resources and ideas for reflection, interaction and

collaboration (Yuen & Yang, 2010)

Abandon teaching commercial Web authoring tools Teaching hands-on with using free blog platform + build-in

blog features + embedding Web applications (Webapps)/ blog widgets/ Web 2.0 widgets for enhancing communications Language support (English/ Simplified Chinese/ Traditional

Chinese) Blog posts Blogroll/ RSS Possible blog opportunities by using mobile devices

Video instructions support by creating a YouTube channel (for self-directed learning and revision)

Distributing case studies of using blog in teaching and learning

Blogfolio = Blog + Portfolio (Yuen, C.Y. & Yang, H., 2010)

Web-based portfolio for pre-service and in-service teachers (Milman, 1999; Yates, Newsome, & Creighton, 1999; Pierson & Kumari,

2000; Avraamidou& Zembal-Saul, 2006; Campbell, Cignetti, Melenyzer, Nettles, &

Wyman, 2007):

Reorganize

Re-evaluate

Reflect

Result in new insights

An experimental study

Population

FT PGDE(S) – 2008-2009 (107 students)

FT PGDE(S) – 2009-2010 (128 students)

A questionnaire has been adopted and examined by a professional in a discipline of assessment, and distributed to the population who have received the IT provisions and need to submit e-portfolios.

Students are randomly selected as their responses are optional.

Totally 153 questionnaires have been received in two academic years

32%

46%

20%

2%

How confident will you use today's Web site builder for blogfolio construction in the future?

Very confident

Confident

Fairly confident

Not confident

96%

0%4%

0%

How do you rate your knowledge/ concepts by using blogfolio in learning and teaching after the IT provisions?

More knowledgeable

No change

Confused

Very confused

1% 17%

5%

13%

6%

14%

13%

4%

4%

19%

3% 1%

Which of the following element(s) in a blogfolio would enhance teacher-students communication?

Weather forecasting

Discussion forum/ Blog post

Background Music/ Music jukebox

Poll/ Voting/ Survey

Embedded Instant messaging tool

Educational Game

Embedded Video

Instant translation to other language

Calendar/ Scheduling tool

Photo album

Password-protected area

Podcasting

How do you (as a teacher) apply blogfolio for knowledge construction? I can also get more information in the fast developing world.

By creating or adding YouTube on the blogfolio.

Using blog as an interesting/ vivid platform for students and teachers to exchange ideas after classes.

It is very useful for students to keep track on their learning process, especially if they were absent (the classes before). Students can download PowerPoint or worksheet at any time.

Teachers can collect feedback and amend their teaching content and strategies.

How do you (as a teacher) apply blogfolio for knowledge construction? Share knowledge like PowerPoint and video with students.

Teachers can upload learning materials for students to download which facilitate revision.

Teachers can upload extra materials (e.g. video clips/ news clips) for students’ self-directed learning.

Remind students the key learning areas (especially for long vacation)

More opportunities to communicate with students about teaching and learning

Embed different media

Why the selected element(s) could enhance teacher-students communication? Discussion forum/ Blog post/ Poll/ Voting/ Survey

Can gather information/ comments from students

Students can post private or public messages

Teachers can better understand student's favourite, mood and opinion

Understand students' needs

Important notes can be posted

Why the selected element(s) could enhance teacher-students communication? Embedding instant messaging tool

Instant feedback can be received

Photo album Can help students to know more about the teacher

Visualise the life of each others

Share happiness with each other

Why the selected element(s) could enhance teacher-students communication? Educational game

Can enhance students' interest in learning (about motivation)

Enable interactions between students and teachers

Embedding video Learning by video is more effective than learning by text

Why the selected element(s) could enhance teacher-students communication? Others

Teacher and student can share the information or teaching materials at the same time

Interactivity

Students can raise ideas

Supplementary notes

As a medium for students expressing themselves

Student-teachers (STs) are basically satisfied with the user-friendliness of the online Web site builder (i.e. Viviti.com) even though some of the respondents are the first-time bloggers

STs also have the tendency to continue building up their knowledge as well as using the builder for learning and teaching activities in the future

STs enjoyed customisation of their own blogfolios with the introduced Webapps which agreed with the founding by Tapscott (2009) in his book about the habits of young people (i.e. the Net Gener). JISC (2008) also highlighted that being able to customise is crucial for e-portfolio construction

JISC (2008) also suggested that a customisable interface of an e-portfolio system would enable learners to explore their identity. A blogfolio is somewhat of a display of personalisation, with a certain extent of customisation, enables learners to explore one’s identities.

Avraamidou, L. & Zembal-Saul, C. (2006) Exploring the influence of Web-based portfolio development on learning to teach elementary science. AACE Journal, 14(2), 178-205.

Campbell, D. M., Cignetti, P. B., Melenyzer, B. J., Nettles, D. H. & Wyman, R. M. (2007) How to develop a professional portfolio: A manual for teachers (4th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

JISC (2008) Effective Practice with e-Portfolios – Supporting 21st century learning. [online] Available from: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/effectivepracticeeportfolios.pdf[Accessed 12 May 2009]

Martindale, T. & Wiley, D. A. (2005) Using Weblogs in scholarship and teaching. TechTrends, 49(2), 55-61. doi:10.1007/BF02773972

Milman, N. (1999) Web-based electronic teaching portfolios for preservice teachers. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, San Antonio, TX.

Pierson, M. E. & Kumari, S. (2000) Web-based student portfolios in a graduate instructional technology program. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, San Diego, CA.

Richardson, W. (2006) Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful Web tools for classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Tapscott. D. (2009) Grown up digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World. New York: McGrawHill.

Yang, H. (2008) Blogfolios for student-centered reflection and communication. In M. Iskander (Ed.). Innovative Techniques in Instruction Technology, E-Learning, E-Assessment and Education. Berlin: Springer.

Yates, B., Newsome, J. & Creighton, T. (1999) Standards based technology competencies: Electronic portfolios in preservice education. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, San Antonio, TX.

Yuen, S.C.Y., & Yang, H. (2010) Using blogfolios to enhance interaction in e-learning courses. In Yang, H. & Yuen, S. (Eds.). Handbook of research on practices and outcomes in e-learning: Issues and trends (pp. 455-470). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

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