Overview

•Small scale example of e-learning to develop reflection in professional social work degree

•Outline student use of the Blackboard blog tool

•Linkage of academic learning with practice learning

•Evaluation & dilemmas

But first… Social Work is a beleaguered profession….

Learning Context of Social Work

BSc (Hons) Social Work = professional qualification, protected title

Develop tools for lifelong learning for practice-Education versus training

Profession governed ethically by Care Council for Wales

Academic learning 50%: Assessed practice 50%-200 days Practice Learning Opportunities (PLO) over 3

years

Students encounter complex and challenging situations in PLOs

Level 1 Social Work Students

53 level 1 undergraduate Social Work students

Student characteristics:

-Range of experience; current practitioners to minimum requirement of 210 hours experience

-Range of ages from 18 to mature return to learn

Module on Diversity & Values (20 credits) in first term

-1st run of re-written module

-Embed critical thinking & reflective practice

-Link to 20 day observational PLO later in year

What is Reflection?

‘Reflection is an important human activity in which people recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over and evaluate it. It is this working with experience that is important in learning. The capacity to reflect is developed to different stages in different people and it may well be this ability which characterises those who learn effectively from experience.’

(Boud, Keogh & Walker 1985:19)

Many practice assessors ask students for reflective log on PLO

Develop ‘ Culture of thoughtfulness’ (Gibbs & Gambrill 1999) – competent practitioners and workplaces

Another View of Reflection

Harry stared at the stone basin. The contents had returned to their original silvery white state, swirling and rippling beneath his gaze.

‘What is it?’ Harry asked shakily.

‘This? It is called a pensieve’, said Dumbledore. ‘I sometimes find, and I am sure that you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind.’

‘Er,’ said Harry, who couldn’t truthfully say that he had ever felt anything of the sort.

‘At these times,’ said Dumbledore, indicating the stone basin, ‘I use the pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one’s mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one’s leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form.’

From Reaction to Reflective Practice

Place of reflection & reflective writing in social work:

Progression from description of events to reflective practice (Moon 2004)

Reflection as higher order thinking (Biggs 1988)

Established use of diaries/reflective logs to aid reflection (Boud, Keogh & Walker 1985)

Use of models as aid to structure reflective practice, e.g. Gibbs (1998)

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (1988 adaptation of Kolb)

Description (what happened)

Action Plan Feelings(if it arose again, (what were you

what would you do?) thinking and feeling?)

Conclusion Evaluation(what else could (what was good and bad

you have done?) about the experience?)

Analysis(what sense can you

make of the experience?)

Blogs in HE Context

Blended learning =norm: increased use of e-learning

Impetus to use Blackboard as more than electronic filing cabinet:-‘E-tivites’ (Salmon 2004) -individual interaction

Blog (weblog):Personal commentaries/online diary

-published electronically-ordered in reverse temporal order-encourages regular postings

Blog Task

Students asked to write weekly blog analysing learning from individual teaching sessions

Privacy settings- not a discussion board

Module convenor commented briefly on each blog entry

Supported by seminars on reflective writing, values & practice

Not compulsory to use Blackboard blog tool – but encouraged

Basis for a component of assessment

My first use of blog and Blackboard: co-learning?

What the Format Looks like

Formative Assessment

Blog postings formative task -not part of summative assessment

Summative assessment: Synthesise blog into academic submission of reflection on learning

-Account of student’s learning, its impact & use of reflection for practice-Reflective log as raw material-Edit and re-work-Introduce models of reflection and theory of reflective writing-Include academic references

Summative Assessment

Reflective commentary comprised 20% total module marks

Decision to assess:

-Level 1 marks do not ‘count’ to degree classification

-Student tendency to be strategic and assessment- driven

-Focus on analysis rather than content of commentary

Different register of writing compared to essay/journal article style: explicit guidance that can use personal pronoun

Student Use of Blog

19 students used it

Variable frequency:

9 used it once –like final assignment draft

5 used it twice

2 four times

2 five times

1 six times – more iterative & developmental

Blog Content

Users & Refusers:

2/3 did not use Blackboard blog

-Preference for pencil & paper

Styles:

Descriptive (‘ wow…that was really interesting/boring…’)

Informal analytic (‘I used to think that…now I think this…’)

Formal analytic (‘I used a model of reflection to analyse emotions etc. and why my thinking changed…’)

Assessment Outcomes

All completed the summative assessment

-No fails in reflective account alone

One applied model of reflection throughout; most ‘name-checked’

Evidence of attitudinal change (e.g. in perceptions of disability)

Examining emotional reactions and controversy (asylum)

Dilemmas of assessment

-No agreement of appropriate criteria for marking reflective work (Moon 2002)

Evaluation

Module ended December 2008

Specific blog/reflective exercise evaluation after first PLO (ended in May 2009)

-ongoing

Questions about prospective links made from reflective exercise in module to PLO experience

-8 responses so far

-3 of whom used the blog

Student Comments

Reflective Commentary Task:Allowed me to think about my feelings more and also to reflect on ethics/dilemmas that I faced/observed social workers facing in their day to day work, therefore, useful!

I found the reflective account on the PLO experience very useful as I could reflect back on my own thoughts and experiences. Also I could take then with me to supervision to gain a productive session.

I felt the reflective exercise beneficial as I was able to prepare for the PLO by keeping a daily diary.  Had we not carried out the exercise (…), I don't think I would have considered the importance of using a tool to help with reflecting.

I found the reflective work we did in your class extremely helpful when preparing for my PLO accounts. It enabled me to think about what was happening and why as well as thinking what I would do in a similar situation and this can be important when we finally begin to practice.

I feel the reflective recording exercise needs to continue in future years, I will definitely continue to do this in the other PLO placements.

Hindrances

Those who didn’t use blog tool ranged from techno fear…I didn't use it because I was worried that I would do something wrong - press the wrong button and my blog would be on view to everyone - Sounds a bit irrational, but I didn't want to risk it! I wrote in an exercise book instead.

At the time of your module I was finding the whole blackboard site confusing and was unsure how to use any of its features (unlike now).

Only improvement is maybe a little more time explaining the blog tool or a separate class on the whole blackboard site and features.

…to not feeling a need:

I find reflective writing to come more natural to me.  I guess this is due to my previous counselling training courses.  I imagine the blog tool to be more helpful in years 2 and 3.

No reasons really, had some computer problems and also like to write things down in journal form as can look back on this far more easily

Blog Issues for Future

Opportunity to practice & develop e-learning skills at early stage in degree-Potential for greater use of e-portfolios

Blog is a safe ‘try-out’ of engaging with SW issues before exposure to practice settings

Should it be a summative or formative task?-Summative requires all to participate (though blog optional) – less need for

persuasion later in course?-Summative may inhibit honesty-Careful not to ‘mark’ experiences, but how they were dealt with-Link to learning outcomes

Progress to blogs open to other students – peer evaluation?

Development of reflective skills across the academic & practicecurriculum

What do you think?

References

Biggs, J. (2003) Teaching for Quality Learning at University (2nd edition). Buckingham: Open University PressBoud, D., Keogh, R. & Walker, D. (1985) Reflection: turning experience into learning. Kogan Page, London.Eraut, M. (1994) Developing Professional Knowledge and Competence. London: FalmerGarrison, D. & Anderson, T. (2003) E-learning in the 21st Century: A Framework for Research & Practice. London: RoutledgeFalmerGibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford: Oxford Further Education UnitGibbs, L. & Gambrill, E. (1999) Critical Thinking for Social Workers: Exercises for the Helping Profession. Thousand Oaks CA: Pine Forge PressJohns, C. (2004) Becoming a Reflective Practitioner (2nd edition) Oxford: BlackwellMoon, J. (2002) The Module & Programme Development Handbook. London: Kogan PageMoon, J. (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice. London: RoutledgeFalmerSalmon, G. (2004) E-Moderating: The Key to Teaching & Learning Online. (2nd edition). London: RoutledgeFalmer