The use of reflective diaries in summative assessment

1. The use of reflective diaries in summative assessment Anne Tierney, School of Life Sciences Eamonn Butler, School of Social & Political Sciences Karen McCluskey, Careers Service Karen Sawyer, School of Social & Political Sciences Kerr Gardiner, Learning & Teaching Centre

2. Background • Use of reflective portfolios • Perceptions of reflective writing • The Project • Mahara • Courses • Requirements • Comparison • Evaluation • Reflective diaries – overview • Outcomes • Position within the literature • Reflective writing • Community-building • Generative writing • Graduate Attributes • A student view • Conclusions and further work

3. Background • Use of reflective portfolios • Professional/vocational courses • Education, Medicine & allied professions [see IMS CP; Richards, online] • Requirement for professional development • Professional focus • Perception of reflective portfolios • Not common in non-vocational courses • Lack of focus makes reflective portfolios: • Difficult to assess • Not academically rigorous • Subjective • Informal

4. Reflective writing • Jennifer Moon (1999: 188-194) • Benefits • “To deepen the quality of learning, in the form of critical thinking or developing questioning attitudes” • “To enable learners to understand their own learning process” • “To increase active involvement in learning and personal ownership of learning” • “To enhance creativity by making better use of intuitive understanding” • “To provide an alternative ‘voice’ for those not good at expressing themselves” • “To foster reflective and creative interaction in a group”  • University of Glasgow Learning & Teaching Strategy • (2006-10) • “Wewill engage them [students] with teaching and approaches to learning which support their development as motivated learners, independent and critical thinkers, and promote confidence and awareness in their skills, knowledge and understanding. We will promote a learning environment that develops and values these attributes.” • University of Glasgow Learning & Teaching Strategy • (2011) • Fostering Investigative learning through Research-led teaching • “Wewill engage them [students] with teaching and approaches to learning which support their development as subject specialists, reflective learners, independent and critical thinkers, and encourage their awareness of and confidence in their skills, knowledge and understanding. We will promote a learning environment that develops and values these attributes.”

5. Graduate Attributes • QAA Scotland Enhancement Theme • From Melbourne model (Nicol, D. 2010) • Five domains: • Academically excellent • Knowledge across disciplines • Leaders in communities • Attuned to cultural diversity • Active global citizens

6. The Project – Reflective writing in summative assessment • Online tool - Mahara • University of Glasgow approved pdp software • Offers • Privacy for users (no hierarchy cf. Blackboard or Moodle VLEs) • Any user can create or join groups • Blog, forum, messaging facility • Make public via ‘Views’ • http://portfolio.gla.ac.uk/ • http://www.mahara.org Typical Mahara view Admin for Mahara Group • Group Admin has control over: • Type of group • How members join • Who can join • Forum • Group Admin has no control over: • What individual group members write • Who they make it available to • columns • tables • text • pictures • links

8. The Project • Evaluation (Handout) • Diaries • Evidence of reflection • Focus groups • Themes • Identify areas of • agreement • divergence

9. Outcomes • Position within the literature – Reflective writing (Moon, 1999) • Students from both courses showed evidence of • Understanding their own learning • Increased involvement with learning and ownership of learning • Enhanced creativity and intuitive understanding • “Alternative voice” • Reflective and creative interaction in the group …in interviews • Only students from PSS45 showed evidence of • Developing critical thinking Does that mean that Bioscience students are not critical thinkers?

10. Outcomes • Position within the literature – Community building • (Wenger, 1999; Naisbett, 2001) • Students showed evidence of • The emergence of a community of practice • Sharing and collaboration • Acknowledgement of others’ experience and expertise • Existence both online and face-to-face

11. Outcomes • Position within the literature – Generative & free writing • (Elbow, 1998); Removal of academic constraints (Graff, 2004) • Students showed evidence of • Ability to write • Acknowledgement of ‘ease’ of task • Acknowledgement of academic nature of task

12. Outcomes • Mahara • Students from both courses agree • Mahara is not intuitive • Training is required • Early start (First year) • Despite these reservations, students also agree • Mahara has its place • They would consider using it for other tasks

13. Outcomes • Graduate attributes • Melbourne model (Nicol, D., QAA Scotland, 2010) Academically Excellent • Reach a high level of achievement in writing, generic research activities, problem solving and communications • Be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning • Be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies Knowledge across disciplines • Have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems Leaders in communities • Initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including professions and workplaces

14. A student view • Karen Sawyer, School of Social and Political Sciences • Took part in Perspectives on Security Since 1945 in 2009/10

15. Conclusions and further work • Diaries are a legitimate form of summative assessment • Use as assessment to encourage students to start writing • Support students as they explore new topics and areas of interest • Diaries contribute to the intellectual development of the students by: • Developing a reflective, critical approach to learning • Supporting collaboration • Allowing students to take control of learning • ScotPID • Support from QAA Scotland and HEA • PDP case study

16. References • Elbow, P. (1998) Writing without teachers, Oxford University Press • Glasgow (2006) The Learning & Teaching Strategy. Available at: http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_89688_en.doc • Graff, G. (2004) Clueless in Academe: How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind, Yale University Press • IMS CP for Medical Skills-based Reflective Diary (based on Tomorrow’s Doctors) JISC-funded project, available online at: http://www.elframework.org/projects/spws/medical-logbook.zip/view • Moon, J. (1999) Reflection in Learning and Professional Development. (London: Kogan Page) • Naisbett, J., Naisbett, N. & Philips, D. (2001) High Tech, High Touch: Technology and our Accelerated Search for Meaning • Nicol, D. (2010) The foundation for graduate attributes: developing self-regulation through self and peer-assessment Graduates for the 21st Century: Integrating the Enhancement Themes, The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) • Richards, J. C. (online) “Towards reflective teaching”, The Teacher Trainer, available online at: http://www.tttjournal.co.uk/uploads/File/back_articles/Towards_Reflective_Teaching.pdf • Wenger, E (1999) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and Identity (Learning in Doing: Social Cognitive and Computational Perspectives) Cambridge University Press