This case study takes place in a master’s program in Adult Learning. This is a professional program in a college of education aimed at preparing professionals to work with adults in a variety of educational settings – higher education, corporate training and development, and community organizations. The program is centred on preparing students to be able to integrate the learning from their program courses and practicum experiences to deliver high-quality educational services in the future. We would like students to leave our program with the knowledge and skills that they have developed in our courses but to also be able to articulate them clearly. The process of developing this understanding will prepare them for the future but also serve as an opportunity to expand their work as reflective practitioners.
Replacing a long reflective essay explaining their learning, PebblePad is now used to help students reflect on and demonstrate their learning in the program and to provide a forum to integrate their learning through the development of their Guiding Principles for adult education. The eportfolio is developed during an end of program course. Students are encouraged to make the portfolio their own, designing the layout and providing visual and audio representations of their learning. Students are provided with a template that they can complete through guided reflection activities. The result has been showcase portfolios that provide authentic representations of students’ learning, which can also facilitate faculty program review and assessment. They can be useful in pointing out areas for program improvement.
The above case study is just one of twenty-five brilliant examples from our 2020 'Charting new courses in learning and teaching' conference. With case studies spanning degree apprenticeships, clinical assessment, interprofessional education, showcase portfolios, and many other contexts and disciplines, they are real stories of trailblazing innovation. If you'd like to download all 25 exemplars of pedagogical goodness, click the link below.
