A challenge for Initial Teacher Education providers is to produce teachers who see their teaching through a problem solving lens and take a reflective approach to everything they do. It is not enough for student teachers to acquire curriculum content, management strategies and pedagogical theory. A good teacher constantly thinks, reflects, and seeks ways to navigate through difficult circumstances in order to maximise learning outcomes for all students. Most importantly, they need to be able to engage with their professional context and ensure that they learn and grow as they work. Just as children need to tune in to their own learning, so too do their teachers. This learning journey approach is relevant for all learners, regardless of the context.
The Bachelor of Education course at the University of Tasmania is using PebblePad to implement a portfolio approach for teaching and learning. A portfolio-based approach to assessment places the emphasis on progressive learning and reflection and it supports pre-service teachers to develop a consequential understanding of themselves as learners and ultimately the learners that they will teach. This case study outlines the approach to implementing this model at UTAS, their results and lessons learned.
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.
