2. Reflective Portfolios in Action Research Orla Hanratty EdTech Conference Tralee June 3 rd 2004

3. Background  Investigate use of technology within professional development of lecturers in higher education  Allow lecturers to track their own professional development using an online tool

4. Setting: Professional Development in Higher Education  GCD Lecturers part-time or full-time experienced or novice working in any faculty – Business, Computing, Design, Journalism, Law.

5. What is Reflective Practice?  Stopping  Thinking about practice  Looking back and forward  Informing Action

6. What is a Reflective Portfolio?  Collection of your work – representing you as a professional.  Contains Evidence (sample student work, video, lesson plan/syllabus)  Record in ‘Entries’ – Notes on action: Design, Enactment & Results  Reflective Journal  Allows for collaboration

7. What is Action Research?  Practitioner based research  Systematic enquiry  Developing practitioner as learner  Fostering sense of empowerment and emancipation  Practitioner is instrumental in improving own practice  Challenging theories – focusing on real praxis  Enquiry made public

8. Cyclical Model of Action Research Action Research Model: Kemmis,in Hopkins 1985 Portfolio Structure aligned with Kemmis Model (in Hopkins, 1985)

9. Task for Lecturers  Identify area for action – note, act, reflect  Enter data into ‘Reflective Portfolio Tool’  Review – use data to guide practice and further plans

10. Design Specification  Allow user to represent their personal ideas and plans – personal & confidential  Prompt and encourage reflection  Facilitate collaboration with peers and researcher  Have a clear structure / framework  Facilitate support and encouragement

11. Design Specification (contd)  Be accessible from a variety of locations – home, work  Facilitate review of entries / reflections  Allow showcasing of evidence in a variety of formats  Easy to use by non-technical participants  Share with others outside research group  Facilitate action research model in two cycles

12. Technical Realisation  Access via intranet / website  Database forms using php to link to MySQL  Allow participants to enter data into forms, retrieve and edit them  Online discussion board  Upload files facility  Export data to Excel

13. Organisation of Data…  Access Tool: www.cs.tcd.ie/Orla.Hanratty/RPT/welcome Please register and explore the features  Data stored in MySQL database  Data can be exported to Excel

14. Findings  Tool facilitated recording and implementation of action plans  All acknowledged importance of taking time to reflect  Allowed users to review and reflect on teaching  Facilitating communication and discussion with other lecturers on teaching and learning topics  Acknowledged other factors impinging on implementation of action plans – time, scheduling constraints

15. Future Plans..  Develop tool further  Re-structure  Change wording

16. Thank you  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to comment on this further: orlahanratty@hotmail.com orlahanratty@hotmail.com