Scenario
A placement module was divided into two terms: one for tutorials, and one for the placement. The placement term previously encouraged students to complete weekly reflections using a PDF template. If students had the appropriate software, they could type directly into the PDF, or use Word to collate their weekly reflections which were then referred to in their summative assessment. The tutors had a desire to digitise this practice and allow students a more flexible method of recording their reflections and weekly tasks.
Solution
Durham University has access to an application called PebblePad. PebblePad is “a portfolio and personal learning platform, designed to help learners, wherever they are learning (at study, work or play), develop, shape, and share their unique skills and attributes for success in today’s world.”
A Reflective Journal Workbook was created in PebblePad, which also included guidance about how to use the journal and information on why reflection is important.
This Reflective Journal Workbook included a self-audit, to be completed at the start of the module, which contained information such as thoughts about what skills and knowledge the students thought they currently possessed. The journal had the ability quickly to track their confidence levels on six knowledge and skills areas, as defined by the tutors. This was completed using Likert scales. Finally, the students completed a section in which they expressed any expectations of the module (what they were hoping to achieve by completing the module).
The confidence scales were repeated at the end of term 1 and again at the end of term 2. This allowed the students not only to see how the module’s content was helping them progress, but also informed the tutors which skills their students felt they were lacking so they could tailor subsequent tutorials to address these needs.
Following the self-audit, there was a collection of pages for each week of their tutorials and another collection for their placements, each with prompts on what points to think about for that week. Added to each page was the ability for the students to upload their weekly task, and/or any other supporting evidence. This additional evidence could be photographs, audio files, PDFs, word documents etc, uploaded from their computer or via the PebblePad App, ‘PebblePocket’. This app allows students to record and upload information, be it textual or multimedia (video recordings etc), quickly and easily to their PebblePad asset library, straight from their phone.
As soon as the students started completing the workbook the tutors had access to view the content and could identify those who had yet to start. Tutors may also generate reports to view the responses for specific questions and the Likert scale activities. Feedback can also be given, but for this pilot it was decided that all assessment/feedback would be shared via Blackboard.
PebblePad also has a feature that allowed the students to share their work with external users. This could be time-restricted. Plus, when students leave the University, they can apply for a free PebblePad Alumni account. This would allow them indefinitely to access any work created in the application while at the university. Simultaneously, they will have the ability to continue to create resources for themselves.
PebblePad is integrated with Blackboard, so once the workbook was created it could easily be linked to from the module site. More importantly, this integration allowed PebblePad to know who is enrolled on the module, preventing the task of adding each student/tutor individually to the administration side of the application.
Our Collaboration and Development Process
After initial discussions with the tutors on the module to scope the requirements, the Science Digital Education team researched possible solutions for this scenario.
A discussion and demonstration of PebblePad allowed the development team, the developers and tutors, to decide that this would be a good application to pilot, for this and other ‘Science into Schools’ modules.
Using existing resources, including the PDF reflective journal template currently in use, and engaging with other PebblePad users across the institution, including support from PebblePad themselves, we were able to create a Reflection Journal Workbook within the application.
As well as a demonstration to the students in their first lesson, by the developer from the team, a quickstart video was created to refer to later. This video walks users through the initial steps of accessing the workbook and includes hints and tips on how to use it.
To demonstrate the development and output created for the pilot to the other tutors delivering Science into Schools modules, as well as those in the Science Engagement team, another video was created.
The intention moving forward is to evaluate the use of PebblePad for Biology into Schools and further extend the pilot to other modules, where the reflection element is more open, allowing the students to determine what their reflection method would be: portfolios; blogs; videos; audio etc.
Screenshots of the Pebblepad Reflection Journal
The front page of the Reflection Journal Workbook in PebblePad (below). Click the image to open it in more detail.
The Self Audit section includes a demonstration of the dropdowns for the weekly reflections (below). Click the image to open it in more detail.
Demonstration of the Personal Reflection section showing a table to enter the skill, how they think they’ve developed, and any further action (below). Click the image to open it in more detail.
Progress tracking is enabled to help the students determine their progress. Tutors can see this progression too (below). Click the image to open it in more detail.
Links from the integration in Blackboard and a video, created by the developers, as a quickguide for students (below). Click the image to open it in more detail.
Snapshot of the quickstart video for the Students on the module (below). Click the image to open it in more detail.
Reflection – Kolb Learning Cycle
Effective learning is seen when a person progresses through a cycle of four stages: of (1) having a concrete experience followed by (2) observation of and reflection on that experience which leads to (3) the formation of abstract concepts (analysis) and generalizations (conclusions) which are then (4) used to test a hypothesis in future situations, resulting in new experiences.
(Mcleod, 2023)
Next Steps
PebblePad can be used for a wide range of activities and for many different purposes. If you would to know more about how PebblePad could be used in your module, please contact us.
Reference
Mcleod, S. (2023, October 24). Kolb’s Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle. Simply Psychology.