ePortfolios in Speech and Language Sciences

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• ePortfolios in Speech and Language Sciences
• Creating a Managed Environment for
  Portfolio-based
• Reflective learning
• Anne Whitworth
• Simon Cotterill
• Julie Bradford
• Tony McDonald
• School of Education, Communication and Language
  Sciences
• School of Medical Education Development

a.b.whitworth_at_ncl.ac.uk
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Speech and Language Science ProgrammeNewcastle
University

• 140 BSc students - 4 year programme
• 40 MSc students - 2 year programme
• Academic programme has hybrid PBL curriculum
  (CBPS)
• All students (exception of BSc1) on practice
  placement for part of each semester (some in
  campus clinics, some in community)
• Motivating issues
• Linking reflective practice from PBL to practice
  - facilitating students as independent learners
• Mapping of PDP to competency framework
• Assuring the quality and standards of students
  placement learning - cycle of on-going review and
  enhancement with NHS partners
• Saving trees

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Wider University context

• Activity within SMED e.g. ePET (FDTL funded
  project), growing interest and expertise in
  ePortfolios http//www.eportfolios.ac.uk
• Common Learning Programme (DoH funded)
  implementation of interprofessional
  practice-based education for students in health
  and social care, including the systems developed
  to facilitate e-learning in practice-based
  learning environments http//commonlearning.ncl.a
  c.uk
• CELT4HealthNE promoting application of new
  technologies in health professional education
  http//www.cetl4healthne.ac.uk
• BlackBoard being used as a standard tool
• UTLC supporting innovative teaching projects

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Project aims

• 1. To focus on workbased learning (the
  clinical/practice placement)
• 2. To support the reflective learning approach
  of the CBPS framework used throughout the SLS
  curricula- focus on real case studies (clients)
  not virtual or paper based- provide focus for
  reflection on specific competency areas
• 3. To integrate existing paper systems for
  learning outcomes (clinical competency
  framework) and PDP (personal clinical goal
  setting)
• 4. To develop assessment strategies consistent
  with PBL ethos
• e.g. piloting the use of Evidence Logs in
  the assessment process

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My Placements

• Enables students to maintain record of all
  placements
• Identifies gaps in experience influence future
  placements
• Assists in application for jobs

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PDP / Personal clinical goal setting

• Requires explicit goal setting, action plan
  and measurement
• Encourages mid and final evaluation for goals
• Maps neatly onto our competency framework

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Clinical competency framework

• Easy access to intended learning outcomes
• Easy links to goal setting process
• Printable report form

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• Case management framework for academic
  modules revolves around 7 key questions
• Students required to reflect on real cases
  on placement
• Point of reference between student and CE
  demonstration of competence feeds
  into CE assessment
• Use tool in preparation of oral assessment
  case presentations back on campus

My Cases

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1. Is interevention required? 2. Diagnosis and
communication profile? 3. Model of service
delivery? 4. Intervention planning/goals? 5.
Generalisation to real-life? 6. Discharge
criteria / planning? 7. Efficacy and
effectiveness of intervention?
My Cases

• Case management framework for academic
  modules revolves around 7 key questions
• Students required to reflect within ePortfolio
  around cases whilst on placement
• Point of reference between student and CE
  demonstration of competence feeds into CE
  assessment
• Use tool as a means of preparing for oral
  assessment case presentations back on campus

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Reflective blogs in specific areas

• Current examples
• Experiences of
  interprofessional working
• Dysphagia (management swallowing disorders)
• This aspect likely to grow
• Currently not assessed but looking at it

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Piloted in semester 2, 2005-06

• Some preliminary findings
• 129 students accessed the SLS ePortfolio (median
  logins 5, range 1 to 40) - accounts for nearly
  100 of all students inducted on the system
• Personal Clinical Goal Setting and My Cases
  (CBPS) visited most frequently
• Goals were set by most students
• Dysphagia and IP learning were visited by around
  40-50 of students

Section accessed Records created
My Placements 106
Personal Clinical Goals 604
Clinical Evaluation Reports 124
My Cases 96
IPE blog 57
Dysphagia blog 42
Uplaoded files 18
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Piloted in semester 2, 2005-06

• Some preliminary findings cont
• High student engagement
• Regarded as highly accessible and intuitive
  e-learning environment
• Provided a clear relationship between placement
  learning outcomes and personal clinical goal
  setting
• Process of reviewing goals and progress enhanced
• Facilitated reflection around real case studies
  (clients) in the clinical practice setting
• Flexibility for additional sections to be added
  e.g. IPE
• Integrated numerous existing paper systems
  trees saved!

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Thoughts for the future

• Facilitating more extensive student engagement
  with the ePortfolio- participation and learning
  styles- tweaking access and navigation
• Developing assessment methods explicitly around
  models of reflection
• Exploring additional areas for inclusion that
  link to key competency areas
• Exploring use with mobile technology
• ? More explicit links with RCSLT and HPC online
  CPD portfolios
• Embed within the CETL4HealthNE - future
  development - evaluation - dissemination