Abstract
Enhancing student reflection through the establishment of a community of enquiry through real and virtual worlds
2012 Learning & Teaching Week Program, pp.12-13
Learning & Teaching Week, 2012 (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 20-Aug-2012–24-Aug-2012)
2012
Abstract
Maintaining a strong and connected community of inquiry when students are located at over 30 professional learning sites poses significant learning and teaching challenges. This study uses practitioner and case study research methods to investigate how the problem of student disconnection and isolation during lengthy workplace learning experiences can be addressed. EDU 614 Teaching Practice 1 is a large workplace learning course requiring over 100 Graduate Diploma inEducation students to spend over six weeks in a school setting. Previous student cohorts reported feeling isolated and disconnected from their peers, tutors and university support structures during their placement. The complexities of workplace learning and the rich learning and challenges of the student experience were not accessible until after the students had returned to the university site. The overall course was redeveloped using a combination of preparatory, during and post assessment and learning tasks to establish & maintain connectivity between pre-service teachers, peers, tutors and the university learning environment. This revised structure provides multiple access points for students to engage with the key content, dialogue and participate in central debates and reflection through face to face, online and workplace learning strategies. Post course feedback and survey data revealed that over 80% of students valued and utilised the online learning community to connect with peers and to reflect on their experiences during placement. This tool provided feedback for tutors, the program leader and course co-coordinator to monitor student wellbeing and key issues that were emerging in a very timely and immediate way. This case study suggests that it is possible to build a stronger community of inquiry when students' move to multiple workplace learning sites through the use of interactive & engaging blended learning strategies and online reflection triggers. There is further potential to strengthen the community of inquiry and connect the pieces of this complex jigsaw through the inclusion of more stakeholders such as Academic Liaisons and Mentor teachers in the online and real learning community.
Details
- Title
- Enhancing student reflection through the establishment of a community of enquiry through real and virtual worlds
- Authors
- Sharon Hogan (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and EngineeringElizabeth Toohey (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
- Publication details
- 2012 Learning & Teaching Week Program, pp.12-13
- Conference details
- Learning & Teaching Week, 2012 (Sunshine Coast, Australia, 20-Aug-2012–24-Aug-2012)
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- Date published
- 2012
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2012 The Author. Reproduced with the permission of the author.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Education - Legacy; School of Education and Tertiary Access; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449085002621
- Output Type
- Abstract
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