The legacy of language

Legacy of Language

Introducing ePortfolios to an engineering program

Heather Pate

ePortfolios – a reflective tool

An ePortfolio provides a scaffolded opportunity for students to achieve higher order thinking:

Allow and encourage student autonomyEmpower students to take responsibility for their

own learning

Use of an ePortfolio system requires a “considerable level of learner autonomy and initiative, of learner responsibility for their learning and of opportunities to refine their learning based on feedback from the teacher.” (Stefani, Mason & Pegler, p.12)

ePortfolios at ECU: PebblePad

Reflection is an intrinsic part of PebblePad

Perceptions in engineering

Negative attitude towards writing (Beer, 2002)

Engineering is a practical “real world” skill, not in a classroom (Dunsmore, 2011)

Disregard of perceived reflective tasks:

“I really don’t see how writing a blog will make me an engineer.” (Faulkner & Azin, 2011, p.13)

Mismatched expectations

Potential mismatch between the technology and the needs of the discipline:

Must an ePortfolio be used for reflection?Is an ePortfolio the right tool for engineers?How do we make the students’ use of it

worthwhile?

ePortfolios for ECU Engineering students

PebblePad was used to introduced to first year students to:

Improve writing skillsPresent workImprove employability skills

Where does reflection fit into this and how do we approach the task from an engineering perspective?

First year engineering ePortfolio

Task:

• Introduce yourself from a professional perspective;• Introduce your practical project; • Show evidence of the skills you have developed in

sustainability, safety and team work.

Reflection for engineers

Clemson University. (n.d.)

Bloom’s Taxonomy Action Verbs.

Text analysis using Bloom’s taxonomy

Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation0.0000%

0.2000%

0.4000%

0.6000%

0.8000%

1.0000%

1.2000%

Feedback

1st year engineering students – feedback from tutors

Text analysis of EA Professional competencies

STAGE 1 COMPETENCY STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER

  ROLE DESCRIPTION - THE MATURE, PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERThe following characterises the senior practice role that the mature, Professional Engineer may be expected to fulfil and has been extracted from the role portrayed in the Engineers Australia - Chartered Status Handbook. Professional Engineers are required to take responsibility for engineering projects and programs in the most far-reaching sense. This includes the reliable functioning of all materials, components, sub-systems and technologies used; their integration to form a complete, sustainable and self-consistent system; and all interactions between the technical system and the context within which it functions. The latter includes understanding the requirements of clients, wide ranging stakeholders and of society as a whole; working to optimise social, environmental and economic outcomes over the full lifetime of the engineering product or program; interacting effectively with other disciplines, professions and people; and ensuring that the engineering contribution is properly integrated into the totality of the undertaking. Professional Engineers are responsible for interpreting technological possibilities to society, business and government; and for ensuring as far as possible that policy decisions are properly informed by such possibilities and consequences, and that costs, risks and limitations are properly understood as the desirable outcomes. Professional Engineers are responsible for bringing knowledge to bear from multiple sources to develop solutions to complex problems and issues, for ensuring that technical and non-technical considerations are properly integrated, and for managing risk as well as sustainability issues. While the outcomes of engineering have physical forms, the work of Professional Engineers is predominantly intellectual in nature. In a technical sense, Professional Engineers are primarily concerned with the advancement of technologies and with the development of new technologies and their applications through innovation, creativity and change. Professional Engineers may conduct research concerned with advancing the science of engineering and with developing new principles and technologies within a broad engineering discipline. Alternatively, they may contribute to continual improvement in the practice of engineering, and in devising and updating the codes and standards that govern it. Professional Engineers have a particular responsibility for ensuring that all aspects of a project are soundly based in theory and fundamental principle, and for understanding clearly how new developments relate to established practice and experience and to other disciplines with which they may interact. One hallmark of a professional is the capacity to break new ground in an informed, responsible and sustainable fashion. Professional Engineers may lead or manage teams appropriate to these activities, and may establish their own companies or move into senior management roles in engineering and related enterprises.

Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation0.0000%

0.2000%

0.4000%

0.6000%

0.8000%

1.0000%

1.2000%

Feedback EA Competencies

Comparison with Teaching Competencies

Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation0.0000%

0.2000%

0.4000%

0.6000%

0.8000%

1.0000%

1.2000%

Feedback EA Competencies Teacher Competencies

“Reflection” in Teaching Competency

Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation "Reflect"0.0000%

0.2000%

0.4000%

0.6000%

0.8000%

1.0000%

1.2000%

Feedback EA Competencies Teacher Competencies

What does this tell us?

The field of engineering: Specific language for reflective skills

plan evaluate interpret justify

Require increasingly complex reflective tasks as they move towards graduation.

Where to from here?

Find the language of the disciplineBuild it into the ePortfolio task

Dowling, Carew & Hadgraft, 2012

The Design Cycle

Alternative Design Process

Arulampalam, ECU, 2013

Build it into the unit and course

LEARNING OUTCOMES On completion of this unit, students will be able to: 1. identify the roles and responsibilities of a practicing engineer;

2. identify the stages in a design cycle and prepare a design strategy that incorporates the components of this cycle; 

3. describe the importance of ethics, safety and sustainability in engineering design, and embed these issues into their design processes;

4. demonstrate the oral and written communication skills that are critical in relationships between engineers and clients, where clients may include the general public.

5. work in a team to plan and carry out a project.

Supporting the process

To successfully integrate an ePortfolio system into a new discipline:

Be aware of the language of the fieldBend the tool, not the people.

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you

References

Beer, D.F., "Reflections on why engineering students don't like to write - and what we can do about it," Professional Communication Conference, 2002. IPCC 2002. Proceedings. IEEE International , pp.364-368, 2002. Retrieved from http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=1049119&isnumber=22469

Department of Education and Training (2004). Comptency framework for teachers. Retrieved from http://det.wa.edu.au/policies/detcms/policy-planning-and-accountability/policies-framework/guidelines/competency-framework-for-teachers.en?oid=com.arsdigita.cms.contenttypes.guideline-id-3738620

Clemson University (n.d.) Bloom’s Taxonomy Action Verbs. Retrieved from http://www.clemson.edu/assessment/assessmentpractices/referencematerials/documents/Blooms%20Taxonomy%20Action%20Verbs.pdf

Dunsmore, K., Turns, J. and Yellin, J. M. (2011), Looking Toward the Real World: Student Conceptions of Engineering. Journal of Engineering Education, 100: 329–348.

Engineer Australia (n.d.) Stage 1 competency standard for professional engineer. Retrieved from http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/shado/Education/Program%20Accreditation/110318%20Stage%201%20Professional%20Engineer.pdf

Faulkner, M. and Azin, S. M. (2011). Stimulating self assessment and reflection in first year engineering using ePortfolios. Ergo. 2(2), 5-17. Retrieved from www.adelaide.edu.au/herga/ergo/0202/ergo_v2n2_p5-17.pdf

Prince, M. Does Active Learning Work? A Review of the Research. Journal of Engineering Education. 93(3), 223-231

Stefani, L., Manson, R. & Pegler, C. (2007). The educational potential of eportfolios: Supporting personal development and reflective learning. New York: Routledge.

Sutherland, S. Brotchie, J. and Chesney, S. Pebblegogy: Ideas and activities to inspire and engage learners. Pebble Learning Ltd: Telford, UK.