scholarly journals Reflective assessment: opportunities and challenges

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Jumonville Graf ◽  
Benjamin R. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reflective Assessment ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Library Programming ◽  
Assessment Techniques ◽  
Reflective Strategies ◽  
Instructional Services

Purpose – Librarians engage in assessment for several purposes, such as to improve teaching and learning, or to report institutional value. In turn, these assessments shape our perspectives and priorities. How can we participate critically in the assessment of information literacy instruction and library programming while broadening our view and making room for questions about what we do? This paper aims to explore self-reflection as a method for building on existing assessment practices with a critical consciousness. Design/methodology/approach – In tracing the trajectory of assessment and reflective practice in library literature, the authors conducted a selective literature review and analyzed the potential impact of incorporating librarian self-reflection into assessment practices, particularly for instructional services. The authors’ experiences with strategies informed by these conversations were also described. Findings – Self-reflection has typically been used to improve teaching or as a method of assessing student learning. However, it can also be used to develop a critical awareness of what one accomplishes through the act of assessing. The authors develop and present self-reflective strategies and discuss their benefits and limitations. Practical implications – An extensive list of strategies was developed to illustrate practical examples of a reflective approach to assessment. Originality/value – Although librarians have used reflection as a type of assessment strategy, self-reflection has not been viewed as a method for evaluating other assessment techniques. Librarians interested in exploring reflective practice and thinking critically about assessment will find strategies and suggestions for doing so.

scholarly journals Using an Implementation Trial of an ePortfolio System to Promote Student Learning through Self-Reflection: Leveraging the Success

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 263
Author(s):  
Chris Campbell ◽  
Tran Le Nghi Tran
Keyword(s):  
Educational Technology ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
First Year ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Large N ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Implementation Trial

This paper reports on a pilot study that was conducted during a technical trial of a new ePortfolio system at a large Australian university. Students from a large (n = 325) first-year educational technology course were given the opportunity to use the new ePortfolio system weekly as part of their reflective practice at the end of the hands-on tutorial classes and also through a blogging assignment that required six posts throughout the semester. Although the students reflecting on their work and ePortfolios themselves are not new concepts, this paper reports how assessment practices can be improved using ePortfolios and how students can improve their reflective practice through simple and regular use throughout the 12-week semester that the study was conducted. From the class, 208 students responded to the survey with the results being positive. The students were able to use the system easily and did not report many problems with crashing or freezing. The lessons learnt form an important part of this study for future iterations with these reported in the paper.

The development of performance measures through an activity based benchmarking project across an international network of academic libraries

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 58-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Hart ◽  
Howard Amos
Keyword(s):  
Performance Measures ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
International Network ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Capability Maturity ◽  
Library Assessment ◽  
University Life

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the findings from the initial stages of an activity-based benchmarking project developed across an international network of academic libraries. Through working on a shared response to the question: “if we enable and support the academic endeavour how do we measure our effectiveness?” the network of libraries is using the formal mechanism of benchmarking as a means of continuous improvement. Design/methodology/approach – Actual improvements as a result of benchmarking are known to arise from considering and looking at processes, tools and techniques rather than from simply comparing and reviewing measurements of activity. The establishment of the Matariki Network of Universities provided the opportunity to begin work on international benchmarking amongst the member libraries. The project is a collaborative exercise involving comparisons across the libraries on a selected number of services and activities that are similar across the institutions and are representative of overall library service provision. In this first stage of the project the focus is on support for teaching and learning, specifically activities and programmes that support the transition of first-year students into university life. To simplify the process the libraries have shared details in relation to specific cohorts of students. In order to achieve this, participating libraries used an online collaborative workspace to respond to a series of questions. These responses were analysed to identify common themes, highlight exemplars and select further topics for discussion. Findings – Acknowledging the challenge of international collaboration, processes and mechanisms were developed. It was important to establish a shared language with a set of agreed terms and definitions. Similarly, taking time for each partner to contribute to the project has been valuable. Consideration of each of the libraries responses to the survey questions reveals a diverse number of activities and practices that represent a strong commitment to the needs of students. Drawing on institutional strategic direction and policy, each library allocates substantial resourcing to these activities and practices. The exercise within the benchmarking project produced a valuable set of data for each library to review and learn from. In terms of managing the project, findings are consistent with those reported in the administration of other benchmarking projects. The libraries are in the early stages of developing a series of common international performance measures. It is evident that learning more detail about assessment processes used across each library is necessary to advance the project aims. Further work with the project partners on measuring the effectiveness of their activities will allow the testing of the application of a maturity model for quality improvement of library assessment practices. Research limitations/implications – The project provides the opportunity to develop a series of performance measures that can be verified across an international network of libraries. Sharing information on activities and practices that impact upon the wider institution provides a means to review and improve library assessment practices. Originality/value – This paper outlines the first benchmarking activity in the development of a review of performance measures through an activity-based benchmarking project. The activity included an international network of academic libraries. This work will lead to benchmarking effectiveness measures and the development of a library assessment capability maturity model. This will offer a development path, and a better understanding of progress, to demonstrate value and provide evidence of successful outcomes.

scholarly journals Exploring motivation: integrating the ARCS model with instruction

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista M. Reynolds ◽  
Lindsay Michelle Roberts ◽  
Janet Hauck
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Library Instruction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arcs Model ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Motivational Design ◽  
Assessment Techniques ◽  
Satisfaction Model

Purpose This paper aims to provide an overview of Keller’s ARCS (attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction) model of motivational design and explores how three instruction librarians at different institutions have integrated the model into their teaching practices to improve student motivation during information literacy (IL) sessions. Design/methodology/approach Case studies describe how instruction librarians began to incorporate the ARCS model into library instruction. Three librarians used self-reflective practice and a range of assessment techniques to evaluate and improve teaching practice. Findings ARCS is valuable for improving student engagement during IL instruction. The authors suggest best practices for learning about and integrating the model and propose instructional strategies that align with it. Originality/value This paper fills a gap in literature on practical applications of motivational design in library instruction and suggests best practices for teaching and assessment using the ARCS model.

scholarly journals Enhancing professional growth and the learning and development function through reflective practices: an autoethnographic narrative approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 805-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adebayo Serge Francois Koukpaki ◽  
Kweku Adams
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Reflective Practices ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Reflective Conversation ◽  
Individual Self ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore ways in which learning and development (L&D) professionals use reflective practice to promote the function of L&D and their own professional growth. The claim that L&D practitioners need to develop their reflective ability to make sense of their own practice is well-argued in the literature, but few studies focus on an in-depth individual self-reflection and its impact on professional growth. Design/methodology/approach An autoethnography and reflective practice design was deployed. The data was collected by sending a semi-structured, pre-set question as a ‘reflective conversation’ to an L&D manager and a 10-hour tape recording of personal reflection over three months.[AQ1] Data was sanitised, transcribed and edited, and a narrative data analysis method was used to analyse the data developed into reflective narratives. Findings The authors find that reflective practice emerges through gradual reflective patterns that define the circumstances surrounding the reflection, the content, exploration and interpretation and confirming the fulfilling of the reflection. Originality/value This paper offers the journey of an L&D manager working in the hotel industry in India. Through a set of reflective practices, including introspection and reflexivity, the manager considers the changes she has experienced. The paper contributes to the literature on reflective practice based on promoting the L&D function as an essential part of the horizontal integration of human resource management in organisations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

scholarly journals Reforming Georgian Education: Recommendations for using Classroom Assessment to improve Student Outcomes

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-25
Author(s):  
Gregory C. Sales ◽  
Sonja Sentočnik ◽  
Jayson W. Richardson ◽  
Sophia Gorgodze
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Classroom Assessment ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Teacher Growth ◽  
Assessment Techniques

In post-Soviet Georgia, much of the teaching and learning in grades 7-12 is conducted in a manner very similar to that used generations ago. Teachers stand at the front of the classroom dispensing information as they lead students through a page-by page review of the text. The concept of using classroom assessment techniques to gather individualized data that will inform instructional practices is unknown to the majority of Georgia’s teachers. This article describes efforts to explore the education context in Georgia and to develop project recommendations for effective support of teacher growth and their integration of classroom assessment practices into their teaching. It concludes by recognizing threats to the successful implementation of the recommendations and suggesting the generalizability of the project’s methods and resulting recommendations.

scholarly journals Embracing ambiguity

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave Towey ◽  
James Walker ◽  
Ricky Ng
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Vocational Education And Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agile Methodologies ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
First Time ◽  
And Training

Purpose Embracing reflective practice and retrospection, with a goal of identifying commonalities, this paper aims to examine delivery of engineering subjects in both traditional higher education (THE) and technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Design/methodology/approach Reflections on actions and autoethnography were used to examine the teaching and learning experiences of three educators across two higher education (HE) institutions (HEIs) in the greater Chinese context. Literature reviews and historical contexts are outlined to support the approaches and insights identified. Findings This paper presents a number of common characteristics and challenges identified across both THE and TVET. Drawing on the successful embrace of ambiguity and change in recent software engineering (SE) development paradigms, recommendations are made for how the agile SE themes can be applied in a larger sense to address the wider challenges facing both THE and TVET. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that engineering education has been examined and contrasted in the contexts of THE and TVET. The similarities and common challenges may represent a new focus for related work, and the presented insights, from agile methodologies in SE, represent a new perspective for viewing future HE and TVET sustainability.

Developing apprentice leaders through critical reflection

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doris Schedlitzki
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Situated Learning ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Leadership Education ◽  
Sustainable Leadership ◽  
Senior Leaders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore opportunities for delivering sustainable leadership education through critical reflection embedded in the framework of higher and degree apprenticeships. Design/methodology/approach This paper contributes to leadership development research that focusses on “leader becoming” as an ongoing process of situated learning (in the classroom and everyday work life). The approach to leadership development adopted in this paper proposes that sustainable leadership practices and decision making are developed when leadership learning is firmly embedded in work-based practices and critical self-reflection. Findings The discussion of critical reflection methods focusses on utilising the learning portfolio as a core aspect of all leadership and management apprenticeships to embed sustainable and reflective practice and facilitate situated leadership learning. The paper explores the role of training providers in actively connecting higher and degree apprenticeships to embed this model of leadership development and seeing leadership as a lifelong apprenticeship. It also highlights the potential for resistance by managers and senior leaders in seeing themselves as apprentices rather than accomplished leaders. By paying attention to issues of language and identity in this discussion, it will surface practical implications for the delivery of sustainable leadership education through the framework of apprenticeships. Originality/value This paper adds to the theoretical and practical understanding of sustainable leadership education by exploring opportunities for re-framing leadership development as a lifelong apprenticeship focussed on personal and professional development. Recognising the resistance that often exists to reflective practice within leadership development contexts, this paper further explores ways of dealing with such resistance.

scholarly journals Using reflective, authentic assessments to embed employability skills in higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Miller ◽  
Iro Konstantinou
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Authentic Assessment ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reflective Assessment ◽  
Authentic Assessments ◽  
Workplace Environments ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

PurposeReflection on performance and progress prepares students for workplace environments where self-management is expected, and yet this is something students are not often required to do formally in higher education (HE). This paper explores this gap in students' ability and seeks to address it through a reconsideration of summative assessment practices which, particularly in light of COVID-19, must align with the needs of graduates and their employers.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws from data collected from the summative reflective assessment reports that degree apprentices (DAs) submitted during the final year of their Business Management degree while undertaking a problem-based module. We undertook a document analysis of these reports and used thematic analysis where we systematically looked for repeated themes in students' reflections.FindingsStudents problematise the skills needed during COVID-19, and beyond, both in their academic studies and the workplace. Authentic assessment provides opportunities for students to work on skills and projects which are relevant to them. Through reflective accounts of skills they developed, students were able to bridge academic and professional practice and identify areas of convergence. Students engaged with academic theories in a constructive and meaningful way which suggests that authentic reflective accounts as part of assessment have the potential to maintain academic rigour.Originality/valueSkills development can bring the workplace into HE in a meaningful and systematic way and this article provides guidance for those looking to introduce reflection on skills to other courses. We suggest how this model can be utilised across modules which do not have work-integrated learning in their delivery.

Self-Reflection Note - A New Tool for Teaching and Learning -

2015 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Dong-Gook Park ◽  
Sung-Hoon Park ◽  
Chul-Shin Kim
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Self Reflection

Could There Be Deleuzian Assessment in Music Education?

2019 ◽  
pp. 121-136
Author(s):  
Lauren Kapalka Richerme
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Music Educators ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Continuous Assessment ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Philosophical Inquiry ◽  
Music Making ◽  
Musical Practices ◽  
Contemporary Education

Authors of contemporary education and arts education policies tend to emphasize the adoption of formal, summative assessment practices. Poststructuralist philosopher Gilles Deleuze’s emphasis on ongoing differing and imaginative possibilities may at first glance appear incompatible with these overarching, codified assessments. While Deleuze criticizes the increasing use of ongoing assessments as a form of control, he posits a more nuanced explanation of measurement. This philosophical inquiry examines four measurement-related themes from Deleuze’s writings and explores how they might inform concepts and practices of assessment in various music teaching and learning contexts. The first theme suggests that each group of connective relations, what Deleuze terms a “plane of immanence,” demands its own forms of measurement. Second, Deleuze emphasizes varieties of measurement. Third, those with power, what Deleuze terms the “majority,” always set the standard for measurement. Fourth, Deleuze derides continuous assessment. His writings suggest that music educators might consider that assessments created for one musical practice or style should not transcend their own “plane of immanence,” that a variety of nonstandardized assessments is desirable, that the effect of measurement on “minoritarian” musical practices must be examined carefully, and that it is essential to ponder the potentials of unmeasured music making.

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