Case study title
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Blogs: promoting competence in undergraduate occupational therapy
students
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Institution name
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Cape Peninsula University of Technology
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Author of case study
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Augustine De la Crouse
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1.
Background
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I am a qualified Dental Technician in the
Department of Dental Sciences at CPUT. I started
using the blog with the second, third and fourth year students and did have
difficulty getting everyone to interact with the posts on the blog. I had the
best interaction with the forth year students, while the second year students
were sceptical of the benefit to them by using or posting on the blog.
This Year:
My class group range from 32
(largest) to 15 (smallest) students in a class. The larger of the class
groups are out First year students. This is more difficult to create an
exercise for them as they know nothing of the theory or practical. I find
that they would not necessarily be able to engage or interact with the
activities as I would hope necessarily hope for. A way to overcome this
could be to create an activity that would only require them to identify and
not explain as yet and try to develop the explaining (reflecting) exercise.
For the present Second year
group of 21 students, I have used my blog on which I initially posted
questions and asked them to answer. This worked fine unless there was a
student who happens to answer the entire question and defeats the entire
purpose of the exercise, which is to allow other students to interact/engage
with the question or comments. I have also found that students are more
willing to interact if they are not the first person that has to post
information. In order for them to overcome this fear, I post pictures of my
own cases fabricated during class or that of previous students. I then ask
them to identify errors or characteristics that they would change. I have
found that this makes them feel a little better about themselves publicly
through their work.
We do have a diverse group of
students in our classes and some struggle with the use of technology.
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2.
Intended outcome(s)
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I would like student reflection on their
practical work to increase.
To increase student engagement with their
practical cases completed in class.
Include feedback from the profession
(practising dental technicians and laboratory owners) regarding the work the
students are doing.
I would want this to be a platform where
they can express their views on cases posted on the blog as a means of peer
review and formative assessment.
This could also serve as a platform on
which students can showcase their work to future employers.
Use the blog as a tool for blended learning
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3.
The challenge
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I think
my major challenge would be to get the students to interact
via the Blog.
The most difficult thing would be to get
students to say how they feel about something in this public forum about how
I do things, but I am confident that they will overcome this as we go along.
There is also the issue about time spent in
front of the computer/phone/tablet and the personal expense as this will be
when I am at home with no WiFi.
I am also stuck deciding whether to make this an open forum or to
close it up to a selected group of people.
There is also the issue of students that would completely answer a
question and leave no room for other students to post their views.
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4.
Established practice
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I used to post questions on the blog that
would be useful to students for compiling notes or supplement what was
covered in class.
I would also provide general feedback on
practical cases done in class, e.g. common mistakes and things to take not of
when completing a particular case.
Refer to reference material that I found
useful to compile or complete notes.
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5.
Impact / affordances of emerging technologies
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For me I feel that the blog
affords the following affordances:
·
Media
affordance - were students are able to find and read information as well as
comment on the information provided
·
Space
affordance - the blog offers adequate space for the planned exercises,
posting of photos and videos
·
Accessibility
affordance - students can access the blog from anywhere and from their mobile
devices and smart phones
·
Navigation
affordance - the blog is easy to navigate and it is easy to find information
·
Synthesis
affordance - I am able to post videos from Youtube and some that students
have made as well as photographs of their class work.
·
Usability
- the blog is user friendly
·
Aesthetics
- I am able to change the view of the blog at any point, to suit the needs of
the student users
·
Access
control - The blog offers me the choice to make it an open or closed media, I
think that I would like to create an interest first from all the interested
parties as well as create a following and then decide if I should close it
off to a particular group or leave it open.
·
Collaboration
- With the blog I am able to collaborate with a variety of groups, students, dental
professionals and suppliers
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6.
Description of intervention
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I post pictures of cases completed in class
on the blog in order for the students to give comments on corrections that
could be made, as well as point out what they like about each of the cases
posted.
I have also asked students to produce their
own demo videos of work we are busy with in the class, calling it 'a demo
from a student's perspective'. I feel that this makes them feel part of the
teaching and learning process.
I also post one of my own 'non
professional' demos, to show them it does not need much to produce; just a
few strategically chosen photographs or a short video clip, to make their own
demo using their own work, irrespective of what it looks like as an end
product. This has worked well and have received positive feedback from
students.
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7.
Key points for effective practice
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1.
I think
it will be key for me to create an interest from the students to interact
with the blog on a regular basis, also to allow senior students to assist
with peer reviewing the students practical cases.
2.
I also
need to find a cluster of dental technicians in my specific field of training
who would be willing to interact and assist with reviewing students cases via
the blog.
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1.
Conclusion and recommendations
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Conclusion: I think making
the students feel that they are part of the training process and the amount
of feedback that the blog affords them from so many people from the different
levels, e.g. fellow students in the same level and from higher levels, also
from the practising professionals.
Recommendations: I will
look into the matter of keeping the blog as an open forum or to close it up
to students and certain practising professionals
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1.
Additional information
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I have been using the blog with a level of success and I have also
found that there is a greater level of interest from students to use this
media and to start their own blogs as a portfolio for when they have to find
a job. As our students do not get to keep their practical cases the blog
helps them document their work done and their progress over the 4 years that
they are studying. They also document interesting cases they come into
contact with in laboratories via the class blog and start discussions with
regards to how to complete the case and what materials were used.
I find the blog to be visually appealing as well as user friendly, as
no additional or technical skills are required by the students or the dental
professionals.
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References:
Bower M,
(2008). Affordance analysis - matching learning tasks with learning
technologies. Educational Media International, 45, (1): 3 - 15
Dabbagh N,
Bannan-Ritland B (2005). Instructional strategies that support
constructivist-based pedagogical models. Adapted for ICT CHEC course, May 2005,
pp. 206-227.
Deng L,
Yuen A (2011). Towards a framework for educational affordances of blogs. Computers
& Education, 56, 441-451.
Hollis V,
Madill H (2006). Online learning: the potential for occupational therapy
education. Occupational Therapy International, 13(2): 61-78.
Robertson
J (2011). The educational affordances of blogs for self-directed learning. Computers
& Education, 57: 1628-1644.
