Can ePortfolios foster creativity? An evaluative study in a professional development context

Muireann O'Keeffe Kevin C. O'Rourke

Roisin Donnelly

ePortfolio 10 ECTsEvidence of • Work on each module• Reflection and review • Learning journey that

occurs beyond the classroom.

Evaluation of

ePortfolios

Initial Evaluation

Did we provide appropriate support for students in evidencing their learning journey?

Initial Study

• ePortfolio analysis • Student presentations of ePortfolios

Concerns arising

Personalisationindividuality

MultimediaDigital

artefacts Deep

Reflection

Investigation of creativity

Importance of creativity

• Higher education needs to see creativity within the important role it plays in preparing people for an uncertain and ever more complex world of work; a world that requires people to utilise their creative as well as their analytical capacities.

(Jackson 2006)

3 Abilities for creative success

• analytical abilities – to analyse, evaluate, judge, compare and contrast

• practical abilities – to apply, utilise, implement and activate

• creative abilities – to imagine, explore, synthesise, connect, discover, invent and adapt.

(Sternberg & Lubart , 1995)

Reflective practice

Creativity is the • ability to reflect to learn from and make sense

of experienceJackson (2006)

4 Ps of creativity

(Craft, 2011)

• Diversity of representation/media types

• Enabling play Tinkering!

• Sharing and learning with peers

• Exploration/ identifying passions, interests and gifts

Pluralities Playfulness

ParticipationPossibilities

Can ePortfolio foster creativity?

• Lastly– literature establishes that technology can support

creativity (Donnelly & Barrett, Tosh et al)

Next stage of evaluation........

We needed to examine:

• Was creativity encouraged?• How did we support creativity?• Were there barriers to creativity?• Was the ePortfolio tool suitable for supporting

creativity?• Did assessment criteria support creativity?

What did the students think?

Findings

The ePortfolio tool

• ePortfolio tool - issues with usability of the software, technical skills of students “Conquering the interface was a challenge”

• But ...............“To be creative is to find ways around barriers,

and it [Mahara] is flexible enough to find ways around it”

Participation

Developing Learning Networks

Play, Pluralities, Possibilities

• Technical barriers Mahara“You need a playground with good toys to play

effectively, [Mahara is not] not a well funded playground “

• Other tools used (WordPress, Yola, Blogger)• Use of diverse types of media• Tagging: linking to other knowledge

When asked if ePortfolio was a creative process...............

Creativity did not seem to be the word associated with the ePortfolio

• Was creativity encouraged?

• How did we support creativity?

• Was the ePortfolio tool suitable for supporting creativity?

• Did assessment criteria support creativity?

Not really :(

Could be improved!

Not very well

Changes needed!

Implications

ePortfolio module redesign

Changes to assessment criteria

Criteria to emphasise • Continuing learning journey• Deep reflection• Use of diverse types of media

Introduction of ePortfolioConcept

ual notion

of ePortfoli

o

Training/support in use of software

Successful development of eportfolio

Strategies to induce creativity

Student to learn about themselves

If young people become involved in what they enjoy, the foundations for creativity will be in place

(Csikszentmihalyi, 2006)

http://www.wdyl.com/#

Gibbs cycle of reflection

Introduce the 4 Ps

– Play with different media development tools– Participate with peers , viewing of previous

students ePortfolios – Support reflection

Software support

“The need to be in control of the medium” (Robinson, 2001)• Students gaining ‘threshold’ skills using the

ePortfolio tool• Peer support & tutor support

Learning to Learn

Critical thinking

Reflection

Support of ePortfolio tool

Playing with Media

Collaboration

Creativity

Evaluation

http://www.ted.com/talks/gever_tulley_s_tinkering_school_in_action.html

Muireann.okeeffe@dit.iehttp://twitter.com/muireannok