M-portfolios: Using Mobile Technology to Document Learning in Student Teachers’ E-portfolios

M-portfolios: Using Mobile Technology to Document Learning in Student Teachers’ E-portfolios

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  From the field M-portfolios: Using Mobile Technology to Document Learning in Student Teachers’ E-portfolios Authors We briefly analyse the enhancement of eportfolio processes defined by Zubizarreta (2009) with the introduction of mobile technology. We give some examples of appro- Gemma Tur Ferrer, School priation of mobile device usage in eportfolio processes carried out by student teachers. of Education. University of the Balearic Islands, Ibiza, These examples become the evidence of the enhancement possibilities of one of the Balearic Islands, Spain portfolio processes defined by Zubizarreta (2009), that of documentation. [email protected] Dr. Mar Camacho Martí, School of Education. Rovira i 1. Introduction: Zubizarreta’s portfolio model Virgili University., Tarragona, Zubizarreta (2009) defines learning portfolios as a tool that engages students into collabora- Catalonia, Spain [email protected] tive processes of reflection and learning documentation. There are three processes in Zubi- zarreta’s (2009, 23-25) portfolio model: documentation, reflection and collaboration. The learning portfolio achieves its maximum level when the documentation of learning is im- Tags proved by reflection and teacher and peer collaboration. mobile technology, mportfolio, eportfolio, 2. Enhancement of Zubizarreta’s eportfolio model by mobile teacher education technology It seems that currently, efforts are centred on developing mobile-friendly eportfolio systems, as Stewart (2011) claims. But we also think that there is a need to develop a pedagogical approach to eportfolios that includes mobile technology. So, in order to develop our own model, to which we can refer in our practical work with our own students, we posit that mo- bile technology can empower the three processes defined by Zubizarreta (2009). There is a wide interest in tools and apps that can be used to document learning. Barrett (n.d.) and Rate (2009a, 2009b), for example, have cited numerous of tools and apps to docu- ment learning with mobile devices. The process of documentation learning can be enriched by the documentation on the move, in real contexts. Taking photos of evidence, recording videos and audios in real context are examples of this documentation process. This process can also be the answer to the inclusion of informal learning for formal learning processes. Reflection has also been studied by Barrett (2012) from the point of view of mobile technol- ogy. We argue that the possibilities of taking brief notes as reflection on the move, whether written or audio recorded, which allow us to return to them later, can improve the whole process of reflection on learning (Camacho and Tur, 2012). There is an important line of research that analyses the impact of social networking with mobile technology. In fact, this is a way to improve collaboration with mobile technology too. We argue that these sociocultural practices of networking, which are currently under study, could be transferred to the collaboration process in an eportfolio model empowered by mobile technology. ing earn eLearning Papers • ISSN: 1887-1542 • www.elearningpapers.eu eL ers 32 u ers.e gpap .elea rnin n.º 32 • December 2012 Pap www 1
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  From the field Thefore,all these means that Zubizarreta’s learning portfolio cameras to document their formal and informal learning. They model can be enhanced by mobile devices. are encouraged to use them both for taking graphic and textual evidence of learning in everyday and real contexts. 4. Mobile technology usage in formal education context Some students have used their cameras to document with mul- timedia artefacts the assignments they handed in non-tech- nology subjects. For example, student 1 took photos of mush- rooms in the forest to document a text-based assignment in a subject based on teaching natural sciences. Awareness of the affordances of using mobile technology to document learning has enhanced her activity as she built a multimedia artefact af- terwards to empower a traditional text-based assignment. This evidence eportfolio can be found here: http://tercer-nieves. blogspot.com.es/2012/02/la-ruta-dels-pebrassos-eivissencs. html Drama students were asked to build a poster with the Web 2.0 tool Glogster. They were asked to take photos of the process Figure 1: Adaptation of Zubizarreta’s learning portfolio of creating a theatre play and videos of some parts of the final model. Integrating mobile technology in the show. All these multimedia objects were finally to be joined in a model of learning portfolios poster as a summary of how to create a theatre play for their fu- ture teaching careers. Student 2 blogs it and reflects on the pro- 3. Examples of uses of mobile devices in eportfolios processes At the University of the Balearic Islands, Ibiza headquarters, an eportfolio project is be- ing developed based on Web 2.0 tools. Mo- bile technology for learning has been intro- duced as a non-compulsory component in the eportfolio design we are developing. The University is not providing mobile devices to students which is one of the reasons why we considered it could not be compulsory for students to carry out assignments with mobile technology. However, we are encour- aging students to apply their own sociocul- tural uses of their mobile devices, following Pachler, Bachmair and Cook (2010), to their learning processes and eportfolios. There- fore, they are encouraged to use their own mobile devices such as mobile phones and Figure 2: Video presentation by student 1 ing earn eLearning Papers • ISSN: 1887-1542 • www.elearningpapers.eu eL ers 32 u ers.e gpap .elea rnin n.º 32 • December 2012 Pap www 2
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  From the field cessas well as observing some characteristics of the tool such flection carried out in a real context is made visible in an eport- as its visual impact. This evidence, based on personal reflection folio built within a formal learning context. For instance, student on a group assignment, can be seen here: http://larepresentaci- 3 built a video from a video she recorded while being with some oescenicacira.blogspot.com.es/2011/05/reflexio-6.html students in a trip in the country. She reflected on the value that recording spontaneous students’ dialogues would have for her 5. Mobile device usage in informal as an in-service teacher. She also documented some videos where she appears playing the flute in a concert as evidence contexts. of their music competence. These two blog posts can be found Some students have also used their mobile devices in an infor- here: mal context to document their learning on their eportfolios, which for us is the most powerful example of the possibilities of http://segonanyeducaciomarta.blogspot.com.es/2011/05/va- introducing mobile technology into eportfolio processes. A re- daprenentatges.html http://segonanyeduca- ciomarta.blogspot.com. es/2011/04/va-de-musi- ca.html 6. Conclusion Parry (2011) says that teachers “have responded by banning this new tech- nology from the learning space” so we think that giving a model to use mo- bile technology for the construction of learning portfolios is giving teach- ers reasons to allow mo- bile technology in the learning space. Moreo- ver, using mobile devices to document learning on eportfolios would be a way to appropriate socio- cultural practices (Pachler, Bachmair and Cook, 2010) in formal contexts that may motivate teachers to introduce mobile technol- ogy in their lessons. We have shown how stu- dents integrate mobile devices in the construc- Figure 3: Evidence of learning by student 2: group artefact tion of eportfolios based + reflection on their daily life usages. ing earn eLearning Papers • ISSN: 1887-1542 • www.elearningpapers.eu eL ers 32 u ers.e gpap .elea rnin n.º 32 • December 2012 Pap www 3
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  From the field Theysimply take advantage of the uses they have integrated so usual among students, so it is a key aspect to foster this kind from their current life into their learning process. Based on of activity by encouraging their already appropriated sociocul- Merchant (2011) this is a way of making advantageous usage tural practices. of mobile devices for learning. Santos and Ali’s (2012) research However, maybe because of their previous sociocultural usag- shows that the activities of audio and video podcasting are not es, our students have only started using their own mobile devices to take vis- ual evidence of learning on the move, so further work will be needed to enhance reflection processes with their mobile devices as well. Finally, more research is also needed to see how the other two portfolio processes defined by Zubi- zarreta (2009), collabora- tion and reflection, can also be empowered through the integration of mobile tech- nology. mPortfolios are still a challenge for teachers and educational technolo- gists. Figure 4: Evidence of learning by student 3: reflection + video artefact ing earn eLearning Papers • ISSN: 1887-1542 • www.elearningpapers.eu eL ers 32 u ers.e gpap .elea rnin n.º 32 • December 2012 Pap www 4
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  From the field References Parry, D. (2011). Mobile Perspectives: On teaching Mobile Lit- eracy. EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 46, no. 2. Retrieved from http:// Barrett, H. (n.d.). Processes . Mportfolios. Retrieved from https:// www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSERe- sites.google.com/site/mportfolios/home/processes viewMagazineVolume46/iMobilePerspectivesOnteachingi/226160 Barrett, H. (2012). Supporting reflection with mobile devices. Rate, N. (2009a). EPortfolios and mlearning = mportfo- EPortfolios for learning. Retrieved from http://blog.helenbarrett. lio part 1. ELearning infusion. Retrieved from http://nickrate. org/2012/01/supporting-reflection-with-mobile.html com/2009/11/11/eportfolios-and-mlearning-part-1/ Camacho, M., & Tur, G. (2012). Exploring learners’ practices Rate, N. (2009b). EPortfolios and mlearning = mportfo- and perceptions on the use of mobile portfolios as methodologi- lio part 2. ELearning infusion. Retrieved from http://nickrate. cal tool to assess learning in both formal and informal contexts. com/2009/11/13/eportfolios-and-mlearning-part-2/ Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 3182-3186. doi:10.1016/j. sbspro.2012.06.03 Santos, I. M., & Ali, N. (2012). Exploring the uses of mobile phones to support informal learning. Education and Information Tech- Merchant, G. (2011). Mobile practices in everyday life. Presenta- nologies, 17(2), 187-203. doi:10.1007/ s10639-011-9151-2 tion. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/edsghm/mobile- practices-in-everyday-life Stewart, S. (2011). Dithering about ePortfolio. Sara Stewart. Retrieved from http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2011/06/ Pachler, N., Cook, J. & Bachmair, B. (2010) ‘Appropriation of dithering-about-eportfolio.html mobile cultural resources for learning.’ In International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning 2(1), pp. 1-21. Zubizarreta, J. (2009). The Learning Portfolio. Reflective Prac- tice for Improving Student Learning. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Edition and production Name of the publication: eLearning Papers Copyrights ISSN: 1887-1542 The texts published in this journal, unless otherwise indicated, are subject Publisher: elearningeuropa.info to a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-NoDerivativeWorks Edited by: P.A.U. Education, S.L. 3.0 Unported licence. They may be copied, distributed and broadcast pro- Postal address: c/Muntaner 262, 3r, 08021 Barcelona (Spain) vided that the author and the e-journal that publishes them, eLearning Phone: +34 933 670 400 Papers, are cited. Commercial use and derivative works are not permitted. Email: [email protected] The full licence can be consulted on http://creativecommons.org/licens- Internet: www.elearningpapers.eu es/by-nc-nd/3.0/ ing earn eLearning Papers • ISSN: 1887-1542 • www.elearningpapers.eu eL ers 32 u ers.e gpap .elea rnin n.º 32 • December 2012 Pap www 5