EPPAL: The Digital portfolio as a support tool in the Double Degree Practice Practices model

2015ARMIF00028

2016 - 2018

Linking with school practice is a key element in the training of the Master in the Faculty of Education and Psychology Sciences (FCEP) of the Rovira i Virgili University. The subjects of external practices are based on reflective practice and are developed according to a formative model for competences.

The use of technologies for learning and knowledge (TAC) is considered a cross-cutting element of this model, the entire educational community has a set of tools, such as digital portfolio (e-portfolio ) that favors the follow-up and evaluation of this model of practices.

It is necessary to apply a set of changes and curricular and methodological adaptations in the work of teachers, tutors and students, to determine how to collect, manage and evaluate the evidences linked to the competences, in a model of practices in rotation.

This project aims to provide criteria and actions to improve the planning, monitoring and evaluation of external practices alternating in the double degree training program, with the use of digital portfolio (e-portfolio) as a tool for support and improvement.

This project involves teachers from five schools in three municipalities that represent a sample of the type of schools in the demarcation of Tarragona: public school in rural surroundings (El Catllar), concerted school (Tarragona) and public school in urban surroundings ( Tarragona and Reus). We also have the advice of a professor at the University of Montreal, an expert in alternating practices. The work team of the URV is made up of the dean of the faculty, an academic responsible for the grades of children and primary, which is the coordinator of the practical in these degrees and two full-time researchers with a methodological and technical profile.

It is planned to work with students during two practical periods, one in mobility in the first semester and the other in alternation throughout the course. This fact will allow us to analyze the evolution of the practice model with the digital portfolio and apply the improvements in new processes.

The results of the project will be specified in different proposals but the most direct impact will be on the process of segment and evaluation of the alternating practices, providing tools and mechanisms to demonstrate a true and operational evaluation by competencies, carried out in a way shared between all the agents that intervene in the development of the same.

Participants

Name	Institution
Luis Marqués Molías	Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Jose Maria Cela Ranilla	Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Josep Holgado Garcia	Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Vanessa Esteve González	Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Francesc Seritjol Marimon	Escola l'Agulla. El Catllar
Judit Hernández Escoda	Escola Dr. Alberich i Casas. Reus
Núria Ramiro Garcia	Escola Dr. Alberich i Casas. Reus
Ramon Jordi Escrichs Cueto	Col·legi Mare de Déu del Carme. Tarragona
Anna Maria Altadill Casas	Escola de pràctiques de Tarragona
Antònia Morales Jodar	Escola de pràctiques de Tarragona
M. Elena Romero Barranco	Col·legi Mare de Déu del Carme. Tarragona
Ignasi Duch Gavaldà	Escola Sant Pere i Sant Pau. Tarragona
Montserrat Barragán Rubio	Escola de pràctiques de Tarragona
Annie Malo	Université de Montréal
Sergi Roura Planas	Universitat Rovira i Virgili

OB1: To set the fundamental features of the practices in alternation, taking into account its relation with other subjects and in order to use the digital portfolio in its development, monitoring and tutoring of practices, identifying the possible adaptations of the formative model planned in double degree program

OB2: Define all the elements that the portfolio must integrate so that the student is autonomous in the management of the evidences contributed and linked to the competences requested in the practices.

Regarding the specific objectives:

OE1: To set the requirements of the tutors for the two types of practices based on the identification of the competences that are expected of them from the linguistic perspective, from the tutorial, didactic and technological action.

OE2: Optimize the current structure of the portfolio according to the requirements identified when establishing the programming of the fifth year and the same conditions of the practices in alternation.

OE3: Identify the key factors that help self-management of the evidence by the student and make the portfolio a true tool for reflection and autonomous learning.

OE4: Define the specific set of headings and indicators for the evaluation of the competences that the student must achieve in alternating practices.

OE5: Optimize the procedure for the collection and validation of the evidences provided by the students in the practices in alternation.

OE6: Analyze collaboratively with the possible employers the role and structure of the portfolio as a support tool to facilitate the professional insertion of the graduates.

The project continues using the research methodology based on Educational Design or Educational Design Research (EDR). This methodology is applied with a process of systematic analysis, design, development and evaluation of an intervention (a program formed, without having a product or process) with a solution to an educational complex (Reeves, Mckenney i Herrington, 2011; Van den Akker et al., 2006; Plomp & Nieveen, 2009).

The EDR intends to extract design principles that serve as a guide for further research or direct interventions with specific programs. EDR combines the claim to overcome the practical deficit of educational research and builds its development in making all stakeholders involved at the beginning of the process (Amiel & Reeves, 2008).

As a summary, based on the collaborative work of the research group, the method to be used has four distinct phases: diagnosis, design and planning, implementation, evaluation and proposals for improvement.

Therefore, three fundamental actions will be carried out:

A) Determine the starting situation and plan the experimental period from three actions:

1. Characterize the profile of the faculty and center tutors with respect to: the competences to work along the practices, their digital competence, the characteristics of the context and the requirements of a process of alternating training.

2. Identify the requirements, both for faculty and school tutors and for students, to make mobility practices with the integration of the digital portfolio.

3. To set the phases and actions to be developed throughout the experimental period, with the necessary documentation to carry out these actions.

In-depth interviews, questionnaires and document analysis

B) Implementation of the action plan, collecting the data with the established instruments and indicators.

C) Monitoring and evaluation of results.

Follow-up meetings to analyze the degree of achievement of the actions and the results obtained in relation to the objectives of each of the phases of the project.

Shared indicators and criteria

The working group will be composed of: faculty and academic and faculty members of the faculty, a professor at the University of Montreal (Canada), alternate training expert, teachers of children's and primary schools, university students in practice and Technicians of the Educational Resources Service with the URV's Methodological Support Unit.

Comunications:

Marqués, L.; Sánchez-Caballé, A. & Esteve-González, V. (2018). El uso del portafolios digital como herramienta de seguimiento durante el proceso de prácticas en alternancia con estudiantes de educación. REDINE, Madrid, Spain

Schina, D.; Esteve-González, V. & Usart, M. (2018). Gender differences in students' feedback and performance in Scratch programming. REDINE, Madrid, Spain