Synthesizing Learning Across Time

Who: Edith Cowan University What: Personal Learning Spaces

Objective: Assist future teachers in tracking their own experiences over a four-year period while exposing them to the information and communications technologies they will be teaching to their own students.

Process: Campus Pack blogs and wikis were identified as an appropriate electronic format for students’ reflective journaling and teacher competency tracking. Due to the range of IT abilities, Campus Pack’s ease of use was especially important, along with its functionality and security. Templates were developed to make it as simple as possible for students while exposing them to current web technologies. Using a suitcase metaphor, the templates were pre-populated with examples developed by the University’s School of Education staff to provide starting points.

Results: With approximately 150 students in each of the four years of study, the electronic collection and storage of student portfolios via Campus Pack has simplified the process. In addition, students are able to see more easily a direct link between their reflective journaling, competencies, collected artifacts, and professional portfolio. The University plans to offer Campus Pack to all Bachelor of Education students.

Read the expanded Edith Cowan University case study (PDF).