Action Research and Reflection

Paul Hellwege

eLearning Content Designer

Twitter: @p_hellwege

Email: paul.hellwege@monashcollege.edu.au

Introduction

• Monash College, a fully owned subsidiary of Monash University

• 8000 Students

• 1000+ Staff

Introduction

• 5 Divisions• Diplomas

• Foundation Year

• Bachelor of International Business

• Professional Pathways

• English Language Centre

Introduction

• Central eLearning Team

• Provide support

• Introduce technology

• Assist with college wide project

Action Research

• Implement a project• Usually in class

• Improve student outcomes

• Conduct research• Survey

• Feedback forms

• Verbal discussion

Action Research

• Reflect on practice• Use Mahara to write reflections

Goals

• Enhance participants use of technology• Moodle

• Perusall

Goals

• Set up Mahara as a repository for regular writing of reflections

Implementation

• Campus based training• Run through functionality

• Explain purpose

• Hands-on experience

Implementation

• One on one follow-ups

• Email support

Successes

• Using technology was a good idea

• More communication

Successes

• All participant shared reflections

Challenges

• Low uptake on continued Mahara use

Challenges

• Negative feedback about Mahara

Challenges

• Not enough support for staff

Where to next?

• Be more aware of where portfolios are best used

Where to next?

• Provide continued active support if technologies are rolled out

Where to next?

• Require more regular reflections from participants?

Any Questions?

Thank you