Learning Portfolio Mentors in DCU Institute of Education

Learning Portfolio Mentors supporting the work of their fellow students in the DCU Institute of Education

During the B. Ed and PMEP programmes ITE programmes in the DCU Institute of Education, students are provided with opportunities to critically reflect on their own experiences as learners, to develop expertise in subject-specific methodologies, to gain insight into the social contexts of education and to develop their philosophy of teaching and values around teaching. Reflection and reflective practice across the B. Ed 1, B. Ed2 and PMEP1 ITE programmes is scaffolded by a series of weekly small group tutorials that run throughout the academic year. This work is coordinated by Dr Catherine Mulryan-Kyne.

In the context of further scaffolding reflection and reflective practice, B.Ed and PMEP students build their own personal Programme Learning Portfolios across the academic year. This Programme Learning Portfolio, which is built on the Loop Reflect (Mahara) e-portfolio platform, includes artefacts representing key aspects of students’ learning across the programme and comprehensive reflections on these artefacts to indicate their meaning for them in terms of their own learning and development as teachers. The artefacts are chosen from ongoing coursework, the reflection tutorials and school experiences.

To support their fellow students in developing their Learning Portfolios, following introductory workshops and support provided by Dr Catherine Mulryan-Kyne and Suzanne Stone, eight B. Ed2 students work alongside college staff, on a voluntary basis, as Learning Portfolio Mentors. These Learning Portfolio Mentors facilitate weekly drop in workshops that are open to all students in the IoE. The work of these Learning Portfolio Mentors is much appreciated by both students and staff and it will play an important part in sustaining Learning Portfolio activity across the institute.

The Learning Portfolio Mentors are B.Ed2 students: (L-R Front) Karolina Menclikowska, Laura Morrisson, Beth Finn, Rebecca O’Tuama, Georgia Elliott, (Back) Fiona Duggan, Deirbhile Cahill, and Niamh Boylan