IoE winners at Loop Reflect Showcase Competition
The Teaching Enhancement Unit (TEU) recently hosted the annual ePortfolio Student Showcase and Awards event celebrating excellence in student eportfolio practice. With increasing numbers of DCU students now using Loop Reflect to support alternative and authentic assessment, there was a 33% increase in submissions over the previous year and eportfolios were reviewed based on the following criteria:
- Effective showcase of knowledge/skills/attributes through relevant argument and artefacts
- Level of reflection
- Design and originality
The judging panel was impressed with the use of rich media to showcase students’ knowledge and digital skills which were evident in the use of embedded images and videos, clean navigation, and the degree of creativity and personalisation. Ten students were shortlisted for the top prizes with two of the top three awards going to students from the IoE. First place went to Chelsea Thompson (BEd3) for the eportfolio she created for module ED3053 Local Studies and 3rd place went to Laura Furlong (BEd2) for her eportfolio for module AP1210: Socially Inclusive Music Education.
Chelsea Thompson
Hello! my name is Chelsea Thompson and I am a third year student studying primary teaching in the Bachelor of Education programme. I thoroughly enjoy my studies and all the aspects that accompany it. This year I am thrilled to announce that I am the first place recipient of the Loop Reflect e portfolio award. My eportfolio depicts the rich learning opportunities one can find in their local area. I found this experience thoroughly enjoyable to work on as it provided me with an opportunity to showcase my learning using a variety of skills and mediums ie. PowerPoint, Pdf, images, videos, etc. I hope my eportfolio will inspire my fellow/future peers to engage and enjoy using Loop Reflect.
Chelsea’s ED3053 Local Studies ePortfolio
Laura Furlong
My name is Laura Furlong and I am a second year B.Ed. student from Co. Wexford. I completed my eportfolio as part of my specialism, Socially Inclusive Music Education. Throughout the process of creating this eportfolio, I became increasingly aware of how music can provide an opportunistic avenue for achieving inclusion, equality and diversity, both within the classroom setting and beyond. I explored how music can impact human development and wellbeing, how music therapy can be an effective and enjoyable way of promoting social inclusion and wellbeing for dementia patients in nursing homes and how socially inclusive music education can be used in the classroom to support the needs of children experiencing homelessness in Ireland. I analysed how democracy can be taught and modelled in the microcosm of the classroom through the lens of socially inclusive music education, and how this consequently can impact a child's understanding of their place in a democratic society later on in life. I also discovered a variety of digital resources such as Audacity and Chrome Music Lab, which could be availed of for inclusive music making in the classroom. Loop Reflect has been a wonderful platform for collating and showcasing academic work creatively within unique eportfolios, and I look forward to further exploring its many possibilities throughout the rest of my studies in DCU.
Laura’s AP1210: Socially Inclusive Music Education ePortfolio
You can view a blog about the event here:
https://nidl.blog/2021/04/09/celebrating-student-excellence-reflect-eportfolio-showcase-and-awards/