Use of ePortfolio Assessment for Developing Reflective Practitioners

Research Article

J Dent & Oral Disord. 2021; 7(4): 1167.

Use of ePortfolio Assessment for Developing Reflective Practitioners

Lopez L¹, Kakadia R¹, Kim A² and Park SE³*

1Instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

2Assistant Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

3Associate Dean for Dental Education, Office of Dental Education, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

*Corresponding author: Sang E Park, Associate Dean for Dental Education, Office of Dental Education, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Received: May 21, 2021; Accepted: June 21, 2021; Published: June 28, 2021

Abstract

The purpose of the newly implemented ePortfolio assessment program was to help students develop self-directed learning and reflection skills in clinical education and professional values including ethics, professionalism and conscientiousness. Development of higher-level cognitive skills through a student-centered learning modality could ultimately promote reflective learners who will continue to learn throughout their profession. Student self-assessment skills and self-learning plans were captured during the initial patient care exposure in the second year of clinical education using an ePortfolio platform in Canvas (Salt Lake City, UT) learning management system. This new learning methodology can be useful in measuring non-traditional competencies, such as ethics, professionalism and conscientiousness and provide an opportunity for students to become reflective learners. Leveraging this new tool could contribute toward creating reflective practitioners who are competent in ethics and professionalism and self-assessment skills.

Keywords: Self-directed learning; Self-assessment; ePortfolio assessment; Clinical education

Introduction

Active learning stimulates higher-order thinking, problem solving and critical thinking skills while providing feedback to both students and teachers [1-4]. It is important to educate the reflective practitioner to achieve higher levels of learning through purpose and structure, reflection, interaction, and application [5-8]. Development of self-assessment skills through reflection is an important component of active learning; it encourages students to explore values that are not easily measurable, such as motivation and attitudes. At the same time, students are held responsible for their own learning in an active and engaged learning process to promote critical thinking skills [7,9].

The e-Portfolio clinical program progression was implemented at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), to provide the foundation needed to function as a competent and reflective provider of comprehensive, patient-centered dental care [11-13]. Students were given the opportunity to explore their own professional behavior and learning plans by reflecting upon treatment and patient encounters in areas of general competencies, specific skills and core disciplines in addition to professional values.

With an understanding that assessment drives learning, an emphasis was placed on the process of learning and the integration of critical and reflective assessment skills necessary in clinical education. This form of assessment could contribute to evaluating competencies not easily captured by traditional assessment measures. It provides the opportunity to assess knowledge-gaps, identify concerns that may interfere with learning, and develop professional communication skills.

The purpose of the study was to describe the development and implementation of a new assessment model using an e-Portfolio assessment system to engage students in developing self-assessment skills in the clinical curriculum and professional values including ethics, professionalism and conscientiousness.

Methods

Development of the instructional design was approved by the HSDM Curriculum Committee and operated by the Office of Dental Education. The e-Portfolio assessment system was composed of clinical program progression, clinic journals, and case presentation as described in Table 1 to capture the various stages of the clinical program.