Using ePortfolios to develop career objectives in games design and development at an Australia University
•Als PPTX, PDF herunterladen•
1 gefällt mir•1,041 views
Games design and development is an exciting yet demanding profession that allows for diverse and innovative employment opportunities. However pathways into games are competitive and students often misunderstand the opportunities available for them in the industry. It is important for educational providers to not only support students to prepare for career readiness, but also engage them in reflection on their abilities for lifelong learning. Using an ePortfolio students can progressively build competencies within relevant areas and reflect upon career choice and progression. This study focuses on 1st year tertiary students using ePortfolio within a framework of purposefully designed activities to support their career development in Games Design and Development. ePortfolio is provided via the Universities Learning Management System (Desire2Learn). Through combination of information sessions, in class activities, and reflective tasks, a picture of the students’ future career aspirations and goals can be developed, recorded and disseminated. By focusing on the 1st year student, the reflections in ePortfolio can be maintained and updated during the remainder of their education.
Empfohlen
Empfohlen
Weitere ähnliche Inhalte
Mehr von ePortfolios Australia
Mehr von ePortfolios Australia (20)
Kürzlich hochgeladen
Kürzlich hochgeladen (20)
Using ePortfolios to develop career objectives in games design and development at an Australia University
- 1. USING EPORTFOLIOS TO DEVELOP CAREER OBJECTIVES IN GAMES DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT AT AN AUSTRALIA UNIVERSITY Sophie McKenzie, Deakin University, School of Information Technology, sophie.mckenzie@deakin.edu.au Kathryn Coleman, Deakin University, Deakin Learning Futures, kate.coleman@deakin.edu.au Sabrina Chakman, Deakin University, DSL Careers and Employment, sabrina.chakman@deakin.edu.au
- 2. Introduction: ePortfolio @ Deakin • Introduced 2012 • Within Deakin‟s Online Learning Management System • Each user has their own space • Integration with units via dropbox submissions and sharing
- 3. Introduction: ePortfolio @ Deakin • Competency based • Building learning artefacts • Not yet assessed as a course outcome however • Employment focused (Blackburn and Hakel 2006) • Enhance professional preparedness in games design • Develop skills in reflective practice (Yang 2013)
- 4. Games Design and Development • Competitive employment • Requires a demonstration of skills via a portfolio (physical or electronic) • Educational providers important • Prepare for career readiness and to support self-efficacy
- 5. Pedagogy in Games • Practical application of skills • Demonstration • Collaborative learning environment • 1:1 helping students • Academic staff take practicals and lectures • Builds stronger student/teacher relationships • Recording skills • ePortfolio • Gamification – leader boards and awards
- 6. Teaching Context • This study focuses on 1st year tertiary students • Fundamentals of Game Design • Mixed groups of students • Board topics • Focused week on industry
- 7. Teaching Context • This study focuses on 1st year tertiary students • Purposefully designed activities in ePortfolio • Career development • Maintained and updated during the remainder of their education
- 8. 1st Year Introductions • ePortfolio: Purpose and use • Information sessions • In class activities • Reflective tasks http://magiccards.info/extra/scheme/archenemy/introductions-are-in-order.html
- 9. ePortfolio: What we did/ are doing • ePortfolio template „pushed‟ to students • Linked to course LO and GA • In 1st year introduced the concept • “ePortfolio: Why bother?” short video – authored by Sophie McKenzie • ePortfolio: various videos on „how to‟ produced by current student
- 10. Career Development: What we did? • Information Session 1
- 11. Career Development: What we did? • Information Session 2
- 12. Career Development: What we did? • In class activities/ reflection • Week 3 • Action Plan • Goal Setting • Action Plan • Save to ePortfolio for revisiting later • Week 11 • Update action Plan • Career Questionnaire • My job upon graduation • Top 4 skills that I need to develop • Save to ePortfolio for revisiting later
- 13. Research Approach: Methodology • Action Research: Multiple data sources and types • Research Questions: 1. What are current students career aspirations and expectations? 2. How best to support and develop tertiary IT students to support their career aspirations? • This study preliminary data collection to help address these questions • Much more to do!
- 14. Data Collection Techniques • Quantitative • Career Development Making Self Efficacy Scale (Betz et al 1994) • Response rate: 11/150 students • Captured post unit • Qualitative • Career Questionnaire: response rate 17/150 • Career Action Plan: response rate 18/150 • Captured during practical class
- 15. Research Outcomes • CDMSE • Gathering occupational information: 17.6000 • Goal selection: 18.1000 • Planning: 16.6000 • Self-appraisal: 18.3000 • Problem solving: 17.8000
- 16. Research Outcomes: Questionnaire • Highest rated skill to develop • Technical • What job are you hoping to get? • 8 in Games • 4 not sure • 5 other IT or general IT job • “I'm not sure. I haven't picked my major yet but it will probably be either Software Development or Networking, so something in one of those areas”.
- 17. Research Outcomes: Action Plan • Career Goals • Finish University • Impediments • Motivation, not finishing University • Action to achieve goals • Attend class, talk to tutors, follow through with tasks • “By getting a job while studing [sic], I gain new experiences working in the workforce, also I plan to do independent programing projects myself”. • Activities to help me achieve action • Select right units, voluntary or work experience • “Practice with different ways to produce software through different engines and scripting languages to see what suits me best and provides the best results”.
- 18. Support of Careers in Games • Build technical competencies • Demonstrated through communication and problem solving skills • External influences on career decisions • Internal development (self appraisal) more difficult to develop
- 19. Development of Practice in ePortfolio • Teaching reflections • Use needs to be consistent across all units in IT • Maintaining upkeep • How to keep students updating their Action Plan? • What career development beyond 1st year? • ePortfolio course templates
- 20. Conclusion: ePortfolio in Games • Small study: not comprehensive • Self-directed, student centred approach • Enhance professional preparedness in games design • Student reflection • Relationships between the learning outcomes and their educational experiences • Developing personal and professional future career aspirations, aptitudes, and opportunities for employment • References • Blackburn. J., and Hakel. M., 2006, Enhancing Self-Regulation and Goal Orientation with ePortfolios, Handbook of ePortfolios, IGI Group • Betz. N., et al, 1994, Evaluation of a Short Form of the Career Decision-Making SelfEfficacy Scale, Journal of Career Assessment, SAGE • Yang. J., et al, 2013, Career development learning and electronic portfolios: Improving student self-efficacy in employability skills in an undergraduate science course, Career Development Learning and ePortfolio, IN press.
Hinweis der Redaktion
- I utilised ePortfolio as a pilot in 2012 in a second year unit, extended into more units in 2013.First use of ePortfolio focused on the use as a ‘showcase’ product, susequent uses involve varying degree of ePortfolio integration into the unit.Course wide use of ePortfolio is picking up pace, to allow students to build competencies of the learning atrefacts and graduate attributes.It is important for educational providers to not only support students to prepare for career readiness, but also engage them in reflection on their abilities for lifelong learning. Using an ePortfolio students can progressively build competencies within relevant areas and reflect upon career choice and progression
- Self-directed, student centred approachPromote life-long and life-wide learningRelationships between the learning outcomes and educational experiences–Formative and summative assessment–Developing personal and professional future career aspirations, aptitudes, and opportunities for employment.
- Games design and development is an exciting yet demanding profession that allows for diverse and innovative employment opportunities. However pathways into games are competitive and students often misunderstand the opportunities available for them in the industry. We have a three year IT course majoring in Game Design and Development. The focus is on programming skills, supported by design. Students very exciting to start their course, but it can be hard to maintain momentum when times get tough! Games is a very difficult industry to get into, and students get disillusioned very easily.We try to focus on that fact that students also learn fundamental IT skills which will allow them to get a job in the wider IT industry (not just into games – which is great as it’s really hard!)Getting into games (and IT) now requires a thorough demonstration of practical/ technical skills. Resume and academic transcript are not enough. Yet, the games and IT market has many different types of job and job roles, thus it can be hard for students to know which direction they want to go into. But developing and demonstrating students skills we are enabling students to make active career choices, and be prepared for entry into the job market.
- In games each academic staff takes a number of face to face teaching hours – and does not limit themselves to the ‘lecture’ scenario. Being involved in practical class allows the staff to get to know the students better, and provide more 1:1 time between staff and student. In teaching, we provide a practical ‘example’ based approach. Students are presented with real world examples, and given demonstrations systems in which they investigate problems and propose solutions.We focus on the use of technology to support assessment practices. ePortfolio is becoming standard practice, with other techniques such as gamification (assignment leaderboards and relevant rewards) common practice in our practical and assessment.
- IT – Games Course Arts/ Science/ Engineering/ Maths etc
- A picture of the students’ future career aspirations and goals can be developed, recorded and disseminated. By focusing on the 1st year student, the reflections in ePortfolio can be maintained and updated during the remainder of their education.
- Continually develop over timeIn addition, a list of extra resources to build production of ePortfolio assets was also provided.Key to the use of this material was it’s integration in teaching activities within the 1st year unit.
- Possible employersWhat they are looking for: tasks for each roleWhat type of skills are neededWhat gamers needMake the most of your time at UniversityComplete activity: action plan
- Reiterate earlier presentation
- Development Action Plan STEP 1: GOAL SETTINGWhat is my career goal (include both long term and short term goals) How will I know when I have succeeded?What may stop me from successfully achieving my goal? STEP 2: ACTION PLANWhat actions are required to achieve my goal?What areas do I need to work on?What specific activities could help me in those areas?What resources can I use?What are my first steps? By when can I do this?Maintain your PlanCareer QuestionnaireWhat job do you want to get once you finish your degree Identify the top 4 skills needed for the kind of position you would like to apply for on graduation (detailed table below). Planning and Organising Management/ LeadershipAnalytical/ Problem Solving Technical/ComputingSkills details provided for students Detail your 'Top 4 skills' important for your desired position. When, where and how have you used that skill in a similar way? Planning and OrganisingSituation: Running own business - web designTask: Negotiating scope of project with client.Action:Figured out customers needsDocumented these needs and provided draftsPresented draft to clientClient confirms scope and project continuesResult: The customer gets the website they wish for.
- The quantitative data was captured at the end of the trimester after all the lecture and practical material had finished. The CDMSE short form was utilised, which asked students 25 questions. The survey helps to assess the following sub concepts:Gathering occupational information: 1, 10, 15, 19, 23 Goal selection: 2, 6, 11, 16, 20 Planning: 3, 7, 12, 21, 24Self-appraisal: 5, 9, 14, 18, 22 Problem solving: 4, 8, 13, 17, 25The results from the CDMSE provided here to do NOT assert a degree of career development in the students. The pilot implementation allowed the survey to be tested with the student cohort, with the results generated to as determine the applicability of the survey use with IT students. The tool does not have referential norm data as the main practice, however is used as a self comparison tool. CDMSE levels are assed in students at the beginning of the teaching period, with further results gathered at the end of the teaching career intervention.The qualitative data was captured during the industry week in which we had an industry lecture. These documents asked students to fill out a questionnaire on their careers, as well as fill out a skills action plan. Both these documents were requested to be uploaded and saved to the students ePortfolio. The idea is that the document can be revisited in further games units.Simply form: action plan. Doesn’t take long for students to update.Students asked to refer to the career planning resources as put presented by Sabrina.
- Add in table of resultsStatistics V26 V27 V28 V29 V30 N Valid 10 10 10 10 10 Missing 0 0 0 0 0 Mean 17.6000 18.1000 16.6000 18.3000 17.8000 Std. Deviation3.97772 3.95671 2.79682 4.39823 3.73571 Range 14.00 13.00 8.00 12.00 12.00
- QuestionnaireNext ratedAnalytical Problem SolvingTime managementPlanning and organisationCommunicationInitiative and EnterpriseManagement/ leadership
- Action Plan
- REAL world – assessment and approach
- ePortfoliosSelf-directed, student centred approach Promote life-long and life wide Enhance professional preparedness in games designStudent reflection Relationships between the learning outcomes and their educational experiences Formative and summative assessment