First year specialist trainees’ engagement with reflective practice in the e-portfolio

Abstract

Doctors in specialist training posts in the Mersey Deanery are expected to reflect on their clinical practice and to document their learning experiences in an e-portfolio. This study aims specifically to explore how they have engaged in reflection on their practice and how they utilise their learning portfolio to document evidence of this. A modified Delphi technique was used to develop a grading system to identify the level of reflection recorded by participants in the e-portfolio. Transcripts of the reflective accounts were then analysed using a qualitative approach which involved coding and categorising the data. This study demonstrated a wide variation in both the quantity and quality of reflection. Of particular note in the qualitative data analysis were themes relating to clinical knowledge and skills, learning in practice, communication, feelings, types of learning experience reflected on and wider aspects of medical practice. Findings indicate there is variation is the extent to which doctors both engage in and document evidence of reflection. Further research is needed to explore factors that enable or inhibit the use of the e-portfolio for reflection and whether recorded reflection is a true picture of the cognitive process involved.

Qualitative Analysis of Written Reflections during a Teaching Certificate Program

“…Medicine, nursing, and pharmacy are among the disciplines that are adapting these types of reflective processes in curricula to aid in learning as well as improve patient care. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] The extent of medical residents' reflection has been explored [13][14][15] and showed that physicians' decision-making skills were improved in complex clinical cases if they were able to critically reflect on those experiences. 15 An evaluation of nursing students concluded that interview sessions (individual, paired, and group) on reflective practice were viewed as beneficial for the participating students and encouraged them to practice reflective thinking on their own.…”

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“…Aunque los portafolios de enseñanza digital se han propuesto como una herramienta eficaz para el aprendizaje de los maestros, el apoyo de su eficacia no ha sido encontrado (McNeill, Brown, y Shaw, 2010;Sung, Chang, Yu, y Chang, 2009). Los estudiantes producen periódicamente diarios, revistas, registros y portafolios electrónicos para reflexionar sobre su experiencia (Roberts, 2009).…”

“…Pueden incluir preguntas y sugerencias en diferentes procesos. Por ejemplo, se pueden utilizar guías de reflexión (Cimer, 2011, Fox et al, 2011, McNeill et al, 2010, Roberts, 2009). …”

Evaluación de competencias prácticas clínicas por el alumnado y el profesorado a través del portafolios

“…Por todo lo expuesto, coincidiendo con algunos autores (Buckley, Coleman y Khan, 2010;McNeill, Brown y Shaw, 2010;Johnson et al, 2012;Saura Llamas et al, 2013), es necesario seguir trabajando en la mejora del portafolios como instrumento para el aprendizaje y la evaluación de competencias, debiendo incluir una parte cuantitativa que muestre el número de veces que se realiza cada resultado de aprendizaje, hasta alcanzar las cotas de calidad esperadas.…”