Developing Reflective Practice through Patchwork Writing

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• Developing Reflective Practice through Patchwork
  Writing

Writing Development in Higher Education
Conference University of Strathclyde
David Walters walterd_at_hope.ac.uk Michelle
ODoherty odoherm_at_hope.ac.uk Teresa Caldwell
caldwet_at_hope.ac.uk
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Music in Practice and in Context

• Aim of the module
• To develop students skills and knowledge in
  practical aspects of the study
• of music.
• Learning outcomes include
• critical awareness

REFLECTIVE WRITING

• Optional units 40 each (2 from)
• Performance (Classical or Popular)
• Composition or Song Writing or
• Recording Techniques (CPA only)
• Music Therapy or Community Music

Core Unit 20 Attendance at, and participation
in nominated events/activities. A critique
documenting and reflecting on participation,
making specific links and reference to the
optional units. (c. 2,500 3,000 words)
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Core Unit Reflective Writing Assignment

• Aims
• bringing together theoretical and practical
  aspects of the discipline (promoting joined-up
  thinking)
• encourage participation in extra curricula
  musical activities (for the benefit of students
  department)
• offer a PDP opportunity within Year Two
• capture the personalised learning experiences of
  a diverse cohort of Music and Creative
  Performing Arts students.
• Problems
• no taught, face-to-face teaching input scheduled
• complaints from students about having to attend
  off-timetable events and activities. Lack of
  meaningful engagement with the process of
  independent learning.
• poor standard of reflective writing too
  descriptive
• one demoralised module tutor!

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Too Much Time and Space?
Assessment Gap Spiral
Curriculum

• formative feedforward
• cycles of guidance scaffold
• develop not just assess writing

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• integrated system of support
• student autonomy

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Space and Time in FE the Dialogic feedback Cycle
DfC (FE)
Independent Learning
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Scaffold Writing for Assessment
Essay main form of assessment (Lillis, 2006).
Meeting criteria requires deep learning (Elander
et al ,2006) Guidance can be effective
Harrington et al, 2006 Norton et al,
2005) dialogues of participation (Lillis,
2006) vs dumbing down (Haggis,
2006)
PLAN
DIALOGIC
RESEARCH
DRAFT
USE of EVIDENCE
Core Assessment Criteria (Elander et
al, 2004)
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The Guidance and Feedback Loop in HE?
Feed Forward into next Assignment /Assessment
(Hounsell et al 2008)
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Students Perceptions of Feedback within the
Discipline

• FORMATIVE

GUIDANCE
AUTONOMY
SUMMATIVE
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HEA/Write Now funded research Staff and Student
Perceptions of Quality Feedback
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Creating Space and Time in HEthe Dialogic
feedforward Cycle
Df C (HE)
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Patchwork Texts

• Advantages
• formative assessment
• the writing process at the centre of learning and
  teaching drafting
• enables the reflective process
• Review of the Literature
• ..the notion of a directive reflective process
  (Kahn, 2007)
• peer assessment or tutor assessment? (Dalrymple
  Smith, 2008)
• Variations in summative patch text synoptic as
  (Brunsden, 2007)

• Patchwork Text
• a sequence of individual, discrete patches
  relatively short, varied assignments on a unified
  theme
• each patch of writing is shared with a small
  group of peers, receiving formative feedback
• students can revise and edit their patches
• patches are then stitched together
  retrospectively in a final reflexive commentary
• the final patch text is summatively assessed by
  the tutor.
• (Winter et al, 2003)

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Scaffolding the Assessment Curriculum

• Patch 1 c 250 words
• Initial self-assessment
• Questionnaire what makes a good musician?

• The revised course aimed to
• use formative assessment as a driver to promote
  reflective practice
• scaffold the development of reflective writing by
  providing, dialogic feedforward guidance
• Df C (HE) model
• explore the possibility of change in the
  management of time and space within the
  assessment curriculum Write Now mini project.

• Patch 2 c 500 words
• Critical Review of an event (specified by unit
  tutor).

• Patch 3 500 words
• Critical review of learning from ensemble or
  choral
• rehearsals.

• Patch 4 500 words
• Critical self-review of work and personal
  learning
• in Semester One optional unit.

• Patch 5 250 words
• Critical review of own performance in an Open
• Mic or Lunchtime concert.

• Patch 6 500 words
• Critical self-review of work personal learning
  in
• Semester Two optional unit.

All patches submitted, and feedback given on-line.
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Core Unit Seminars

• October Tutor led sessions (2)
• Introductory session to the course
• discussion of initial self-assessment (patch 1)
• Introduction to patchwork assessment
• discussion of questionnaire 1.

November Write Now Fellow Patchwork
Process Core Criteria for Academic
Writing Reflective Process Core Criteria for
Reflective Writing Exemplars Discussion patch
two (review) - Dec.
February Team session Review of
reflective process Generic feedback (patches
2-4) Discussion of revised assessment
criteria Peer assessment exemplars Discussion

11 Tutorials (11)
May Feedback Session with practice patch (AP)
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Evaluation assignment results
4 medical non-submissions (7)
Cohen (1969) 0.2 (1993) 0.5 as a benchmark.
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Content Analysis
Content Analysis of Patchwork Text adapted from
(Smith Wilson, 2003)
Identified a benchmark descriptor for each
category using an exemplar statement. Using the
A/B grades from 2006-7 we established three
frequency ranges for each category and coded
these using three indicator levels for
example, (AN) intermittent level 18 2 frequent level A
comparative analysis was made of the submitted
scripts of both cohorts (n104) Process was
sampled and triangulated.

• Identified six core criteria for the reflective
  writing process
• analysis of learning experience (AN)
• identification of learning processes
• (LP)
• self-evaluation of learning (SE)
• linking to other areas of learning
• synthesis (LOA)
• action planning (AP)
• communication to academic
• standard (GAPS)

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Results of Comparative Content Analysis
Comparison of average total scores in relation to
all six core criteria for reflective writing
Comparison of average scores for each individual
core criteria for reflective writing
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Results of Comparative Content Analysis
Comparison of the distribution of scores in
relation to the six core criteria for reflective
writing
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A Deeper
Approach?(Braun Clarke, 2006)
Close the Gap The patchwork approach
was ideal for me to allow my reflective writing
skills to grow over a matter of months. Due to
this the last essay was much easier to
write.. I feel I have learnt more from this
process
Questionnaire 96.2 prefer the patchwork text
process 3.8 prefer an essay assignment.
One of the core unit assignments asked, what
makes a good musician? before taking these units
I would have answered differently....someone who
can play an instrument. Now I know it is much
more complex than that the turning point
came in submission five..
Students received and acted on feedback Gave me
a chance to get it wrong and learn from my
mistakes.. ..chance for feedback on each in
order to improve steadily.. I was already
prepared.. ..great practice..
Use of core criteria self-assessment I had the
assessment criteria in front of me when
completing the assignment. This made me think
about each part in depth.. ..it allowed me to
evaluate my own work..
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Student Feedback key themes

• Peer Assessment
• lack of expertise
• trust
• tutors job
• pointless exercise

• Self-assessment
• uncomfortable
• difficult
• dread
• annoyed
• tutors job
• made me

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Tutor Reflection

• The use of patchwork text
• promoted more sustained engagement with the
  reflective process
• developed student writing, not simply assessed
  it
• changed tutors teaching practice to a more
  dialogic and blended approach.

• Action Plan curriculum change

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References

• Braun, V Clarke, V. (2006) Using thematic
  analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in
  Psychology, 3, 77-101.
• Brunsden, V (2007). Blending research teaching
  in the classroom using patchwork text assessments
  to simulate the research process, available at
• http//www.psychology.heacademy.ac.uk/docs/doc/p20
  070522_Brunsden_CaseStudy_VIII_Patchwork_Final.doc
  
• Dalrymple, R Smith, P. (2008) The patchwork
  text enabling discursive writing and reflective
  practice on a foundation module in work based
  learning. Innovations in Education and Teaching
  International, Special Issue., 405(1), 47-54.
• Elander, J., Harrington, K., Norton, L. Robinson,
  H. Reddy, P. (2006). Complex skills and
  academic writing a review of evidence about the
  types of learning required to meet core
  assessment criteria. Assessment and Evaluation in
  Higher Education, 31, 71-90.
• Elander, J., Harrington, K., Norton, L.,
  Robinson, H., Reddy, P. Stevens, D. (2004).
  Core assessment criteria for student writing and
  their implications for supporting student
  learning.  In C. Rust (ed.), Improving Student
  Learning 11. Theory, Research and Scholarship.
   Oxford Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning
  Development, 200-212.
• Haggis, T. (2006) Pedagogies for diversity
  retaining critical challenge admist fears of
  dumbing down. Studies in Higher Education,
  31(5) 521-535.
• Harrington, K., Elander, J., Norton, L., Reddy,
  P., Aiyegbayo, O. Pitt, E. (2006). A
  qualitative analysis of staff-student differences
  in understandings of assessment criteria. In C.
  Rust (Ed.), Improving Student Learning 13.
  Through Assessment . Oxford Oxford Centre for
  Staff and Learning Development, 235-247.
• Hounsell, D.,McClune, V.,Hounsell, J. Litjens,
  J. (2008) The quality of guidance and feedback to
  students. Higher Education Research and
  Development, 27(1), 55-67.
• Khan, P (2006). Supporting reflective processes
  with students insights from a review of
  research, available at
• http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/
  ourwork/research/literature_reviews/reflective_pra
  ctice_with_students.pdf
• Lillis, T.M. (2006) Moving towards Academic
  Literacies pedagogy dialogues of particpation,
  in L.Ganobcsik-Williams, Teaaching Academic
  Writing in UK Higher Education theories
  practices and models. Basingstoke Palgrave.
• Norton, L., Harrington, K., Elander, J.,
  Sinfield, S. Lusher, J., Reddy, P., Aiyegbayo, O.
  Pitt, E. (2005). Supporting students to improve
  their essay writing through assessment criteria
  focused workshops. In C. Rust (Ed.), Improving
  Student Learning 12. Diversity and Inclusivity.
  Oxford Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning
  Development, 59-174.
• Smith, L Winter, R. (2003) Applied epistemology
  for community nurses evaluating the impact of
  the patchwork text, in Winter, R., Parker, J.
  Ovens, P The Patchwork Text A Radical
  Re-assessment of Coursework Assignments .
  Innovations in Education and Teaching
  International, Special Issue, 40 (2),161 73.
• Winter, R., Parker, K Ovens, P. (2003) The
  Patchwork Text A Radical Re-assessment of
  Coursework Assignments. Innovations in Education
  and Teaching International, Special Issue, 40,
  (2).

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