Dominique Verpoorten

Using reflection triggers while learning in an online course

Verpoorten, D., Westera, W., & Specht, M. (2012). Using reflection triggers while learning in an online course. British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(6), 1030-1040. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2011.01257.x

Infusing reflective practice in eLearning courses – can widgets help?

The paper investigates the potential of using widgets-based reflection amplifiers in e-learning courses. Reflection amplifiers are structured opportunities for students to examine and evaluate aspects of their learning experience. The paper deliberately chooses a non-technical viewpoint. It takes the teachers voices as a starting point. The study reports the results of a survey that asked open educational resources (OERs) course creators about their opinions on different types of reflection amplifiers. The outcomes demonstrate that several reflection techniques are recognised and acknowledged by these practitioners as being of relevance for their courses. Yet, practical application in their courses is quite rare. Results of the survey are subsequently used to inspect possible contributions of widgets technology to the implementation and dissemination of a selection of reflection techniques. The set-up of an experiment intended to test feasibility and relevance of widgets-based reflection amplifiers is eventually outlined.

A quest for meta-learning gains in a physics serious game

This paper describes how a short, repeated and structured opportunity to reflect was integrated in the storyline of a serious game in order to stimulate the development of a meta-cognitive skill: the ability to self-assess the degree of confidence in own answers. An empirical validation of the approach, conducted with 28 secondary school pupils, delivers an uncommon pattern: while the cognitive benefits—the acquisition of academic knowledge in optics—are negligible and mixed up, the meta-cognitive gains present a raising tendency. The experiment also demonstrates that reflection does not necessarily hamper the game flow, if certain conditions, discussed in the paper, are met.