Acceptability of a reflective e-portfolio instituted in an orthodontic specialist programme: a pilot study

• Published in: European journal of dental education Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 177 - 184
• Main Authors: Tonni, I., Oliver, R. G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2013
• Subjects: Communication; Computers, Handheld; Dentistry; e-portfolio; Education portfolios; Educational Measurement - methods; Female; Humans; Learning; Male; Mentors; Orthodontics; Orthodontics - education; Pilot Projects; Qualitative Research; reflection; Specialists; Students, Dental; Writing; e-portfolio; reflection; orthodontics
• ISSN: 1396-5883; 1600-0579
• DOI: 10.1111/eje.12038

Aim The purpose of the study was to highlight students' and mentors' acceptability of a reflective e‐portfolio instituted in a postgraduate orthodontic programme in the UK. Methods A reflective e‐portfolio was developed on the basis of principles provided by a literature search and was piloted for 2 months with six students and seven mentors. At the end of the experience, mentors' and students' acceptability of the e‐portfolio with a reflective component was studied using questionnaires. The data were analysed using basic quantitative and qualitative methods. Results Students' response highlighted acceptability issues related to each aspect of the e‐portfolio derived from the literature: relevance of the e‐portfolio reflective part; time required for the process; support and mentoring; the implementation method; and the electronic medium. Mentors showed a more positive attitude towards the e‐portfolio, expressing only some concerns about the time involved in using it. Furthermore, the analysis of the data highlighted some other acceptability matters: the specificity of the e‐portfolio, the communication amongst students and the relationship between students and mentors. Conclusions The future successful implementation of the reflective e‐portfolio will depend on the productive management of the acceptability issues identified by students and mentors, in particular:(i)the specificity of the e‐portfolio that would avoid its overlapping with other part of the programme;(ii)the increasing communication amongst students to improve their knowledge of the reflective writing process; and (iii)the development of a relationship between students and mentors helping to create the appropriate environment for reflection.