{"id":20773,"date":"2018-06-11T07:59:17","date_gmt":"2018-06-11T11:59:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/edc\/?p=20773"},"modified":"2021-08-13T10:09:03","modified_gmt":"2021-08-13T14:09:03","slug":"psychological-training-excellence-cuportfolio-brings-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/tls\/2018\/psychological-training-excellence-cuportfolio-brings-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychological training, excellence, and how cuPortfolio brings it all together"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Emily Cook, TLS staff writer<\/em><\/p>\n

In a course about performance excellence, cuPortfolio brings perspective, reflection, and a dynamic workspace in which to express them both.<\/p>\n

In Prof. Matthew Sorley\u2019s third-year course, Sport and Performance Psychology<\/em>, students use cuPortfolio to design a psychological skills training plan. Over the course of the term, Sorley also incorporates a series of lead up assignments, allowing students to practice various techniques and receive feedback.<\/p>\n

\u201ccuPortfolio is very important for me because students really get to document their learning throughout the entire term,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Since incorporating cuPortfolio into his course, Sorley says he\u2019s found that students are tremendously engaged by the opportunity to create dynamic online multimedia spaces and indulge their creative side.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are used to working in a multimedia online space and this is just another way in which they can share the results of their learning, where they can collaborate with their colleagues in a number of exciting and meaningful ways,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

cuPortfolio helps students keep a long-term perspective and exhibit a greater sense of ownership over their learning, Sorley says. He adds that the tool helps students organize their assignments in one place, while at the same time giving him clear elements to assess on the rubric. Plus, the portfolios are not tied to the course, so students can take their work with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis really is a space that they can use to document evidence of their learning, so they can show to others, they can share with others, and really be able to demonstrate, \u2018Here\u2019s what I can do,\u2019\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Reflection is a critical element to Sorley\u2019s course, and he says that in using cuPortfolio, the reflections are deeper and more meaningful. However, it\u2019s important that the process of reflection is guided and specific, Sorley says.<\/p>\n

\u201cReflection might not be something that the students are comfortable doing. It might not be something that they are skilled to do,\u201d he says. \u201cSo it\u2019s my responsibility to guide them through the process and to regard reflection as a process.\u201d<\/p>\n

To get buy-in from his students to learn a new technology, Sorley says he needed to make sure students appreciated the opportunity to create a dynamic and creative online media space, and that there would be ample support along the way.<\/p>\n

Sorley\u2019s advice to instructors interested in cuPortfolio is the same: understanding and support. Understand what others are doing and find support for students, and yourself. In the latter, he says the Educational Development Centre is a key resource.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a bit of a spirit of adventure in using a platform such as this,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can\u2019t be afraid to try. You can\u2019t be afraid to experiment and play.\u201d<\/p>\n

To find out more about Sorley\u2019s experience with cuPortfolio, watch the full interview below. You can also watch interviews with other instructors on the\u00a0cuPortfolio instructor peer support site<\/a>.<\/p>\n