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Contemporary teaching practices have led to the development of apprenticeship programmes delivered online. While promoting accessibility, online learning also faces many challenges. This research questions if reflective online diaries can enhance teaching, learning and assessment in the context of an apprenticeship programme delivered online. Adopting an action research methodology, the lecturer reflects on the use of online diaries for 66 first year students in the 2016-2017 academic year as part of a sales module taught on a new online BA (Honours) in Insurance Practice Apprenticeship programme at IT Sligo. The findings suggest that the online diaries helped the lecturer to understand student learning progress and enabled a stronger connection to the students as a direct result of reading the online diaries. They encouraged students to become familiar with reflective writing and fostered deeper engagement between students and the content.

Published abstract.

The volume from which this paper is taken is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 131.484. Show less

Contemporary teaching practices have led to the development of apprenticeship programmes delivered online. This research examines the use of reflective online diaries in an online apprenticeship programme by presenting feedback from students enrolled in an online Insurance Practice Apprenticeship programme in Ireland over two academic years. Adopting an action research methodology, the lecturer reflects on the use of online diaries by analysing data collected using an online survey with student groups. A number of changes were implemented after reflection on the feedback from the first cohort of students. In comparing the feedback between the two groups, an improvement in module satisfaction can be seen. This demonstrates the importance of reflective thinking in the development of an educator, paying particular emphasis to the role of student feedback on pedagogical approach where improved student learning can be achieved.

Published abstract.

The volume from which this paper is taken is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 151.801. Show less