Unique Documentation
“Unique documentation” is an important component to reflecting on your Field Period experience. While the other four parts of the reflective learning assignments are generally the same for all students, the unique documentation requirement is designed as the customized component of the evaluation. It was developed to get students away from a “cook book” mentality of the Field Period evaluation of the Field Period. The unique documentation should demonstrate fulfillment of the learning objectives you developed in the Learning Contract. Learning objectives are unique to each student and site; therefore the documentation of such learning will be unique.
Unique documentation is ideally a project of some kind that provides concrete evidence of meeting learning objectives. Such a project has many advantages. When such a project is largely the work of you as an individual (or as part of a team) it provides a sense of ownership and pride, and it provides a real contribution to the site. Such work not only helps demonstrate the accomplishment of objectives, but it also provides you with a focus, avoiding that sense of “busy work” that some students complain of. The project can also be an excellent addition to a student portfolio. Examples of such projects include reports, analyses, web pages, handbooks, marketing plans, computer programs, a newsletter, multi-media presentations, etc.
Some Field Periods, particularly for first-year students, may not lend themselves to a concrete project. There are a number of alternatives that can still achieve the unique documentation’s goal of demonstrating fulfillment of learning objectives. Examples include portfolios, videotaping of performance, completion of all reflection sheets, multiple informational interviews, photographic documentation, etc. As these alternatives are not as effective a learning tool as a concrete project, they will be approved with care. It is easy for students to fall back into the “cook book” mentality and simply “do their time.”
Take a look at the sample e-portfolios located on the Student Highlights tab for examples of what others have done for their unique documentation.
Get creative! Here are a few awesome tools to check out:
Canva is a graphic design platform, used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents and other visual content. It includes a variety of free features and templates to get users started with their designs.
Prezi offers a way to make a presentation less linear and more dynamic. You can upload a current PowerPoint or use one of the templates to make a presentation more engaging. You can easily embed a YouTube video, links to supporting information. Students can work collaboratively on their Prezi.
Also consider e.Maze - another non-linear presentation system.
Want to take your flat poster/image presentation to a new level? Glogster allows you complete freedom to mix text, audio, video, images, graphics and more to add to a pre-designed graphics page. Imagine a poster that can include video, links, deeper visuals to present information.
Photo Story is a great way to show many photos or graphics in a linear order with annotations, voice-over, or background music. Create slideshows using your digital photos. With a single click, you can touch up, crop, or rotate pictures. Add stunning special effects, soundtracks, and your own voice narration to your photo stories. Then, personalize them with titles and captions. These can easily be shared as links or uploaded to YouTube.
With Jing you can capture videos or images from your desktop. Videos capture your cursor and voice-overs. This versatile tool allows up to 5 minutes of video and provides a link to view the video online.
PechaKucha 20x20 is a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds. The images advance automatically and you talk along to the images. This would be a useful tool for presenting on your Field Period experience.
Did you know you already have a video creation tool at your fingertips? YouTube Capture offers a way to easily upload videos, edit, add captions, and use copyright-free music to produce excellent videos. Creations can easily be shared yet can retain the privacy parameters you set.
Knoema uses data to create web pages with graphs and maps. Visme allows you to create infographics to share your learning. PiktoChart lets you quickly turn any text or data-heavy content into a visual story that your audience will love.
How can you best show your research, data, and conclusions?
Visme Create presentations, infographics, website banners and other sharable content.