Helping university students succeed at employment interviews: The role of self-reflection in e-portfolios

Authors

  • Christine Lackner Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax, NS
  • Tanya Martini Brock University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.5.2.2

Keywords:

e-portfolio, behavioral interview, university students, self-reflection

Abstract

In the context of a Transition to Work course for fourth-year psychology majors, we had students use an e-portfolio to self-reflect on the learning experiences they deemed most significant during their degree. Such significant learning experiences can be drawn upon when answering behavioral job interview questions. We examined whether students would show improvement in mock behavioral interview performance over time, and whether any potential improvement was related to performance on self-reflective course assignments. Students indicated that the majority of their significant learning experiences had taken place outside of the classroom (e.g., paid and unpaid work, extracurricular activities). Across the duration of the course, students improved on all metrics of interview performance, and final interview performance was predicted by student grades on a self reflective e-portfolio, but not other course assignments.

Author Biographies

Christine Lackner, Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax, NS

Christine L. Lackner is now at the Psychology Department, Mount St. Vincent University, Canada.

Tanya Martini, Brock University

Tanya Martini is with the Psychology Department, Brock University, Canada.

References

American Psychological Association. (2013). APA guidelines for the undergraduate psychology major: Version 2.0. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/undergrad/index.aspx

Arnett, J. J. (Ed.). (2015). The Oxford handbook of emerging adulthood. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Bass, R. (2012). Disrupting ourselves: The problem of learning in higher education. Educause Review, 47(2), 23-33.

Baur, T., Damian, I., Gebhard, P., Porayska-Pomsta, K., & André, E. (2013, September). A job interview simulation: Social cue-based interaction with a virtual character. In Social Computing (SocialCom), 2013 IEEE International Conference (pp. 220-227).

Browning, B. W., & Cunningham, J. R. (2012). Students better be on their best behavior: How to prepare for the most common job interviewing technique. Communication Teacher, 26(3), 152-157. doi: 10.1080/17404622.2011.650700

Cartney, P. & Rouse, A. (2006). The emotional impact of learning in small groups: highlighting the impact on student progression and retention. Teaching in Higher Education, 11(1), 79-91. doi: 10.1080/13562510500400180

Cleary, T. J., Callan, G. L., Malatesta, J., & Adams, T. (2015). Examining the level of convergence among self-regulated learning microanalytic processes, achievement, and a self-report questionnaire. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 33(5), 439-450. doi: 10.1177/0734282915594739

Connaughton, J., & Edgar, S. (2011). Framework for reflective practice. Focus on Health Professional Education,12(3), 89-93.

Cook, S. G. (2013). Behavioral interviews: Hire for the competencies needed. Women in Higher Education, 22(3), 23-24. doi: 10.1002/whe.10437

Cote, J. E., & Levine, C. (1997). Student motivations, learning environments, and human capital acquisition: Toward an integrated paradigm of student development. Journal of College Student Development, 38, 229-243.

Curhan, J. R., & Pentland, A. (2007). Thin slices of negotiation: predicting outcomes from conversational dynamics within the first 5 minutes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(3), 802. doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.92.3.802

Doig, B., Illsley, B., McLuckie, J., & Parsons, R. (2006). Using ePortfolios to enhance reflective learning and development. Handbook of research on ePortfolios, 158-167.

Eden, S. (2014). Out of the comfort zone: Enhancing work-based learning about employability through student reflection on work placements. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 38(2), 266-276.doi:10.1080/03098265.2014.911826

Eynon, B., Gambino, L. M., & Török, J. (2014). What difference can ePortfolio make? A field report from theconnect to learning project. International Journal of ePortfolio, 4(1), 95-114. Retrieved from http://www.theijep.com/pdf/IJEP127.pdf

Farr, M. (2005). Next-day job interview: How to prepare tonight and get the job tomorrow. Indianapolis, IN: Jist Publishing.

Graves, L. M., & Karren, R. J. (1992). Interviewer decision processes and effectiveness: An experimental policy-capturing investigation. Personnel Psychology, 45(2), 313-340.

Hansen, K., Oliphant, G. C., Oliphant, B. J., & Hansen, R. S. (2009). Best practices in preparing students for mock interviews. Business Communication Quarterly, 72(3), 318-327. doi: 10.1177/1080569909336951

Kift, S. M. & Nelson, K. J. (2005). Beyond curriculum reform: Embedding the transition experience. http://conference.herdsa.org.au/2005/pdf/refereed/paper_294.pdf

Kuh, G. (2010, November 20). Maybe experience really can be the best teacher. Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved July 10, 2014, from http://chronicle.com/article/Maybe-Experience-Really-Can-Be/125433/

Kuh, G. D. (2008). High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Landis, C. M., Scott, S. B., & Kahn, S. (2015). Examining the role of reflection in ePortfolios: A case study. International Journal of ePortfolio, 5(2), 107-121.

Martini, T. S., Rail, A., & Norton, C. (2015). Psychology students’ understanding of the skill-based learning fostered through university assignments. Teaching of Psychology, 42, 335-338. doi: 10.1177/0098628315603182

Oliver, B. (2013). Graduate attributes as a focus for institution-wide curriculum renewal: Innovations and challenges. Higher Education Research & Development, 32(3), 450-463. doi:10.1080/07294360.2012.682052

Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance (2016). OCAV’s Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Level Expectations. Retrieved from http://oucqa.ca/framework/appendix-1

Peet, M., Lonn, S., Gurin, P., Boyer, K. P., Matney, M., Marra, T., ... & Daley, A. (2011). Fostering integrative knowledge through ePortfolios. International Journal of ePortfolio, 1(1), 11-31.

Phinney, J. S., Dennis, J., & Osorio, S. (2006). Reasons to attend college among ethnically diverse college students. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 12(2), 347. doi: 10.1037/1099-9809.12.2.347

Pierre, K. (2014, August). How much do you study? Apparently 17 hours a week is the norm. USA Today College. Retrieved from http://college.usatoday.com/2014/08/18/how-much-do-you-study-apparently-17-hours-a-week-is-the-norm/

Roberson, R. (2013). Helping students find relevance. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/ptn/2013/09/students-relevance.aspx

Rockawin, D. (2012). Using innovative technology to overcome job interview anxiety. Australian Journal of Career Development, 21(2), 46-52.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68-78.

Stumpf, S. A., Austin, E. J., & Hartman, K. (1984). The impact of career exploration and interview readiness on interview performance and outcomes. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 24(2), 221-235.

The Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2016). Trends in Learning Outcomes Assessment. Retrieved from https://www.aacu.org/publications

Travers, C. J., Morisano, D., & Locke, E. A. (2015). Self-reflection, growth goals, and academic outcomes: A qualitative study. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(2), 224-241. doi: 10.1111/bjep.12059

US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2015). The Condition of Education 2015 (NCES 2015-144). National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC.

Yancey, K. B. (1998). Getting beyond exhaustion: Reflection, self-assessment, and learning. The Clearing House, 72(1), 13-17.

Downloads

Published

2017-09-25

How to Cite

Lackner, Christine, and Tanya Martini. 2017. “Helping University Students Succeed at Employment Interviews: The Role of Self-Reflection in E-Portfolios”. Teaching and Learning Inquiry 5 (2):3-15. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.5.2.2.