Dialogue is a core component of our experiential scheme, regardless of whether you opt to engage with the written or dialogic pathways.

The main difference with the dialogue option is the form of the final ‘submission’. This option culminates in a professional dialogue, where you are required to have a conversation about your practice with two other colleagues. This conversation is based on a portfolio of evidence that you will have spent time developing over a period of up to three months.

A composite image showing an e-portfolio of work on the left, with a screenshot of a professional dialogue on the right.
The professional dialogue is based on the development of an e-Portfolio of evidence. Dialogues can take place either in Microsoft Teams, or in-person on campus.

About the dialogue

To begin with, lots of people worry about the dialogue because they don’t know what to expect. However, this is by far the most popular route at YSJ (approx 89%, Dec 2023).

It is a purposefully designed activity, providing an authentic space to discuss practice in a meaningful way (Smart et al., 2021). By the time it’s over, most colleagues say that they actually enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to talk about their work.

The dialogue is NOT:

  • a presentation
  • a viva
  • an interview

The dialogue IS:

  • A developmental and supportive two-way conversation about your practice, framed around the evidence you have compiled in your e-Portfolio.

References

Smart, F., Dransfield, M., Floyd, S., Davies, V. (2021) Dialogic assessment in the context of professional recognition: perspectives from the canoe. Journal of Applied Perspectives in Academic Practice, 9(1), DOI: https://doi.org/10.14297/jpaap.v9i1.463