MAHARA@USP: Getting started with ePortfolios

Pita Tuisawau & Tevita JitokoCentre for Flexible & Distance Learning

What we will cover What is an ePortfolio Pre-History Background Roll out

UU100 Current uses (PLP, Assessment, Personal) Graduating students

Challenges Benefits Lessons learnt

Pre-history: early attempts at ePortfolios

Joe’s story LW326 (2004 – 2006 on EASOL)

Anita Jowitt Issues in maintaining motivation and managing work for

undergraduate research projects Research diaries for motivation and to encourage Reflective

learning (discussion forum threads) Lessons learnt

Did not provide clear structure No space to upload artefacts

LW305 (2007 - ) Anita

Group portfolios for complex research project which needs to be done in stages and worked on consistently (collaborative)

Primarily hard-copy

WHAT IS AN EPORTFOLIO?

“a [digital] collection of evidence that is gathered together to show a person’s learning journey over time and to demonstrate their abilities”

(adapted from Butler, 2006)

ARTEFACT → VIEW ← ACCESS

Source: MoodleMoot Conference: presentation by Penny Leach (LIIP, Switzerland) Using Moodle with Mahara

Background

1. Lambert ePortfolio workshops (May 2008)

2. Setting up of Eportfolio Working Group (Aug 2009)

3. Research: Literature review (Aug-Sep 2009)

4. Evaluation of best 3 (Oct-Nov 2010)5. Mahara chosen for further trials

(Dec 2010)

https://sites.google.com/site/uspeportfolioproject/home

Eportfolio Working Group

Pilot testing: May 2010 SOL e-Portfolio template

Pilot testing: July 2010e-Portfolio Training (CFDL)

Example of staff profile

Roll out (UU100): August 2010Vanuatu student eportfolio

Roll out (UU100)

“all in all the e-portfolio is an excellent guide in terms of reviewing our work or experience that we hve sat out 2 do. it is a better way of illustrating or showing us past experiences nd our goals th@ we want to fulfil.”

UU100 student

Future developments: (GAs)& Personal Learning Planner (PLP)

Future developments: & Collaboration

1. USP Alumni:Following features to be made available:

Profiles Resume Interests Goals (Personal, Academic & Career) e-Portfolios

2. Group Collaboration e-Portfolio templates

CHALLENGES Technology Bugs Responsibility/Work Loads Sustainability (will I still have access after Graduation?) Ownership Access issues in the region (resolved in October) Data protection, confidentiality, security

CHALLENGES Implementation process Time

UOW trials in 2002 & 2003 Implementation in 2006 USP trials in 2009 Implementation in 2010

Resources 6 year old computers in Emalus teaching lab Staff (Help & support for Mahara users)

Communication (issues with pilot testing through LW352)

Distance (both challenge & opportunity)

Benefits (Process) The activities of the eportfolio project have been

useful in:1. Understanding student needs and perceptions

regarding eportfolios; and reflecting via ePortfolios.2. Identifying the kind of support that both staff and

students require to integrate ePortfolios into subjects (including how it might be assessed).

3. Identifying ways to best support students to reflect and store evidence of learning against GAs.

4. Identifying best templates for showcasing evidence for assessment (ILO, Weekly or by topic)

5. Identifying rubrics for assessment of UU100

Benefits (technology) Improve learning experience

Promotes higher thinking skills Evaluating/Critical thinking Creating

Promote awareness of Graduate attributes Personal Learning Planning (Review of 14000 Ref) Access to works and reflections of other students Ownership of learning/Motivation Record of Life long learning Social networking and collaboration

Lessons Learnt Team work is key for a

successful project Intra-department

CFDL (CDD & SLS) Inter-department

CFDL & FSTE Inter-institution with

former USP colleagues (Sunil’s help with Pebblepad evaluation)

FSTE SOL

CDD

EWG

SLS

Sunil

Lessons Learnt Students can be motivated when

they are creating…………….

Print is still needed for guiding students in the use of the technology

Distance can be conquered by technology and patience (loads of it)

Leadership can be conducted from the region

Acknowledgements

SOL staff (Aidan & Anita) UU100 staff SLS FSTE Sunil CFDL staff EWG

Dr Anjeela Jokhan

Viren Sharma

Rajneel Totaram

References Butler, P (2006) A review of the literature on portfolios and electronic portfolios,

http://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/download/ng/file/group-996/n2620-eportfolioresearch-report.pdf , accessed 20 Apr

University of Wollongong, about eportfolio trials http://www.uow.edu.au/cedir/eportfolio/trial.html (accessed 5 Nov 2010)