Embedding Mahara at Birmingham City University

Experiences of Two Early AdoptersAlan Staley, Sarah King and Jon Curwin

In The Beginning…• 2004 Moodle• 2007 Early thoughts about ePortfolios

- Me: Open University ‘My Stuff’?- Employability/PDP staff: PebblePad?- Faculty of Health: ePet? -Use Moodle as an ePortfolio!

• 2008 Install Mahara and play

In The Beginning…• 2009

- Presentation to L&T committee- University-wide demonstrations/workshops- Formal pilot in the Business School

• Further presentation to L&T committee and more demonstrations/workshops

• 2010- Gather requirements, pay Catalyst for developments- No looking back!

CASE STUDY: The Law School

Getting started, developing and embedding ePortfolios

Sarah King

Moodle? Mahara?Wimba Create?

Shareville?

Captivate on line lecture?

Wimba Voice Tools?

Learning Activity Design

What Were Our Aims?• To understand and meet the modern student’s expectations.• To focus on ensuring that the student experience is of highest

possible quality.• To use eLearning to develop new and more flexible modes of

learning to enhance the student experience, particularly in relation to personal development and employability skills.

• Of the resources available to us we believed that Mahara ePortfolios could help achieve these aims.

• Held a showcase event – demonstrated to colleagues the opportunities that ePortfolios could offer;

• Held informal “coffee mornings” to brainstorm ideas that could inform a strategy plan;

• Worked with CELT to identify resources we would need to get plans off the ground;

• Drafted a strategy document with an action plan for 2010/11, piloting a number of new resources, but in particular Mahara;

• Circulated the draft strategy for comment and approval and finally adopted at School Development Day;

• Organised, with CELT support, training for every member of the Law School in using Mahara.

What Did We Do?

• A large scale pilot in 2010/11 – Mahara rolled out to over 200 first year law students;

• Students required to submit as part of their assessment an ePortfolio demonstrating competencies in a number of areas, evidence of reflective practice and the beginnings of employability skills;

• ePortfolios submitted via an “assignment” in Moodle, marked and electronic feedback given.

The Roll-Out To Students

Student feedback

“I believe Mahara is useful for selling yourself to potential employers that may want more than just a normal CV as it gives an insight into someone’s personality more”

“I like the idea of personalising the on-line space. It is useful in that work can be submitted from home without the need to be at university”

“I found that the initial understanding on how to create a view a little complicated and I needed a few attempts before I felt confident in completing the task”

“Quite worried about the security, I’m not sure who has access to my profile as I’m not sure how to adjust the settings”

“I liked the fact that it is educational as well as social, thus allowing you to do things to do with University and your friends at the same time”

• Staff need training and support!• “Bottom up” adoption with management support seemed to

work for us as did a strategy for how we were going to proceed;

• Don’t assume that our “Generation Y” students will find ePortfolios easy! They need training too!

• Set clear guidelines on what is expected in an ePortfolio;• Be prepared to be flexible, (things don’t always go according

to plan!);• Don’t forget many students leave things to the last minute!• Don’t underestimate the anxiety that waiting for electronic

submission of over 200 ePortfolios can cause!• Have a strategy for what happens next.

Lessons learned

Case Study: The Business School

Using e-Portfolios: successes, issues, and wishesJon Curwin

What We DidIn Sept 2009 we used Mahara:

• With 500 first year students taking the skills module, Personal Development

• With 19 groups and 13 tutors• Individually assessed students using 4 Mahara views (pages),

one for the tutor, potential employer, Placement Office and social view

The RisksThe risks of not using Mahara had to be argued:

• Continue with paper laden folders

• Continue risk adverse

• Miss an opportunity to develop digital literacies

Non-Issues• Acceptance by staff and

students

• Marking

Issues• Continued access to Mahara as a student and beyond

• Integration into the course (year 2, placement search, …)

• Addressing skills such as digital literacy and creativity

Wish List• Achieve a continuing and more

reflective personal development planning

• Integrate new digital literacies

with more use of voice, images and video

• Submission of Mahara collections rather than just pages for Moodle assessment

Closing Comments• Substantial Mahara activity now in all faculties

• Students beginning to ‘drive’ demand

• Need for a co-ordinated approach (not just academics)

Questions