PebblePad Publications

PebblePad Research

With such a vast array of use, across so many different contexts, it probably won't come as a surprise to find that there's a wealth of published articles, research papers, presentations and case studies documenting how PebblePad is being used in practice. These papers offer fascinating insight into the increasingly innovative use of personal learning spaces and provide a solid base for further research and development. And don't forget all the fabulous case studies, publications and general resources from our PebblePad conferences, symposiums, online seminars, and special interest groups. Happy exploring.

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20 Jun

2017

Freeing the hoop jumpers: Eportfolio assessment to raise learner engagement on PgCert HE programmes

Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1. (2016)
Joy Robbins, John Dermo

Author(s): Joy Robbins, John Dermo, on Tuesday 20th June 2017

20 Jun

2017

Using TPACK to develop digital pedagogues: a higher education experience

In Journal of Computers in Education, Vol. 4, No. 1. (2017), pp. 71-86, doi:10.1007/s40692-016-0055-4

This paper explores the use of the TPACK model in two higher education e-learning courses in Australia that enhanced students’ ability to use technology in their learning and later in their professions. The courses focused on teaching students becoming digital pedagogues who could integrate technology and pedagogy and be more interactive teachers using the latest technologies. The aims of the two courses were to encourage students to become reflective learners and to create knowledge collaboratively. Newer technological tools, such as iPads, ePortfolios, and eBooks, were used to create digital pedagogies to enhance the students’ learning experience and obtain students’ reflections on the course. To maximize students’ learning, TPACK was used in the design of the course, the learning activities and the assessment. It was also used as a framework to analyze the data. Results from the survey data found that students increased their confidence and their understanding of the use of the different domains of TPACK. The study also found that the majority of students became digital pedagogues and took the opportunity to implement the TPACK model in their classrooms. It contributes to understanding the value of the overlapping area of TPACK and the conceptual space necessary to implement digital pedagogies.
Dorit Maor

Author(s): Dorit Maor, on Tuesday 20th June 2017

20 Jun

2017

Promoting Self-Regulated Learning: the potential of PebblePad+ as a holistic tool for education

Journal of Pedagogic Development, Vol. 6, No. 3. (2016)

The focus for this article is on the use of Information and Communications Technology to facilitate Self-Regulated Learning and reflection on professional practice through an e-portfolio diary/journal system. PP+ is a third generation e-portfolio development of software initially developed at the University of Wolverhampton in England. PebblePad+ is a transferable e-portfolio system that enables students to track their own professional competences and development over the length of their academic and professional career, as well as supporting their wider learning. It has been adopted in a variety of educational and industrial contexts both in the United Kingdom and Australia. This article will be of particular interest to those educationalists that recognise the importance of reflection in building powerful cognitive structures through Self-Regulated Learning, as well as the potential benefits of using Information and Communication Technology to create an e-portfolio of a student’s academic and professional achievements.
David Stoten

Author(s): David Stoten, on Tuesday 20th June 2017

20 Apr

2017

Creating an Eportfolio Culture on Campus through Platform Selection and Implementation

Peer review, Vol. 18, No. 3. (2016)
Candyce Reynolds, Melissa Pirie

Author(s): Candyce Reynolds, Melissa Pirie, on Thursday 20th April 2017

20 Apr

2017

ePortfolio-Based Learning Environments: Recommendations for Effective Scaffolding of Reflective Thinking in Higher Education

Educational Technology & Society, Vol. 19, No. 4. (2016), pp. 22-33

In addition to providing a useful repository for learning products, ePortfolios provide enhanced opportunities for the development of advanced learning skills. It can be argued, however, that ePortfolios are not being implemented effectively towards fulfilling this important function. This paper presents an investigation of an ePortfolio environment that scaffolded the learning of pre-service teachers. The environment was embedded within the PebblePad platform and utilised the Blog function to provide students with activities that were designed to enhance and support the skills and dispositions required to undertake action research. Prompts were provided to students to scaffold the completion of an action research project and provide additional activities that supported the enhancement of reflective thinking. The research study utilised an eLearning Lifecycle that provided a cyclic framework of review and implementation. The purpose of this model was to identify design principles for future iterations of ePortfolio-based learning environments. Findings suggest that the prompts and the ePortfolio environment were effective in scaffolding students’ reflective thinking. Additionally, design principles are suggested to ensure this research has both practical and theoretical significance for implementation in similar environments.
Pauline Roberts, Dorit Maor, Jan Herrington

Author(s): Pauline Roberts, Dorit Maor, Jan Herrington, on Thursday 20th April 2017

19 Apr

2017

Using PebblePad+ to Promote Teaching, Learning, and Assessment in a Business School

Management Teaching Review, Vol. 1, No. 1. (March 2016), pp. 58-62

The focus for this article is on the use of information and communications technology to facilitate the teaching of business and management through an e-portfolio diary/journal system. PebblePad+ is a transferable e-portfolio system that enables students to track their own professional competences and development over the length of their academic and professional career, as well as supporting their wider learning. This article will be of particular interest to those educationalists that recognize the importance of reflection in building powerful cognitive structures, as well as the potential benefits of using information and communication technology to create an e-portfolio of a student’s academic and professional achievements.
David Stoten

Author(s): David Stoten, on Wednesday 19th April 2017

16 Oct

2014

A complete Greenwich degree in a personal learning space

Compass Journal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 5, No. 9. (September 2014)

This Case study shows and explains the issues and value of placing a whole Greenwich first degree completed in Jan. 2007 into an e-portfolio. The purpose is to show proof of concept that it is possible and how it looks in basic form, when done retrospectively (6 years later). The completed portfolio was the presentation made at the APT Conference July 2013, audience members also able to access and explore it on personal devices in the session. The Case Study considers whether a degree can be presented inside a portfolio, what the issues are in creating a degree portfolio like this, what limitations may be encountered in the process. It then evaluates the value of this approach, and what might be done with a Greenwich University degree in this form.
G Rebbeck

Author(s): G Rebbeck, on Thursday 16th October 2014

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07 Jul

2014

Examining the efficacy of a work-based learning project: preparing new academics to teach in higher education

Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, Vol. 13, No. 3. (2012), pp. 147-158

Tertiary institutions have been called to account for the quality of their learning and teaching through measures such as Course Experience Questionnaires (CEQs). As institutional reputation and funding is linked to student responses, the capacity of academic staff to design and facilitate quality learning opportunities for twenty-first century learners is highly valued and increasingly encouraged by tertiary institutions. To align with the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations’ Provision of Professional Development for University Teaching in Australia, Charles Sturt University’s new academics are required to enrol in the introductory subject EEL409 of the Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching. The assessment in this subject is informed by the pedagogical theory of Work-based learning (WBL). The purpose of this paper is to report on the efficacy of this assessment in preparing new academics to undertake a teaching role in a higher education context. (Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 13(3), 147-158)
D Clarke, A Llewellynn

Author(s): D Clarke, A Llewellynn, on Monday 7th July 2014

02 Jul

2014

Does the use of multimedia technology change or improve first year Information System students’ level of reflection?

Reflective Practice, Vol. 13, No. 2. (23 February 2012), pp. 281-294, doi:10.1080/14623943.2012.659096

This research investigates if the use of multimedia technology to record reflective learning changed or improved first year information system students? level of reflection. The research is essentially a descriptive case study which utilises data collected from only one institution, a post-1992 UK university. Students prepared two reflections, one written and one where they could use whatever multimedia method they preferred. Gender made a significant impact on research findings, with some female students choosing not to submit a multimedia reflection in order to avoid using technology, while male students spent longer working on the multimedia reflection than they did on their written one, but the use of technology did not enhance their level of reflection or their grade. The research makes recommendations on how reflective practice and the craft aspects of IT related degrees should be considered mutually important.
Lynda Holland, Emma Purnell

Author(s): Lynda Holland, Emma Purnell, on Wednesday 2nd July 2014

02 Jul

2014

E-Portfolio for enhancing graduate research supervision

Quality Assurance in Education, Vol. 20, No. 1. (2012), pp. 54-65

Purpose – E-Portfolio is a powerful tool for demonstrating evidence of learning and achievements in graduate research. The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept, structure and functions of e-Portfolio in graduate research and discuss the significance of the role of e-Portfolio in enhancing the quality of graduate research students and their learning environment. Design/methodology/approach – The discussion starts with the concept of e-Portfolio in the context of modern digital technology and innovative educational perspectives, which emphasise critical thinking, social interaction, task-based learning, and independent learning. Findings – It is found that e-Portfolio greatly enhances three important aspects of research students: academic development, research profile and social networking. E-Portfolio empowers research students to take full control of their own learning and research journey. Originality/value – The paper shows that e-Portfolio contributes to the enhancement of educational practices in terms of moving the teaching and learning focus from supervisor-centred to student-centred learning and research, as well as from technological control to technological empowerment.
Q Le

Author(s): Q Le, on Wednesday 2nd July 2014

01 Jul

2014

‘It’s quite liberating turning up to a classroom without a pile of papers and equipment.’ Pedagogic bungee jumping: a strategy to rethink teaching in a technology-rich age?

Management in Education, Vol. 26, No. 2. (01 April 2012), pp. 58-63, doi:10.1177/0892020611431671

Initial Teacher Education (ITE) for the post-compulsory sector (PCE) in the UK is currently under review. Despite earlier plans to substantially increase the use of technology in ITE the Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) consultation findings recommend that ‘we will expect that teachers do develop their skills in this area to a limited extent on a mandatory basis' (LLUK, 2011b:12). This is a disappointing departure as other commissioned work such as that from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) (2009: 8) review of workforce development identified that this area was in need of continuous updating. This article will consider the need more than ever before to explore what Barnett identifies (2007: 1) as the links between teaching and learning in higher education and ‘pedagogic bungee jumping’ with the development of cultures supportive to experimental technology use in ITE focusing upon a group of teacher educators in a West Midlands ITE Partnership (higher education institute (HEI) and partner colleges).
Julie Hughes

Author(s): Julie Hughes, on Tuesday 1st July 2014

01 Jul

2014

Reflections on teaching gender to Australian sociology undergraduates in the neoliberal postfeminist classroom

Journal of Sociology, Vol. 49, No. 4. (01 December 2013), pp. 411-425, doi:10.1177/1440783313504053

This article doubles as a reflection piece and a primer in thinking about how to negotiate teaching gender in an evolving institutional climate. I argue that teaching gender in sociology sits at odds with the increasing neoliberal and postfeminist discourses, attitudes, and economics that currently structure Australian universities. First, I locate the context in which teachers of gender in sociology find themselves in Australia with an emphasis on how neoliberal and postfeminist discourses challenge students in developing a sociological imagination. Next, I examine the utility of feminist pedagogies based on my own experiences as a teacher. Specifically, I explore two strategies that I have employed in one gender-focused unit that I teach to address the challenges posed by neoliberal and postfeminist orthodoxy.
Meredith Nash

Author(s): Meredith Nash, on Tuesday 1st July 2014

30 Jun

2014

Exploring ways that ePortfolios can support the progressive development of graduate qualities and professional competencies

Higher Education Research & Development, Vol. 32, No. 6. (19 August 2013), pp. 871-887, doi:10.1080/07294360.2013.806437

Since the late-1990s, the University of South Australia has embedded seven Graduate Qualities across all programs. Subsequently, the higher education landscape has changed dramatically in terms of national policies and standards, as well as technologies available to support learning and teaching. Most higher education institutions now have their own list of qualities or attributes developed by graduates. Further changes in Australia include quality assurance accredited through a national body, such as the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, and the development of disciplinary Threshold Learning Outcomes under the Learning and Teaching Academic Standards project. Similar changes are underway internationally. A multi-disciplinary research project at University of South Australia explored how ePortfolios might enhance this learning environment with a focus on aligning standards, Graduate Qualities and professional requirements. This paper outlines approaches taken in Engineering and Law undergraduate programs using two different ePortfolio tools (PebblePad and Mahara), where we sought to discover if this would empower learners to articulate their achievements and to understand professional frameworks. Lessons learnt and evaluation data are presented, along with recommendations to support a progressive developmental approach across programs. Whilst the experiences relate to two disciplinary areas, the approach taken can be adapted for other programs. Many of the insights gained also apply to strategies that exclude ePortfolio tools.
Margaret Faulkner, Syed Mahfuzul Aziz, Vicki Waye, Elizabeth Smith

Author(s): Margaret Faulkner, Syed Mahfuzul Aziz, Vicki Waye, Elizabeth Smith, on Monday 30th June 2014

30 Jun

2014

EPortfolios, professional development and employability: some student perceptions

Campus-Wide Information Systems, Vol. 28, No. 3. (2011), pp. 164-174

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore business students' views about using ePortfolios at Victoria University (VU) in Melbourne. It also examines the extent to which students present ePortfolios to prospective employers in applying for jobs. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on the literature on ePortfolio use and the role of ePortfolios in the recruitment process together with results from an online survey of Professional Development students about the use of ePortfolios and the PebblePad platform. Findings – An analysis of online responses examines student views about the usefulness of ePortfolios, the PebblePad platform, and the relevance of an ePortfolio assessment task. The findings suggest that few students use or expect to use ePortfolios beyond the assessment requirements and highlight students' polarised views about the usefulness of PebblePad. Research limitations/implications – VU's Business Faculty needs to adopt a whole-of-course approach to embedding ePortfolios in the curriculum. Practical implications – At VU, ePortfolios are promoted to students as a personal learning system and as a creative means of communicating their employability skills. The findings suggest a need to review how ePortfolios are used, promoted and assessed in VU's programs. Originality/value – EPortfolios offer a structured, digital space where students can present evidence of employability skills and reflective capacity. While VU's Business students develop an ePortfolio to showcase their skills in one mandatory subject, ePortfolios must be better promoted as offering a medium for students to develop, store, and creatively present themselves to potential employers in a whole-of-course approach.
Woodley

Author(s): Woodley, on Monday 30th June 2014

30 Jun

2014

Special educational needs, e-learning and the reflective e-portfolio: implications for developing and assessing competence in pre-service education

Journal of Education for Teaching, Vol. 39, No. 2. (25 February 2013), pp. 181-196, doi:10.1080/02607476.2013.765191

This article reports on the use of e-portfolios to assess aspects of a one year, post-graduate pre-service teacher education programme in Northern Ireland within the specific context of special needs education. The rationale for using an e-portfolio for programme assessment and the potential it offers in demonstrating a range of teaching competencies is examined, with participants in the study challenged to develop their individual e-portfolios by selecting and presenting evidence for assessment drawn from a wide range of sources. In so doing they were asked to reflect upon their personal, academic and pedagogical learning and development across the pre-service year. The article also reports on the individual student experience of building an e-portfolio and attitudes towards its use for assessment purposes within pre-service education and beyond. Finally, it considers the potential for using e-portfolios across all phases of teacher education.
Jackie Lambe, Victor McNair, Ron Smith

Author(s): Jackie Lambe, Victor McNair, Ron Smith, on Monday 30th June 2014

19 Mar

2012

Student perceptions of using the PebblePad e-portfolio system to support self- and peer-based formative assessment

Technology, Pedagogy and Education, Vol. 21, No. 1. (1 March 2012), pp. 57-83, doi:10.1080/1475939x.2012.659884

The primary objective of the action research project discussed here was to monitor the implementation of an innovative course redesign in which the PebblePad e-portfolio system was used as the medium to support the introduction of self- and peer-based formative assessment strategies to approximately 170 students in the first year of a Bachelor of Education Honours Degree (BEd (Hons)) course. Successful completion of the four-year degree qualifies graduates to teach in primary (elementary) schools in Scotland. Action research was selected as a design due to its ability to support practitioner research whose express aim is to bring about change and improve practice through active learning and engagement. Students completed two questionnaires describing their experiences of assessment and feedback and of PebblePad usage on the course and detailing the impact of these on their ability to self-regulate learning. Findings were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis and indicate that self- and peer-based formative assessment was effective in fostering self-regulation in students and that this process was enhanced by adoption of the e-portfolio system. Further research may seek to explore the effectiveness of other ICT tools to support formative assessment and the extent to which self-regulation may foster positive attitudes to lifelong learning.
Mary Welsh

Author(s): Mary Welsh, on Monday 19th March 2012

17 Feb

2012

‘Anything other than silence’: using a personal learning system for continuing professional development

Innovations in Education and Teaching International, Vol. 49, No. 1. (31 January 2012), pp. 73-82, doi:10.1080/14703297.2012.647785

This paper investigates the use of a personal learning system (PLS) for continuing professional development (CPD) of academic staff. It examines which, if any, activities, habits or strategies triggered the use of the PLS when there was no immediate or external pressure to engage. It also investigates whether participants felt that using the PLS contributed to their CPD. The case studies in the project were undertaken within an action research approach. Data was gathered by participants posting to the blog tool within the PLS over an eight week period and then individual interviews were conducted. Participants reported that receiving feedback from the project manager on their postings and the prompts within the software to reflect were some of the main triggers for encouraging them to record their CPD. Analysis of the data revealed the distinction between how useful the PLS was during the project compared to its potential future usefulness. On a day-to-day level, several participants stated how the PLS helped them reflect on their work, recording it for processes such as appraisal, working and researching with colleagues and demonstrating fitness to practice in their profession. Some participants found that although the PLS was useful for individual activities, there was greater potential to enhance working practices if other colleagues became actively engaged. The potential of a PLS to support twenty-first century learning organisations is one of the project?s emergent areas of interest, which, in our opinion, merits further investigation.
Sarah Chesney, Jeremy Benson

Author(s): Sarah Chesney, Jeremy Benson, on Friday 17th February 2012

29 Nov

2011

‘There was a lot of learning going on’ Using a digital medium to support learning in a professional course for new HE lecturers

Computers & Education, Vol. 54, No. 3. (28 April 2010), pp. 701-708, doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.09.027

This small scale action research study investigated the experiences of learners over two iterations as they completed a patchwork text assignment within the digital medium of a personal learning system (PLS). The aim was to investigate the extent to which using a PLS can facilitate formative and collaborative feedback to assist student learning. A secondary question, linked to the course being a post graduate Certificate for new HE teachers within a geographically dispersed university, was to examine if using a PLS in the programme would influence their interest in using it with their own students in the future. This question is of particular importance for the tutors of this programme, as the university attracts mainly part-time students who are studying at a distance from the university campus. The study was carried out as part of the JISC funded Flourish Project, whose overall aim was to examine the use of a PLS to support the development of academic staff. A patchwork text assessment is a series of short independent pieces of writing, completed following formative peer feedback and then ‘stitched’ together by a reflexive commentary. A PLS provides a flexible digital online medium in which a learner is able to build a range of objects providing evidence from their professional practice or learning activities and to link these through reflective writing creating an e-portfolio for assessment. The digital medium allows the learner to share selected elements with others, including their peers and tutors, and to receive and give timely feedback electronically. Learners were asked to complete an on-line survey to capture initial evaluative feedback followed by focus groups to explore emerging concepts further. The findings identified that use of a patchwork text design was seen as beneficial by both participants and tutors in creating early and sustained engagement in the module, managing their assessment workload effectively, and making use of formative peer and tutor feedback to enhance their learning. Whilst our study concerns small numbers of participants and there was a low response rate in the second iteration, findings suggest that using the PLS stimulated ideas for future use within the participants’ own pedagogic practice. Further research is needed, with a larger number of respondents, to confirm whether this is a growing trend.
Sarah Chesney, Caroline Marcangelo

Author(s): Sarah Chesney, Caroline Marcangelo, on Tuesday 29th November 2011

29 Nov

2011

A little and often: unanticipated outcomes from an ePortfolio evaluation impacting on early identification of risk and non submission of work

Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Vol. 2, No. Feb. (2010)

Since 2005 all staff and students within the University of Wolverhampton have had access to an ePortfolio system – PebblePad. In 2007 the University ran a HEA Pathfinder Project ‘Embedding ePortfolio at level 1’ which involved 1800 level 1 learners and 31 members of staff across all academic schools. The staff development activities used to develop teacher capabilities tried to mirror the student experience to great success. The knowledge gained from this project was then taken into a University-wide impact evaluation. The evaluation identified anticipated and unanticipated outcomes of pedagogic processes for personal development planning (PDP) and e-portfolio development. This paper will deal with two key areas: 1) the early identification of risk and 2) the reduction in non-submission of work. This work now feeds into the University’s Blended Learning Strategy (2008a). The overarching aims of this strategy are to enhance student learning and to improve each student’s learning experience. This is articulated via student entitlements of which the following are directly addressed by this work: All students should be entitled to: Formative assessment/s opportunities on line with meaningful electronic assessment feedback; Have the opportunity to participate The paper will look at how an ePortfolio system was used to develop learner skills, learner support issues and how staff from a central department worked with discipline-based staff to help support their students, finally addressing institutional strategy and support issues. Keywords: personal development planning (PDP); ePortfolio; progression; formative feedback
M Lawton, E Purnell

Author(s): M Lawton, E Purnell, on Tuesday 29th November 2011

29 Nov

2011

Supporting Exercise Science students to respond to the challenges of an authentic work-integrated learning (WIL) assessment

Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, Vol. 11, No. 3. (2010), pp. 153-167

Work integrated learning (WIL) is increasingly more evident in higher education programs throughout Australia, as it offers valuable experiences for students by providing them with opportunities to translate theory into practice and, as they assume increasing responsibility in the workplace, transition from student to professional practitioner. The benefits of WIL are well documented and attest to preparing work-ready graduates by developing both generic and explicit career skills that position them positively to gain future employment. The purpose of this research was to investigate the nature and degree of support required by Bachelor of Exercise Science students to successfully undertake a WIL action research project in blended mode, during a 360 hour professional placement. Using semi-structured telephone interviews, students who have completed the subject in its prior format, were invited to design structures and systems that, in their view, would scaffold their learning and aid in their completion of the WIL subject assessment requirements. Participant data revealed three emerging themes of support: organizational, pedagogical, and interpersonal. In response to the research results, an online learning environment has been created that will developmentally scaffold student learning, assist students to participate as emerging professionals in the exercise science occupational cultural community, and successfully action their disciplinary, practical, interpersonal and reflective knowledge in authentic professional contexts.
D Clarke, C Litchfield, E Drinkwater

Author(s): D Clarke, C Litchfield, E Drinkwater, on Tuesday 29th November 2011

29 Nov

2011

The Transformative Role of ePortfolios: Feedback in Healthcare Learning

International Journal of ePortfolio, Vol. 1, No. 1. (2011), pp. 33-48

This article reports findings of a study based in Scotland that explored healthcare learners’ experiences of feedback and ePortfolios. Feedback is a highly complex, multi-dimensional phenomenon, and healthcare learners consider it essential for their learning, recognizing that without it patient safety may be compromised. This study sought to explore whether ePortfolios, with their dual emphasis on both the product and process of learning, could encourage deeper and broader learner engagement with feedback. Drawing upon three examples where ePortfolios have been embedded into the curriculum, our findings demonstrate that most participants were generally positive about using the ePortfolio to access, read, and store feedback on their assessments. In some cases where ePortfolio had been introduced across a program, a number of learners had also begun to use feedback provided through the ePortfolio as a springboard for reflection and planning for future development. However, many of our students missed the wider opportunities for long-term, regular creation of and engagement with feedback through the ePortfolio. After reviewing our implementation and using novel work based on threshold concepts, we propose the Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS) framework as a guide to support deeper learner engagement with feedback.
S Peacock, S Murray, J Kelly, A Scott

Author(s): S Peacock, S Murray, J Kelly, A Scott, on Tuesday 29th November 2011

29 Nov

2011

Teaching Reflective Skills and PDP to International Students: How effective is the use of PebblePad?

Brookes eJournal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 2, No. 5. (2010)

The aim of this paper is to discuss a pilot study designed to enhance international postgraduate students’ reflective skills in their Personal Development Planning (PDP) as part of their master’s course. A cohort of students in a special module used an e-portfolio, PebblePad, to create an action plan and a webfolio as reflective assessments that recorded their learning achievements and career aspirations. The paper discusses some of the issues related to teaching PDP to international students, the author’s initial perceptions on the benefits of using PebblePad and examples from the anonymous feedback from students collected at the end of the module.
C Meredith

Author(s): C Meredith, on Tuesday 29th November 2011

29 Nov

2011

An evaluation of the impact of e-Portfolio supported pedagogic processes on students’ reflective capacity

Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education (2010)

This paper describes research evaluating pedagogical strategies and processes that develop the reflective capacity of students. An Appreciative Inquiry framework was adopted to establish, from a student perspective, what works or ‘gives life’ in terms of supporting and encouraging a reflective capacity. The context was an undergraduate module with an explicit focus on employability and ‘transition-out’ of university. Students were drawn from a range of courses as diverse as Performing Arts, Business Management, Engineering and Computing Science. This presented both challenges and benefits. The module utilised an e-Portfolio tool (PebblePad) linked to formative and summative assessment to support students in their learning development, including reflection around personal and career development. Key elements of the module which developed the reflective capacity of students, evident in appreciative feedback, were a personal statement first assignment linked to interdisciplinary group work and activities which scaffold the reflective process. The paper discusses the pedagogical processes involved and highlights areas for further research.
S Wilson-Medhurst, A Turner

Author(s): S Wilson-Medhurst, A Turner, on Tuesday 29th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

Evaluating an e-Portfolio implementation with early adopters using Appreciative Inquiry

Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Vol. November (2010)

The benefits of using e-Portfolio tools to enhance the student learning experience have been widely reported. These benefits include opportunities for reflection, flexibility, connectivity and integrated learning. In recognition of these potential benefits to students, the University of Worcester adopted an institution-wide e-Portfolio system which is available to all staff and students at the university. In order to maximise the potential of this system, a study was carried out to elicit staff and student views as to what the benefits of using an e-Portfolio were. It is all too easy to focus on the negative aspects when struggling to implement a new initiative, particularly involving technology. With this in mind a conscious effort was made in the evaluation to value and learn from the positive experience of users. Feedback was sought from early adopters of the system in an Appreciative Inquiry framework in order to ascertain the benefits of using such a system, to both staff and students, and to inform future practice and recommendations. Findings of the inquiry indicated that there are three significant factors which can influence effective practice with e-Portfolios: tutor engagement, support and embeddedness. Whilst both staff and student users found the use of e-Portfolio beneficial for the teaching and learning process, the issues that were raised by each group were subtly different. This paper will discuss how staff and students perceive the benefits of using an e-Portfolio and the factors that can influence engagement. It will also consider the implications of using an Appreciative Inquiry approach in institutional research.
E Symonds

Author(s): E Symonds, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

Situated Personal Development Planning

Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Vol. November (2010)

In the UK, institutional strategies regarding Personal Development Planning (PDP) are based on two main approaches: 1) legitimising local practices, with an emphasis on PDP process, and 2) central approaches, often IT based, focused on meeting threshold requirements (Ward et al., 2006). This paper reports on the nature and purposes of situated PDP practices that have evolved in four academic programmes of study within a UK university that took the first approach. The study examines the sorts of local PDP practices that have developed within such an institutional framework; how they have come about and what they say about the role and nature of PDP. Using an ethnographic approach, supplemented by staff interviews and document analysis, the four case studies illustrate how an enabling institutional framework has afforded academic course teams the spaces to develop implicit and explicit PDP practices. In two cases a formal and explicit programme-deep model of PDP through e-Portfolio has been developed. In the others, there are implicit, but strong PDP practices evident although they are not necessarily claimed as PDP. The four case studies are not readily categorised but they do exhibit hybrid characteristics of the ‘professional’, ‘employment’ and ‘academic’ domains (Clegg and Bradley, 2006). In conclusion, it will be argued that the diverse and situated nature of PDP practices that have emerged in different contexts need not be seen as institutionally troublesome. These four cases present authentic pictures of what PDP has become, even if it isn’t called PDP.
P Hughes, N Currant, J Haigh, C Higgison, R Whitfield

Author(s): P Hughes, N Currant, J Haigh, C Higgison, R Whitfield, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

Using ePortfolios to combat plagiarism

In Hello! Where are you in the landscape of educational technology? Proceedings ascilite (2008)

Plagiarism is a growing issue of concern for the academic and wider community. Much is made of plagiarism detection software but it is widely held that detection software cannot be the only, nor even the principle preventative measure. ePortfolios are growing in popularity in universities and professional organisations where ePortfolio presentations allow users to present collections of evidence that support a particular intent; from job application to professional accreditation. Within well designed assessment, eportfolios can be used to present the outcomes of learning as well as the process by which that learning arose: the plans, draft notes, feedback comments, peer reviews, sketches and research blog. Some systems allow these learning artefacts to be presented as links from a narrative account; an example of meta-reflection, organising the individual items into a story of learning. This paper principally concerns a work in progress where eportfolio developers are working alongside academic colleagues to align plagiarism-suppressing eportfolio approaches with plagiarism detecting services to militate against cheating and improve learning.
C Dalziel

Author(s): C Dalziel, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

E-portfolios for staff development - using e-portfolios for an ITQ qualification

In Proceedings of the 7th International ePortfolio Conference: Innovation, creativity and accountability (2009), pp. 24-27

E-portfolios are an increasingly common feature in Higher Education (1) with many universities having already implemented institution-wide e-portfolio system. Whilst they are often introduced to support student learning (1) it quickly becomes obvious that these systems can support a myriad of uses for staff and organisational development. The University of Bradford introduced an institution-wide e-portfolio system in 2007 initially to support student personal development planning (PDP). In 2008, the university started to look seriously at how this system could be used to support staff in their continuing professional development (CPD). A range of uses were introduced: ! supporting performance review, ! supporting the academic development of teaching staff, ! professional accreditation submission, ! assessment of vocational qualifications for staff. It is the latter of these that this paper will address. This paper will look at the implementation processes of using an e-portfolio for the evidencing and submission of work for the ITQ National Vocational Qualification (NVQ), which demonstrates staff competence in the use of IT (Information Technology) in the workplace. It will also look at the views of those involved in delivering the ITQ from in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with assessors.
N Currant

Author(s): N Currant, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

Evaluation of the implementation of an ePortfolio system - processes versus platform?

In Proceedings of the 7th International ePortfolio Conference (2009), pp. 76-80

This work-in-progress paper reports on our evaluation of the institution-wide phased implementation of an e-portfolio system at City University. It discusses the methodologies and results of the evaluation and discusses how successful the e-portfolio system and the University’s current support model is in engaging students in the processes of: • Information/evidence collection • Organisation • Reflection • Planning • Feedback • Collaboration and • Presentation. (Adapted from Hartnell-Young et al., 2007, JISC 2008) Higher Education institutions are using e-portfolio platforms to support various requirements across diverse programmes. Inevitably, there are some inherent contradictions, for example between assessment of and for learning and between personal and institutional ownership. This paper uses the results of the evaluation to address the extent to which the affordances of the e-portfolio platform have enabled the realisation of the range of processes demanded by both staff and students.
N Sumner, O Fox, A Sultany

Author(s): N Sumner, O Fox, A Sultany, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

Use of an E-Portfolio to support the recording, reflection and presentation of academic, career and personal development

In Proceedings of the 7th International ePortfolio Conference (2009), pp. 71-75

This case-study paper analyses the affordances of an e-portfolio in relation to supporting students on placement and in developing, recording and reflecting on employability skills during the City University MA Publishing Studies programme. This paper draws on the collaborative working model established between the Programme Director, City University’s Learning Development Centre (LDC) and the Centre for Career and Skills Development (CCSD). Since the introduction of the e-portfolio on this programme in 2006-7, this paper attempts to capture the evolving practice in the use of e-portfolios which as will be demonstrated started as a bolt-on activity, but is now moving to the heart of curriculum delivery. The paper will examine the reasons for this development, both from the point of view of the needs of the students on the programme and a growing recognition of the potential of e-portfolios to meet the programme learning outcomes.
M Kernan, M Williams, O Fox, R Karimjee

Author(s): M Kernan, M Williams, O Fox, R Karimjee, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

Let's start at the very beginning? Using eportfolios for recording and claiming prior experiential learning

In Proceedings of the 9th ePortfolio & Identity Conference: (2011), pp. 179-182

ePortfolios are widely used to support learners and to structure their learning within and across taught curricula. The University of Wolverhampton has used eportfolios since 2005 across its taught curricula to provide scaffolded learning opportunities to help learners to develop their reflective practice and other associated skills such as critical thinking. Research from a JISC funded project has identified key pedagogic principles for designing an eportfolio –based pedagogy for work-based learners in small to medium sized enterprises (Felce, 2010; Felce and Purnell, 2010, 2011). Other research into the potential of eportfolio to support learning for work-based learners has shown that they “can encourage the user to reflect on their own progression and support them in identifying gaps between their experience, competence and associated qualifications” (Coolin and Harley, 2010:21). In supporting this genre of learners we need to recognise the broad range of tacit knowledge that arises from the learning that occurs in the workplace (Eraut, 2000; Evans, Kersh and Kontiainen, 2004 and Polyani, 1958). Within higher education we recognise, and award credits for, this experiential learning through the learner presenting evidence “to show that learning has taken place” (QAA, 2004:3) and can make use of technologies such as eportfolios to support learners in transferring their tacit knowledge into accredited learning. This paper discusses the rationale of the need for an eportfolio based tool to support learners in seeking to accredit learning achieved through their experiences and presents the findings of a project led by the University of Wolverhampton in conjunction with Pebble Learning Ltd to structure the application process for learners to apply for their learning to be accredited. Evaluations of two pilot groups of users are presented and the role of the eportfolio based tool as part of a learner journey is explained. The initial prototype was funded by the Staffordshire,
A Felce, S Sutherland, C Shaw, J Harvey

Author(s): A Felce, S Sutherland, C Shaw, J Harvey, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

An eportfolio based pedagogy for work-based learners:what we did and why

In Proceedings of the 9th ePortfolio & Identity Conference (2011), pp. 134-138

The University of Wolverhampton has used eportfolios to support learning and for personal development planning since 2005. Throughout this time eportfolios have also been used by learners based in work as part of their programme of studies, for instance in clinical placements and teacher placements. The success seen in their use in these areas led to the recognition that an eportfolio offers a potential learning environment for work-based learners. If well-designed, eportfolios can be utilised to support the reflexive learning that is recognised as an essential core element for these learners. Between 2009 and 2011 the University ran a JISC-funded project to build on the experiences from using eportfolios in the curriculum to develop an eportfolio based pedagogy for work-based learners in small to medium sized enterprises. This paper explains the participative action research based approach that was used to develop the pedagogy and outlines the design for the learning environment that resulted. Learner and employer evaluation is considered and the impacts of the project for the University of Wolverhampton and for the wider community are explained.
A Felce, E Purnell

Author(s): A Felce, E Purnell, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

From trainee to newly qualified teacher: drivers and barriers to using ePortfolios as an NQT

In Proceedings of the 9th ePortfolio & Identity Conference (2011), pp. 117-121

The potential for ePortfolio processes to support of life long learning has been widely extolled1. However the practicalities of extending ePortfolio activity across work/life transitions is under researched. This study reveals some of the drivers and barriers to taking ePortfolio practices developed by trainee teachers during a University based PGCE programme into a professional environment as they begin work as Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) in schools. Findings suggest that the ePortfolio context of use appears to have a strong influence on the extent to which the benefits of ePortfolio practices for NQTs can or cannot be realised. Tutor support, allocation of time and the requirements of assessment in part move the ePortfolio process forward during the PGCE year. This was not the case when the trainees as NQTs attempted to continue their ePortfolio work in their first teaching post. Despite trainees’ high expectations and commitment to ePortfolio activity for their NQT year it typically became a predominantly solitary activity that proved hard to sustain. Introduction
E Barratt Hacking, G Jone, S Martin, P Webber

Author(s): E Barratt Hacking, G Jone, S Martin, P Webber, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

Mixed methods? Exploring how an ePortfolio can support the development of employability skills through research and reflection

In Proceedings of the 9th ePortfolio & Identity Conference (2011), pp. 36-39

Introduction Given the current economic climate it is likely that more students will need to work in order to fund their studies. This research used an eportfolio template to investigate the current employment situation of second year Information Technology (IT) students, in a post 1992 University, their experience of applying for jobs; current employment status; the skills they have and the skills they identified needed improvement, using a series of scaffolded, eportfolio based activities aimed at helping them gain well paid employment while they study. By implication this would reduce the number of hour’s students may need to work during their studies and increase their graduate employability potential.
E Purnell, L Holland

Author(s): E Purnell, L Holland, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

Safe enough to dare: developing student and tutor digital identities through engagement with ePortfolios

In Proceedings of the 9th ePortfolio & Identity Conference (2011), pp. 225-230

This paper seeks to outline how two tutors, one on an undergraduate Therapeutic Arts course (Tutor A) and the other on a postgraduate Leadership Coaching course (Tutor B), worked collaboratively with a learning technologist to embed ePortfolios into the curricular structures of their respective programmes at the University of Derby (UoD). This was done in order to provide learners with a safe space in which to keep a record of achievements, track personal progress and reflect upon their development as learners (Phillips, 2005). The authors will illustrate how ePortfolios were employed to encourage learners to view their learning as an ongoing process existing beyond the boundaries of the classroom. They will also highlight how collectively they created a safe and supportive learning ecology (Cobb et al, 2003) within which to explore the full potential of their chosen ePortfolio before making it available to their learners. Collaborative activities which grew out of this project allowed everyone involved to explore further how ePortfolios can be used to support a myriad of learning activities. Creating such a space has been invaluable in helping to provide the tutors with a secure and familiar environment within which to develop the requisite digital skills needed to support their learners. It has afforded the tutors with opportunities to create their own digital identities in tandem with their learners. Most importantly, however, it has provided them with a supportive environment in which they felt safe enough to take risks. As a result of working on this project, they are now embracing the potential that other technologies might provide them in order to support their teaching. While both tutors started this project with divergent needs, they soon discovered that they had a lot in common, particularly with regards to their perceived notions of themselves as technology users and what they wanted out of the experience.
C Davis, R Schofield, J Taylor, S Raichura

Author(s): C Davis, R Schofield, J Taylor, S Raichura, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

Understanding the students' experiences of ePDP and the factors that shape their attitudes.

In Proceedings of the 9th ePortfolio & Identity Conference (2011), pp. 155-164

Using an action-research approach, e-PDP (electronically-supported Personal Development Planning) was embedded within an undergraduate psychology curriculum at an English university, for over two years. e-PDP was embedded in three ways: (a) information literacy microtasks, (b) logs of learning activities, and (c) e-portfolios submitted at the end of each academic year in which the students assessed their experiences and development across all units. This paper focuses on findings from the qualitative analysis of a sample of interviews with students. We identified a system of interconnected themes at the centre of which are the students’ attitudes towards reflective writing and the construction of e-portfolios. However, these attitudes were closely related to a perception of purpose (many different purposes, but also lack of purpose), as well as technical aspects (experiences of using the software), the guidance received from tutors and the students’ willingness (or reluctance) to disclose personal aspects in their e-portfolios.
A Gaitan, I McMurray, A Robertson, P Roberts, A Coughlin

Author(s): A Gaitan, I McMurray, A Robertson, P Roberts, A Coughlin, on Monday 28th November 2011

28 Nov

2011

It's written on the wind: Capturing the tangible benefits of using a Personal Learning space

In Proceedings of the 9th ePortfolio & Identity Conference (2011), pp. 70-73

This short paper will report on an attempt to measure the impact of ePortfolios, or personal learning spaces (PLS) on learning and administrative processes. In an era when institutions are under mounting pressure from a variety of stakeholders to increase efficiency and reduce costs, it makes sense for institutions to evaluate return on investment and look at the impact technological innovations have had upon these stakeholders. Having access to information that highlights the benefits of integrating technology into teaching and learning contexts has a number of advantages. It helps alter attitudes amongst staff who may be resistant to change, and it helps identify where resources need to be targeted when future decisions are being made. This is particularly important when considering the effective support of learners. Since the major cost item in instruction is personnel spend we know that reducing the time that faculty and other instructional personnel spend and transferring some tasks to technology-assisted activities constitute the key to cost savings in instruction. (Twigg 2000:48)
S Chesney, C Dalziel

Author(s): S Chesney, C Dalziel, on Monday 28th November 2011