As mentioned in my previous post, JISC Netskills is running a workshop at New College Nottingham on the 24th January (for more information and to book, click here) and I'm pleased to be able to give you more details about the 3 guest presentations. The presentations cover some fascinating topics and the presenters themselves have a wealth of experience in this field.
Who needs a system? Developing staff capacity to support learners in producing online portfolios.
Neil Currant, Academic Development Advisor, University of Salford
E-portfolios are a tool that allows learners to evidence their learning over-time, reflect and showcase their achievements. However, what happens when you don't have an e-portfolio system? How can we take advantage of readily available tools to achieve the same benefits to learners? At the University of Salford we are building the capacity of staff on the PGCHE to discover for themselves the benefits of e-portfolios with a view to how they can use them with their students.
This presentation will look at the impact the use of Wordpress, as an e-portfolio tool, has had on staff development. It is clear that staff development impact also closely mirrors the impact that e-portfolios have on learners. So lessons on the PGCHE seem equally applicable to a wide range of learners.
e-Portfolio based learning at the University of Wolverhampton
Emma Purnell, Blended Learning Advisor, University of Wolverhampton
The University of Wolverhampton has been using an eportfolio system (PebblePad) since 2005. Eportfolio based learning is in place in a number of discipline areas such as Psychology, Education, Nursing, Midwifery, Sociology, Accounting, Pharmacy, Bio-medical Science, Human Resources, Dance, Sport, Art & Design, Law, Construction and the Built Environment to name a few.
The majority of eportfolio practice across the institution starts with a scaffolded template approach. This template structure is evident in individual elements such as eportfolio based action plans and skills audits but the most widely used practice is that of eportfolio templates. Tutors across the institution create a scaffolded framework within an eportfolio for the learner to copy and make their own. The template guides the learner through completing the necessary elements but is flexible enough that learners can be creative in the development process.
This session will look at a range of eportfolio templates and how they are used. It will showcase learners finished eportfolios that were once based on a template. Finally we will look at the most recent eportfolio developments at the university where we are using our eportfolio system for Distance Learning, where it is being used as both VLE and eportfolio.
Embedding Mahara at Birmingham City University: experiences of two early adopters
Professor Alan Staley, Birmingham City University
This presentation will focus on the progress that is being made in embedding the Mahara e-Portfolio system at Birmingham City University. In particular two case studies will be described which have had significant impact on subsequent adoption. The first of these relates to the Business School in the context of skills development for first year degree students, and also use with post-graduate students. The second relates to the Law School, again in the context of skills development. Examples of student e-Portfolios can be seen, and there will also be the opportunity to hear some feedback from students.
