PebblePad implementation: You DO need to walk before you can run

9 June 2010Dr Marg Faulkner

1

Acknowledgments and Contacts Thanks to UniSA staff and students for sharing their

experiences:• Law Program: Contact Professor Vicki Waye

– Lori Kambitsis, Sue Milne

Waye, Vicki and Faulkner, Margaret, forthcoming, 'Embedding e-Portfolios in a Law Program: Lessons From An Australian Law School, Journal of Legal Education

• Engineering Program: Contact Associate Professor Mahfuz Aziz, – Associate Professor John Fielke or Liz Smith

Smith E.J. “Online Assessment is not always quick and easy” forthcoming, EE2010, Aston University, 6-8 July 2010, Fielke, J., and Quinn D. “Supporting self-assessment using e-portfolios” AAEE, Adelaide, Australia, 6-9 December 2009 Smith E.J., Mills J.E. “E-portfolios and first year students – do we assume too much?", AAEE, Adelaide, Australia, 6-9 December 2009

• Natural and Built Environments: Contact Dr Ian Clark,– Dr Delene Weber, David Bruce, Dr Don Cameron

• Occupational Health & Safety: Contact Sue Gilbert-Hunt– Angela Berndt and Shelley Wright

• Medical Radiation 2010: Contact Eileen Giles or Denise Ogilvie• Midwifery Program: Contact Beth Grinter or Dr Kate Andre (Nursing & Midwifery)

– Professor Jan Pincombe for initial project into ePortfolios using in-house tool

Pincombe J, McKellar J. (2009) ePortfolio in midwifery education: The way of the future Submitted to ACM National Conference Midwives and Women-A Brilliant Blend held in Adelaide 22-25 September 2009

• Education Program: Contact Briony Carter, Assoc Professor Michele Simons and Careers Team: Tony McAvaney

• Global Experience: Contact Dr Tracey Bretag

• Learning & Teaching Unit, thanks for supporting staff: Academic Development: Contact Associate Professor Gavin Sanderson, Dr Christian Voigt, Dr Diana Quinn, Dr David Birbeck, Dr Dale Wache & Dr Stuart Dinmore Online Adviser Support: Hayley Timms – Contact Team Leader Wayne Pedder

University of South Australia

• South Australia

Source: This map is a Van der Grinten projection available to buy at http://www.odt.org/southupmaps.htm

University of South Australia-

36,000 students Multiple campusTrials 2008-2010 Business; Education, Arts & Social Sciences; Health Sciences Information Technology; Engineering and the Environment.

T&L Framework

In 2007 our new Framework featured:• 7 Graduate Qualities remain central• Experiential Learning opportunities

– Teaching-Research Nexus– Practice Based Learning– Service Learning

Investment into T&L• STEP 2010 and learnonline system

learnonline

2nd Transcript

• UniSA Transcript2 of graduate qualities

• PebblePad next generation

• Compliments the new Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (Australian European Diploma Statement)

Multiple ePortfolios

Diagram from UniSA Law e-Portfolio Project

ShowcaseThis is the space where work is completed for

social or self-determined purposes e.g. to

showcase to family, friends, potential

employers

Personal ReflectionThis is the personal and private space belonging

to the student where experiences and achievements are

recorded

AssessmentThis is the part of the personal space where work is completed for

assessment. Having work assessed & viewed by

others does not affect the privacy of the work created

for other reasons

Community of Practice

• Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

• AeP 2008 and 2009

• Flinders University

• RMIT University

2009 Projects Expanded

•Engineering (across all schools embedded into the common first year undergraduate program and pilots with third year and postgraduate students)•Natural and Built Environments (reflection with Postgraduate students)•Health Sciences (fourth year year Occupational Therapy undergraduates)•Education (professional placement undergraduate students)•Nursing and Midwifery (third year Midwifery undergraduates)•Global Experience students (elective course across many programs)

Issues Faced

• Political: DVC Academic champion left– Trial mode, strategy group formed

• Technical: 2009 moved to UniSA Server– Integrated with Directory– Increased from 150 to 2000 licences

• 250 Engineering students submitted 5mb avg files• 67% elected to use PP despite issues for next

course submission

Learning Culture at UniSA

• Portfolio approach new• Pedagogy may not go as

planned• Some students ignore formative

only assessment • Many left submission until the

last minute (increasing stress on system)

It will take time to appreciate

Evaluation Findings

• June 2009 surveys and interviews to evaluate ePortfolio implementation

• Survey tool developed with RMIT University

• Independent interviews funded from Law project – 15 in-depth interviews supplemented Law survey data collection

• For many it was not a positive experience

Teaching Culture at UniSA

• Change requires commitment from all stakeholders– Pilots continue despite uncertainty of

PP to continue at UniSA– Full scale implementation requires

certainty• Program approach ideal but not all staff

confident or sold on the benefits• Staff desire full integration of program,

efficient feedback and administration of ePortfolio systems

Evaluation Findings

• ePortfolios seen as assessment task rather than a tool for developing & recording graduate qualities

• Students sceptical about employer acceptance

• More supporting material required to assist students learn how to use Pebblepad

• Greater learning time devoted to development of reflective skills

2010 projects

• Despite the mixed evaluation all but one project continued in 2010

• Changes made to how Law students were introduced to ePortfolios– Data currently being analysed but some

hostility remains to the tool and tasks set

Developmental Nature

• Our experiences confirm the developmental nature of understanding ePortfolio concepts for all stakeholders as indicated by the review of UK experiences

(Joyes, Gray & Hartnell-Young 2009).

Mapping & Integration

ePortfolios enable integration to aid ‘becoming a ....’

Future Challenges

1. To determine the best approach for developing self-reflection, independent thinking and lifelong learning

2. To discover how we can increase awareness of support resources when required by students

3. To discover the best approach to gain industry support for the use of e-Portfolios by students?

Wishlist

1. Commitment (institutional, program staff, students and industry)

2. System Integration (to simplify technical skills required and increase efficiency)

3. Communities of Practice for staff and learners(institutional, discipline/program, profession)

Questions/Discussion

• Are our challenges similar to yours?• Have you achieved our wishlist?

• Is programme wide implementation the best approach?

• How do we implement and bring everyone along with us?