Transcript Slide 1

Mahara: E-portfolio
An introduction for beginners
Renata van Dam – FE Tutor and Course Leader, ILT development officer
Lyndsey Welch – HE Lecturer and ILT Coordinator in Sport, Exercise and Fitness
Mahara
What is Mahara?
Te Reo Mãori - the language of the indigenous population of
New Zealand
“To think, thinking, thought”
Student centred e-portfolio system
Learners and staff can use Mahara to demonstrate their learning, skills and
development and record their achievements over time to a selected audience.
Session overview
How do you want to use Mahara?
Aim
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To introduce Mahara to maximise both formative and summative feedback
quality and opportunities in teaching and learning
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Case studies: - To share ideas on how Sport have used these technologies
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To compare “traditional” assessment methods and Mahara pages
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To discuss current and potential uses of such tools in different sectors
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To summarise potential departmental and pedagogical affordances
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To offer insight into the other things to consider
Good feedback
The seven principles of good feedback (Nicol and MacFarlane-Dick 2006)
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helps clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, expected standards)
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facilitates the development of self-assessment (reflection) in learning
3
delivers high quality information to students about their learning
4
encourages teacher and peer dialogue around learning
5
encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem
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provides opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance
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provides information to teachers that can be used to help shape the teaching
Mahara – case study 1
Reflective journals
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Period of extensive staff
development as part of LSIS bid
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Reflective process over 6-7
weeks
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Technology ‘expert’ supported
process by commenting on
reflection offering ways to move
forward.
Example
Other examples
Employability skills – journal of
skill development
Professional development for
students
Further work
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Building criteria into the
assessment grading grid to
promote reflection
Ways to build two way
dialogue
1
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5
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7
Mahara – case study 2
Supporting student work
•
Used to support 1st time pass
rates on Higher National
Diploma.
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Final outcome – students to
submit 4 pages on different
topics.
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Student share page with tutors
Example
Future work
•
•
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Tutors give intermediate
feedback on at least one
occasion
Students submit final assignment
•
Extending this provision
across other HND and Level
3 units
Encouraging more formative
feedback in other units
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Supporting feedback
Putting it into practice
Mahara page
including
images, video,
text, web links
etc.
Mahara page
made from a
template
Mahara page
with a journal
Mahara page with
file of
questionnaire
document or link
to or embedded
online
questionnaire
(e.g. Google form)
Poster
Magazine article
Reflective journal
Questionnaire
Booklet
Newspaper article
Log book
Mahara page with
videos/images of
student and
witness
statement can be
added into
feedback section
by tutor
Mahara page
with video of
presentation,
PPT slides and
note
Observation
Presentation
Performance
Display
Demonstration
Written report
Interview
Risk assessment
Case study
Research project
Paper portfolio
Mood board
What can be in a Mahara page?
What about IV and EV?
• Several options to share or
export pages
– Secret URL
– Give IV access to group
as an admin
– Export page at webpage
to put onto USB/disc
– Print page
• Obviously there will
be no video
• Possibly add video
link in a textbox
underneath
Other uses of Mahara
Group work/Peer reviews
• Wiki type activities - getting small groups to work on developing a
webpage on a certain topic
• Then students can peer review each others work and post feedback
Create networks, online communities and profile pages
• Groups can be set up by tutors for student to join, share pages, discuss
in forums and submit work
• “It’s like Facebook but in college”
Things to be aware of when providing feedback
• Feedback is private by default, but can be made public. The owner of
the content can then make it private – but this can’t be changed back
once done
• Editing of feedback is only available for 30 minutes
• Once left, feedback can’t be deleted/edited by the owner of the
page/journal or by the leaver of the feedback – it can only be made
private.
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Discussion
Small groups
1. How could Mahara be used with YOUR students?
If already using Mahara, how have you used it?
2. How could Mahara be used to improve your
current feedback practices? If already using
Mahara, how does it improve your practice?
Feedback
One example from each group
Possible pedagogical benefits
• More timely and accessible feedback – enhance reflection
• More private feedback
• Access to potentially more feedback from a range of sources
• Online feedback improves common issues such as illegibility
of writing and gives options for student to increase size of
font etc…
• Directive feedback
• More opportunity to reflect
• Encourages creativity and presentation skills
Possible departmental benefits
Efficiency
• The potential of peer feedback reduces the pressures on staff time
• Reduces the need for admin support collating assignments/returning
assignments to students
• More flexible access to assignments for marking
• Students can store work all in one place, minimising lose of work
• Reduces paper and printing
Consistency
• Template pages can be set up in Mahara
Final thoughts – practical application
Automated vs. Manual options
Departmental and Pedagogical Aims
Other tools – Quia, Hot Potatoes, Google Docs
Cohort Sizes/Type – Cost/Benefit analysis
Policies/Procedures
Platform Differences
Version Differences
Where to go now
Contact us – Renata van Dam or Lyndsey Welch
References
Nicol, D. and MacFarlane-Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and selfregulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice.
Studies in Higher Education 31(2): pp. 199-218.
Other interesting papers on this topic
Price, M., Handley, K., Millar, J. and O'Donovan, B. (2010). Feedback: all that
effort but what is the effect? Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education
35(3): pp. 277-289.
Shortis, M. and Burrows, S. (2009). A review of the status of online, semiautomated marking and feedback systems. Proceedings of: ATN Assessment
Conference 2009: Assessment in Different Dimensions. Melbourne, Australia,
pp. 302-312.
Yorke, J., Gibson, W. and Wilkinson, H. (2010). Towards sustainable marking
practises and improved quality of feedback in short-answer assessments. ATN
Assessment Conference. Sydney, Australia.