Can e-Portfolios support professional and collaborative practice? Robin Trangmar, School of Education and Training, Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, Colwyn Bay LL28 4HZ r.trangmar@llandrillo.ac.uk

“We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.”

T.S. Eliot, The Four Quartets, Little Gidding V

Can e-Portfolios support professional and collaborative practice? ............................ 1

Abstract............................................................................................... 2

Key words ............................................................................................ 2

Acknowledgements ................................................................................. 2

Introduction.......................................................................................... 3

The Underpinning Model ........................................................................... 3

Why choose an e-portfolio system? .............................................................. 4

The Participants..................................................................................... 4

How the course was delivered .................................................................... 4

What were the learners asked to do? ............................................................ 5

What actually happened? .......................................................................... 5

Evaluation of the study ............................................................................ 7

What was the experience like for the course tutor? .......................................... 7

What was the experience like for the students? ............................................... 8

What could have been done differently?........................................................ 9

Findings............................................................................................... 9

What advice could be given to colleagues working in a similar setting? ................. 10

Bibliography........................................................................................ 12

Useful weblinks to PebblePad resources: .................................................. 13

Appendix 1: Survey questions and results..................................................... 14

1

Abstract

A small group of teachers undertook a degree module in professional development and used PebblePad (the e-portfolio system) to gather and share information and assets on-line. The module took place over 12 weeks and participants were given four hours of training to support their use of the technology.

Although the group was small, the findings give a good indication of the issues associated with using e-portfolios in support of a traditionally designed course, and indicate the importance of considering curriculum design when implementing new software tools. It also identifies the importance of creating good working examples for students to see, and of agreeing the submission of draft and final work to prevent tutors being overloaded with work. The issue of reflecting on action in the context of assessed work is also considered, and whether surface learning had an impact on participants’ behaviour.

A list of suggestions is provided for those intending to use e-portfolios with their students.

Key words

E-portfolios, PebblePad, Moodle, learning technology, surface learning

Acknowledgements

The author would like to express his thanks to Shane Sutherland and Pebble Learning for the free PebblePad accounts, the assessment gateway and the training and support, and to the course members of EDS319 for their patience and tolerance.

2

Introduction

This project focuses on the professional practice of teachers working in the lifelong learning (or post-16) sector and aims to see if an e-portfolio system can improve practice through the collection and sharing of on-line experiences and reflections.

Following a period of exploration of e-portfolio systems in which a range of systems were investigated (including Elgg, Mahara, and Mystuff (an Open University Moodle Module)) PebblePad was chosen as the system of choice for the pilot. The author was provided with a day's free training by Shane Sutherland at PebblePad and accounts for the participants were provided free of charge.

The intention of using an on-line system was to see if the creation and sharing of on-line journals and resources through an e-portfolio system by the participants could develop better practice.

Throughout this document, the expression ‘asset’ is used to describe “… skills, experiences and reflections typical of most learning experiences … and external file types” (Pebble Learning, 2009)

The Underpinning Model

Seely Brown and Adler (2008) identified the contrast between the Cartesian view of learning, and the social view of learning in their ‘Minds on Fire’ paper. Other authors have made a strong case for situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991), communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), and of tacit and explicit knowledge (Polanyi, 1996). In further education, and in many other education sectors, practitioners work in isolation and often have to make sense of complex situations based on their own understanding of events. Even where a mentor is provided to support the trainee or newly qualified teacher, it is often difficult to articulate what has happened, and then to revisit that reflection for later analysis. In many cases, reflection-in-action (Schön, 1983) occurs but the knowledge is then consigned to the practitioner’s tacit knowledgebase and may never be shared with a wider audience.

How would it be, if practitioners engaged in reflective practice using a tool which created an asset that could be visited by other practitioners, discussed and knowledge developed based on a complex and rich multi-dimensional analysis of the situation. This is the move from purely descriptive statements typical of the trainee teacher, to the complex professional analysis based on models such as Brookfield’s critical reflection using his four lenses (1995; 22-27), or Dreyfus & Dreyfus’ expert model of skills acquisition (1986).

Current learning technology supports this possibility through applications such as blogs and micro-blogs (such as Twitter) but there is a need to capture this development to demonstrate learning from and through experience. In a culture that encourages continuous professional development, which is frequently an attendance certificate, most teachers and trainers who are developing wider and deeper understanding of teaching, learning and assessment activities and events on a continuous basis, are not capturing nor demonstrating that evidence of professional practice.

It could be argued that an e-portfolio system is the ideal facility to capture evidence of ongoing and lifelong learning, in a way that is driven by the practitioner rather than the institution. The practitioner chooses to record and share certain assets with colleagues, and these can then be made available to employers or potential employers as demonstration of ongoing professional development.

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Why choose an e-portfolio system?

The author currently teaches on in-service teacher education courses for the lifelong learning sector, and as part of these courses trainee teachers are expected to reflect on their experiences and to develop their practice as a result. Far from keeping a regular journal, trainee teachers tend to provide a piece of work for assessment purposes which in most cases is descriptive and does nothing to create learning or develop understanding of underpinning issues through reflection. This piece of work is usually so outdated by the time the tutor gets to mark it that any feedback provided (supportive or otherwise) is largely irrelevant. What is missing from the trainee teacher’s reflection is the wider engagement with peers, mentors or tutors in order that a deeper understanding of events can occur. The ability of trainee teachers to share reflections online, and with others should give immediacy to reflection, and thus more value. Trainee teachers need to be using technologies in their own learning so that they are comfortable in using it in their teaching. If a portfolio is started during initial teacher training, then that portfolio should be able to continue with the teacher into their professional life.

The Participants

The group participating in the project are all teachers1 working in the lifelong learning sector. Four work in a college of further education (FE), two work as paramedic instructors with an ambulance service trust and one works as a first aid trainer. All were completing a module in professional practice as part of a BA (Hons) in Education and Training. The module was taught as a face to face session for two hours a week, spread over 12 weeks, supported through on-line resources in Moodle, the open source virtual learning environment (VLE).

The participants, who all had experience of different learning technology systems for supporting learning, were invited to participate to see if the use of an e-portfolio system could benefit their own practice and possibly that of their own learners.

In addition, the pilot was extended to two teacher educators, a learning technologist and an observer from ESTYN (the Welsh Inspectorate of Education). The course tutor was an active participant in the project to get experience of how an e-portfolio would impact on teaching and assessment processes.

How the course was delivered

Based on the learning outcomes of the module, the scheme of learning covered a range of aspects relevant to the module. The topics covered included;

• Professionalism – what does it mean?

• Personal Development Planning

• PebblePad workshop (1)

• Strategic Planning, the Individual & Learning Organisations

• Communities of practice

1 The expression teachers covers teachers, trainers, tutors and lecturers as these expressions are used interchangeably in the lifelong learning sector.

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• Tacit & explicit knowledge

• Reflection in Action, Reflection on action

• PebblePad workshop (2)

• Teaching and Learning in HE

• Review and discussion

The range of options within PebblePad was investigated to see which should be demonstrated to the participants. It was identified that two training sessions of two hours each should be delivered, one early in the module and one later in the module. The first session was a structured activity aimed at creating one asset, which was similar to the creation of other assets within PebblePad. In the first session participants were encouraged to share resources with each other and to comment on the resources with a view to the development of practice. The second session was delivered towards the end of the course to cover the creation of webfolios which aggregated assets together for the purpose of sharing a range of experiences and reflections, and for creating the final pieces of work for assessment.

What were the learners asked to do?

The learners were asked to provide three pieces of work for assessment purposes, namely,

• A Personal Development Plan (PDP);

• A presentation showing how they had mapped their development after their initial teacher training course, and,

• A critical appraisal of their own learning and learning experiences

What actually happened?

Some students initially shared trial resources, and some shared 'real' pieces of evidence. There was a conflict of interest between the roles of two participants which restricted the sharing of some assets. Three of the participants (including the course tutor) are active motorcyclists, and after attending a First Bike on Scene (FBoS) casualty care course which one of the participants was delivering, the three created a PebblePad reflection and shared their experience of the FBoS course as students and tutors.

There was some, but limited, evidence of sharing of activities taking place, but this tended to be restricted to those involved in shared practice (e.g. common areas within further education, and the ambulance service trust).

Of the events identified, one participant shared reviews of their daily work, and the course tutor explored an issue to do with the value of reflective practice, and ways of improving trainee teacher reflection. During a teacher training session, the course tutor experienced a critical incident when the External Examiner was present. The event was duly written up as a PebblePad asset and shared with the External Examiner, which led to a rounded discussion about what had occurred and how such events could be dealt with. This was felt to be particularly valuable due to the nature of teaching as essentially a solitary activity.

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As the module was being supported through Moodle, there was some confusion as to where the resources and any supporting information should be placed; in Moodle or in PebblePad.

Participants created the following resources:

Assets created: Assets received

18 27

58 39

48 6

15 8

22 26

36 33

62 (by course tutor) 13 with ongoing comments and discussion

48 received assets in total

When it came to the participants submitting their work, it was found that the assessment statements and indications of content in the module descriptor were too weakly described to give participants a clear understanding of what was expected (this is a curriculum design issue that needs to be rectified by the validating HEI). However it was identified by all the participants that the nature and structure of PebblePad had created an additional challenge by offering a non-traditional (electronic rather than paper based) approach for students to create and submit assessment items. Instead of the traditional single submission essay-based approach, there was the possibility of using a variety of web-based forms that could be completed and developed over a period of time. Participants also had to choose which assets to include in their webfolio.

The work submitted consisted in the main of word-processed documents that had been attached to the assets, or the PebblePad forms that had been filled out. In one case the participant confided that they had created a word processed document and then cut and pasted the content into the PebblePad form. There were no multi-media assets submitted (podcasts or vodcasts). Only one participant added photographs to the portfolio.

Two portfolios had strong reflective content, one of which was a rolling journal covering the participant’s normal working routines. The reflections were both ‘on action’ and ‘in action’ (after Schön 1983: 68) and were actioned and showed the impact of good reflective skills on evaluating events and the subsequent forward planning based on learning through reflection. The participants from the ambulance service trust generally provided better reflections than the other course participants, and it is thought that this is due to the stronger focus on reflection as part of the ambulance paramedic’s skills based on well researched nursing models of reflection. The other reflection (from a participant in the FE sector) showed strong decision-making skills in career planning based on good critical reflection.

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Evaluation of the study

The evaluation of the project covered two aspects:

• An online survey of all the participants conducted after the end of the project using Survey Monkey (the web-based questionnaire software), and

• A qualitative evaluation of the assets provided as part of the work created for assessment during the duration of the study. This used Bigg’s (1999) SOLO taxonomy to see how well knowledge was demonstrated, developed and integrated.

What was the experience like for the course tutor?

Several e-portfolio systems were initially trialled, and the course tutor generally found that many were too unstructured to make sense of the overall purpose of creating a collection of assets to show evidence of learning. PebblePad had a common feel and a clear structure to the way that 'assets' (resources which indicated an aspect of learning or development), were created. PebblePad is widely used by many schools and about 40 universities, and is also the model chosen by the Institute for Learning for recording personal development for the lifelong learning sector in England. It is the only system which is currently IMS standards compliant2.

The course tutor attended a one day training session with Shane Sutherland at PebblePad, and initially failed to engage with either the software or the process of using an e-portfolio system. After joining the Institute for Learning (which has a requirement to evidence 30 hours of learning through an e-portfolio system) the tutor realised that he needed to use the software in a meaningful way, and so created a working e-portfolio based on assets that were subsequently shared (where appropriate) with other course participants.

The flow of random shared assets created by some participants created challenges for the course tutor who found that it was necessary to look at each piece of work as it electronically flipped across the desk. It would have been better to set out some guidelines as to what should be shared, and when it was appropriate to share them.

From a tutor's viewpoint, assessing each participant’s e-portfolio for the module assessment also presented some challenges, as it was necessary to mark and give feedback electronically using PebblePad's Gateway (students send their completed Web Folio through the Gateway for the assessment deadline, after which they could not update their work).

2 IMS standards compliance means that the software has a common standard allowing transferability of resources between software packages

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What was the experience like for the students?

Ease of use: In general, how easy did you find the eportfolio system to use? Strongly

Agree Agree Disagree Strongly

disagree N/A Rating

Average Response

Count

Overall, it was easy to use. 0.0% (0) 85.7% (6)

0.0% (0) 14.3% (1)

0.0% (0)

2.71 7

I found it easier than creating a paper-based portfolio.

0.0% (0) 57.1% (4)

14.3% (1)

14.3% (1) 0.0% (0)

2.50 7

It saved me time in creating the portfolio.

0.0% (0) 57.1% (4)

14.3% (1)

14.3% (1) 0.0% (0)

2.50 7

It had useful templates to guide me in building my eportfolio.

28.6% (2) 28.6% (2)

0.0% (0) 14.3% (1) 28.6% (2)

3.00 7

It was easy to navigate around. 0.0% (0) 71.4% (5)

14.3% (1)

14.3% (1) 0.0% (0)

2.57 7

The templates helped me to reflect and develop my understanding of

the events I was recording

14.3% (1) 42.9% (3)

0.0% (0) 14.3% (1) 28.6% (2)

2.86 7

answered question 7

skipped question 1

One of the survey questions asked, “How did the ability to create a personal portfolio of work, rather than writing an academic assignment affect your approach to this assignment?” The responses were:

• It felt uncomfortable as this was not researching something that could be supported by references and so it affected the approach by giving it less time as I was unsure of the criteria. It took more time to get used to the software and I still have not used it to a fifth of its potential. It was not as easy to access as MS Word and I worked mostly on the templates and copied them into the assets [the PebblePad online forms] at a later date.

• It was like a breath of fresh air. I was able to work on my portfolio a piece at a time, enabling me to reflect on the work I was submitting and gain real value from the effort.

• I feel that more guidance was needed as the majority of assets created early on did not go into my final portfolio.

• It was a case of learning or trying to learn a new method when in my opinion utilising my own resources was easier.

• Less taxing - though it took time to get used to the software

• I enjoyed the method of building a portfolio but found PebblePad a little bit clunky in certain areas.

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Participants were asked to give advice to colleagues who might be considering using an e-portfolio system with their own students. Suggestions included;

• Use the paper based templates first to show students what type of information the e-portfolio can be used for and how they can be organised, followed by demonstrations of an organised portfolio, with individual exercises.

• Concentrate on the development of discussion around topic areas, using the community of practice to lead education.

• Have a go – it can be fun.

What could have been done differently?

Even though PebblePad has a reasonable clear structure, there are still many different types of assets that can be created (Ability, Activity, Achievement, Action Plan, Experience, Meeting, Thought, Blog, CV, Profile, Proforma and Web Folio). In some cases there is a possibility of overlap between the different types of asset, and this could have been more clearly described in the early training. The two assets that were demonstrated during the training were the Action Plan and the Web Folio. The course tutor should have also identified the Thought asset with the four types of thought possible (Journal, Reflective Journal, What? So What? Now What?, and Reflective Cycle). It would have been helpful to create a demonstration portfolio containing examples of all the assets for students to explore, with a focussed example to guide them into the assessment requirements.

What the course tutor did find challenging was that unlike the course VLE (Moodle) which tracks attendance and participation, he could not identify if participants were accessing resources on-line, and working on their own portfolios.

Findings

The sample size for the group was very small (n=8), and the results can only be regarded as indicators. Six completed the full survey, with one partial completion (see Appendix 1 for the full results and the survey details).

There was no clear agreement that e-portfolios could support professional and collaborative practice (Yes: 3; No: 1; Still not sure: 3), and no clear agreement if an e-portfolio could capture learning from experience (Yes: 3; No: 1; Still not sure: 3).

What was apparent was that in general participants from the ambulance service trust used stronger models of reflection and analysis to explore experiences. The assets created were (in general) well described and there was clear evidence of learning. However, those participants from further education generally did not reflect well, and tended to describe only what had happened and did not make connections between wider issues, or other sources (such as research studies or models of practice).

Although it is easy to be critical of the evidence provided, a discussion between the course tutor and a participant about a weakness in how people reflected in the context of an assessed course of study gave a revealing answer. Participants appeared to be doing just enough to get a reasonable grade for the assessment of the module, which was contributing towards their final degree classification. This suggests a link into work by Entwistle (1988) and Marton and Saljo (1997) on deep and surface learning, and had not been considered relevant until the evaluation of the assets took place. As a result of this information, the questionnaire included some items from Vermunt’s Inventory of

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Learning Approaches (1994, in Vermetten et.al., 1999) which will be used for further analysis to see if there is a link between the strategic learners and the personal study preferences.

The main barriers that participants identified in their responses received through the online survey included:

• Not clearly understanding the criteria for its use. Not everyone can use computers and it isn't as straightforward to use as scrolling down through a word processor. Time for learning new software would be needed.

• The speed of internet access can be an issue as the site is quite graphical and Flash based. If a low bandwidth, non-Flash version could be developed this would address this issue. In addition, many students are moving towards the use of mobile applications through the iPhone, newer technology phones, etc. The use of flash on these systems (Particularly the iPhone where it is not supported) could be a barrier to its uptake in this group of students.

• Navigation around the systems sometimes felt a little clunky, i.e. the CV.

• Having access to the web. Lack of feed back and having a need to use it.

• Non IT-literate students may be put off .

• User interface being a little clunky, sometimes it's just easier to upload a document rather than fill in one of the forms. People with lower level IT skills will lose heart with the system. If this was introduced for all staff some would ignore it like [they do with] Moodle.

What advice could be given to colleagues working in a similar setting?

• It is well worth looking at the studies that have been undertaken by other PebblePad users (especially Julie Hughes at Wolverhampton University) to see how they have implemented PebblePad projects.

• You need to think about the technology skills of the learners in general – in this project most participants were higher skilled but at least one learner who did not use technology beyond email and word processing struggled to make sense of the software.

• You need to make sure the IT support technicians at your place of work can understand the technology – the use of learning technology not embraced by your institution should not leave the learners behind. That’s not to say you shouldn’t innovate and try out new ideas though!

• Look at your teaching, learning and assessment strategies, and your curriculum frameworks from the new technology's perspective. Don't try and fit the old model into the new technology.

• If you are making the use of the e-portfolio system a requirement of the course, make sure the assessment requirements support this.

• Get a dummy account and create a demonstration portfolio that you can share with the learners.

• Have an on-line portfolio recording your own practice that you can share with students when necessary. In other words, don't just teach it – do it.

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• Ask yourself this: “what difference will the technology make?” and “why am I using this software?”

• Be clear with students about what assets can be shared, and why they are sharing them. If there is a requirement to review and discuss things on-line (for example a teaching observation) then agree when that can be done. Have some agreement as to how much formative discussion of assets can take place, before the final assessment work is submitted. This should assist the final summative assessment of work, and thus should ease the work load.

• Don’t assume that those who have completed a teaching qualification either know how to, or practice, reflection on their practice. Using an e-portfolio system won’t help them to develop these skills; they need to be taught and reinforced as part of the qualification or training provided alongside the e-portfolio system.

• Make sure that those who either don’t want to, or can’t engage with the technology have an alternative way of submitting work.

• Have a go. In the right setting, getting students to collaborate on a project like this has benefits for everyone’s practice. Just remember to negotiate the project ideas with them before you start, and involve them as you go along.

• Identify the risks before starting. How robust is the software? How secure is the website where the software is hosted? How is the students’ work backed-up? How are the students’ rights and interests protected (e.g. entitlement to fair assessment, security and protection of work, confidentiality of work)

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Bibliography

Beetham, H & Sharpe, R., (2007). Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age. Routledge

Beetham, H., (2002). Designing representations of practice for a community of knowledge practitioners. Issues in Information Design, Open University PUB-OU-53 downloaded from http://kn.open.ac.uk/public/getfile.cfm?documentfileid=2250 5 May 2009

Biggs, J., (1999) Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Buckingham, SRHE and Open University Press

Brookfield, S., (1995). Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Dreyfus, H., & Dreyfus, S (1986) Mind over Machine: the power of human intuition and expertise in the age of the computer. Oxford, Basil Blackwell

Entwistle, N., (1988) Styles of Learning and Teaching. London, David Fulton

Lave, J., & Wenger, E., (1991) Situated Learning: legitimate peripheral participation Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Marton, F., & Saljo, R., (1997) Approaches to learning, in Marton, F., Hounsell, D., & Entwistle, N. (Eds.) The experience of learning. Implications for teaching and studying in higher education. Edinburgh, Scottish Academic Press.

Pebble Learning, (2009). Definition of an asset, downloaded from http://www.pebblelearning.co.uk/features.asp 5 May 2009

Polanyi, M., 1996 The Tacit Dimension London, Routledge Keegan Paul

QAA, (2008). Guidelines for HE Progress Files downloaded from http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/progressfiles/guidelines/progfile2001.asp 19 November 2008

Schön, D., (1983). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. Basic Books

Seely Brown, J & Adler, P., (2008) Minds on Fire: Open Education, the Long Tail and Learning 2.0 Educause Review, January / February 2008

Vermetten, Y. J., Vermunt, J.D., & Lodewijks, G., (1999). A longitudinal perspective on learning strategies in higher education: Different viewpoints towards development. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 69, 221–242.

Vermunt, J. D., & Verloop, N. (1999). Congruence and friction between learning and teaching. Learning and Instruction, 9, 257–280.

Wegerif, R., (2006). Towards a Dialogic Understanding of the Relationship between Teaching Thinking and CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) downloaded from http://eric.exeter.ac.uk/exeter/bitstream/10036/41533/1/Towards%20a%20Dialogic%20Understanding.pdf 5 May 2009

Wenger, E., (1998) Communities of Practice. Learning as a social system Cambridge, Cambridge University Press

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Useful weblinks to PebblePad resources: Hughes, J. (2008). Letting in the Trojan mouse: Using an eportfolio system to re-think pedagogy. In Hello! Where are you in the landscape of educational technology? Proceedings ascilite, Melbourne 2008. http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/hughes.pdf

Hughes, J., (2006). Pebble Power! Downloaded from http://escalate.ac.uk/2610 5 May 2009

Jepson, A & Wright, G., (2006) PebblePad Eportfolio from the Student perspective. Downloaded from http://escalate.ac.uk/2962 5 May 2009

Thomas, K., (2007) Stepping stones to lifelong learning. Downloaded from http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/publications-reports-articles/web-articles/Web-Article461 5 May 2009

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Appendix 1: Survey questions and results

Can e-Portfolios support professional and collaborative practice?

1. I understand that: This survey is concerned with finding out more about how I used an eportfolio system and that I have been

fully informed of the aims and purposes of this survey; There is no compulsion for me to participate in this survey. If I choose

not to take part, this will not affect my college work in any way; If I do choose to participate, I may at any stage withdraw my

participation. If I choose to withdraw, this will not affect my college work in any way; Any information which I give will be used

solely for the purposes of the research which may include publications.

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

I agree to participate in this survey 100.0% 8

I do not wish to participate in this

survey  0.0% 0

  answered question 8

  skipped question 0

2. How would you rate your overall technology skills?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Very competent - I rarely need help

with software28.6% 2

Competant - I have good skills, but

sometimes need help with more

advanced features of software

57.1% 4

Beginner - I have a basic ability with

the software I need to use  0.0% 0

Poor - I generally struggle with the

software I need to use14.3% 1

  answered question 7

  skipped question 1

Page 1

3. This question is about your use of technology both at home and at work.

 Yes - Very

confidentlyYes - Confidently

Yes - but not

confidently

No - I never use

or do this

Response

Count

I can use basic file handling

techniques (open, close and save

files).

100.0% (7) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 7

I can use a word processor 100.0% (7) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 7

I can create tables using a word

processor100.0% (7) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 7

I can use a spreadsheet 85.7% (6) 14.3% (1) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 7

I can write functions in a

spreadsheet71.4% (5) 28.6% (2) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 7

I can use a database 57.1% (4) 0.0% (0) 28.6% (2) 14.3% (1) 7

I can create databases in Microsoft

Access (or similar)57.1% (4) 0.0% (0) 14.3% (1) 28.6% (2) 7

I can use PowerPoint (or similar

presentation software)100.0% (7) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 7

I can insert images into documents 100.0% (7) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 7

I can insert charts into documents 100.0% (7) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 7

I can insert hyperlinks in documents 85.7% (6) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 14.3% (1) 7

I can use email 100.0% (7) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 7

I can attach a file to an email

message100.0% (7) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 7

I can use online discussion forums 85.7% (6) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 14.3% (1) 7

I can search the web for information 100.0% (7) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 7

I can create a web page 42.9% (3) 28.6% (2) 0.0% (0) 28.6% (2) 7

I can use an interactive whiteboard 42.9% (3) 42.9% (3) 0.0% (0) 14.3% (1) 7

I can use mind mapping software to

plan learning or other projects28.6% (2) 28.6% (2) 14.3% (1) 28.6% (2) 7

  answered question 7

  skipped question 1

Page 2

4. As a teacher or trainer, how do you use the internet in your teaching?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

I do not use the Internet with my

students.  0.0% 0

I occasionally allow my students to

use the Internet to find information.14.3% 1

I know a variety of projects and

activities that effectively use the

Internet. I know sources for

collaborative projects, can direct

students to on-line tutorials and

learning resources, and encourage

a variety of online activities.

28.6% 2

I can design and implement an

Internet project or maintain an

educational Internet site (such as

Moodle).

57.1% 4

  answered question 7

  skipped question 1

Page 3

5. What online tools do you use? (select all those that apply)

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Blogs 60.0% 3

Twitter 40.0% 2

Podcasts 20.0% 1

Wikis 20.0% 1

Delicious 40.0% 2

Facebook / MySpace 20.0% 1

YouTube 80.0% 4

Flickr 40.0% 2

Discussion Groups 60.0% 3

Second Life 40.0% 2

Instant Messaging 20.0% 1

Google Docs 60.0% 3

 Other (please specify) 2

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6. In what sector do you work?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Further or Higher Education 71.4% 5

Ambulance Service Trust 28.6% 2

Prefer not to reply   0.0% 0

Other (please specify) 0

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7. What was your role in this project?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Student 57.1% 4

Teacher Trainer 14.3% 1

Course Tutor   0.0% 0

Learning technologist 14.3% 1

Learning and teaching advisor (ie

ESTYN)14.3% 1

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8. Based on the welcome page in PebblePad, how many assets did you create, and how many did you receive?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

 Assets created (number): 100.0% 7

 Assets received (number): 100.0% 7

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9. What did these assets cover (select all those that apply)

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Assets necessary for the

assessment of the professional

development module

85.7% 6

Assets related to your job role 71.4% 5

Assets related to your personal life

or interests57.1% 4

Assets related to another non-work

role for which you have to maintain a

portfolio of evidence

14.3% 1

Assets related to a professional

development record for your job42.9% 3

I didn't create any assets   0.0% 0

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10. Did you share any assets with anyone?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 100.0% 7

No   0.0% 0

I didn't create any assets   0.0% 0

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11. If you shared assets, who did you share them with? (select all those that apply)

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Other course members 85.7% 6

The course tutor 100.0% 7

Someone external to the course 14.3% 1

I didn't create any assets   0.0% 0

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12. Did you comment on other course member's assets?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 100.0% 7

No   0.0% 0

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13. Did you receive any feedback or comments on assets that you had shared with other course members?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 85.7% 6

No 14.3% 1

I didn't create any assets   0.0% 0

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14. If you received feedback or comments on your assets, was it:

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Generally useful 42.9% 3

Useful 14.3% 1

Not really useful 28.6% 2

I didn't get any feedback or

comments14.3% 1

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15. How did the ability to create a personal portfolio of work, rather than writing an academic assignment affect your approach

to this assignment?

 Response

Count

  7

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16. Did you attend either of the training sessions provided?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

One session 14.3% 1

Two sessions 85.7% 6

I didn't attend any sessions   0.0% 0

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17. Did you get additional support from anyone outside of the training sessions? (select all those that apply)

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

The course tutor. 66.7% 4

Other students on the course. 33.3% 2

Colleagues with ICT/ILT experience.   0.0% 0

The college's computer systems

support.  0.0% 0

The help files on PebblePad's

website33.3% 2

 Other (please specify) 1

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18. Will you continue to use the eportfolio system after the end of the course?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 42.9% 3

No 57.1% 4

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19. What impact has the use of the eportfolio system had for you in your professional role? (select all those that apply)

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

None 42.9% 3

Changes to my personal approach

to recording my learning and

devlopment

42.9% 3

Changes to my professional

practice14.3% 1

Provided additional information to

support my organisational role42.9% 3

 Other (please specify) 3

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20. In general, how easy did you find the eportfolio system to use?

 Strongly

AgreeAgree Disagree

Strongly

disagreeN/A

Rating

Average

Response

Count

Overall, it was easy to use. 0.0% (0) 85.7% (6) 0.0% (0) 14.3% (1) 0.0% (0) 2.71 7

I found it easier than creating a

paper-based portfolio.0.0% (0) 57.1% (4) 14.3% (1) 14.3% (1) 14.3% (1) 2.50 7

It saved me time in creating the

portfolio.0.0% (0) 57.1% (4) 14.3% (1) 14.3% (1) 14.3% (1) 2.50 7

It had useful templates to guide me

in building my eportfolio.28.6% (2) 28.6% (2) 0.0% (0) 14.3% (1) 28.6% (2) 3.00 7

It was easy to navigate around. 0.0% (0) 71.4% (5) 14.3% (1) 14.3% (1) 0.0% (0) 2.57 7

The templates helped me to reflect

and develop my understanding of

the events I was recording

14.3% (1) 42.9% (3) 0.0% (0) 14.3% (1) 28.6% (2) 2.80 7

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21. Did you submit your work for assessment using the eportfolio system?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes - I submitted my work online 85.7% 6

No - I found the eportfolio system too

difficult to use  0.0% 0

No - I preferred to complete a paper-

based portfolio  0.0% 0

No - I was an observer in the project 14.3% 1

Other (please specify)   0.0% 0

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22. If it was relevant to the course(s) you teach, would you use an eportfolio system?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 42.9% 3

No 57.1% 4

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23. Do you think that an eportfolio system can support professional and collaborative practice?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 42.9% 3

No 14.3% 1

I'm still not sure 42.9% 3

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24. Do you think an eportfolio system can effectively record learning from experience?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 42.9% 3

No 14.3% 1

I'm still not sure 42.9% 3

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25. From your experience of PebblePad, what barriers do you think might prevent a student using an eportfolio system?

 Response

Count

  7

  answered question 7

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26. What advice would you give to colleagues who were planning on using an eportfolio system?

 Response

Count

  7

  answered question 7

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27. Should staff have to maintain an eportfolio to record their learning and development as part of any future requirement to

maintain and record the number of hours of professional development they undertake?

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

Yes 28.6% 2

No 28.6% 2

I'm still not sure 42.9% 3

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28. If you don't want to complete this section, click the 'I'd rather miss this section' button below

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

I'd rather miss this section 57.1% 4

I want to do this section 42.9% 3

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29. The following statements reflect your views concerning matters related to learning, being educated, the division of tasks

between the student and the educational institution, and the contacts with other students. This part is not so much concerned

with the activities you actually undertake in your studies, as with what you consider to be important in general with regard to

studying and teaching.

 Disagree

entirely

Disagree

for the

most part

Undecided

or do not

know

Agree for

the most

part

Agree

entirely

Rating

Average

Response

Count

The things I learn have to be useful

for solving practical problems.25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 3.00 4

I like to be given precise instructions

as to how to go about solving a task

or doing an assignment.

0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 33.3% (1) 0.0% (0) 66.7% (2) 4.33 3

When I prepare myself for an

assessment, I prefer to do so

together with other students.

0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 75.0% (3) 0.0% (0) 3.50 4

To me, learning means trying to

approach a problem from many

different angles, including aspects

that were previously unknown to me.

0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 50.0% (2) 25.0% (1) 3.75 4

To me, learning is making sure that I

can reproduce the facts presented in

a course.

25.0% (1) 50.0% (2) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 2.50 4

I should look for relationships within

the subject matter of my own accord.0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 50.0% (2) 3.75 4

I like to be encouraged by other

students to process the study

materials at a particular pace.

25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 50.0% (2) 0.0% (0) 3.00 4

I should try to apply the theories

dealt with in a course to practical

situations.

0.0% (0) 50.0% (2) 0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 3.25 4

The teacher should encourage me

to combine the separate

components of a course into a

whole.

0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 50.0% (2) 50.0% (2) 4.50 4

If I have difficulty understanding a

particular topic, I should make an

effort to consult other sources.

0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 50.0% (2) 3.75 4

I prefer to do assignments together

with other students.25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 50.0% (2) 0.0% (0) 3.00 4

The teacher should explain clearly

what is important and what is less 0.0% (0) 50.0% (2) 0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 3.25 4

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important for me to know.

I prefer courses in which practical

applications of the theoretical

aspects are given.

0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 75.0% (3) 25.0% (1) 4.25 4

When I have difficulty understanding

something, the teacher should

encourage me to find a solution by

myself.

0.0% (0) 50.0% (2) 25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 3.00 4

To me, learning means acquiring

knowledge that I can use in everyday

life.

0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 50.0% (2) 25.0% (1) 3.75 4

Good teaching includes giving a lot

of questions and exercises to test

whether I have mastered the subject

matter.

0.0% (0) 50.0% (2) 0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 3.25 4

To test my own learning progress, I

should try to answer questions

about the subject matter which I

make up myself.

0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 3.50 4

The teacher should encourage me

to compare the various theories that

are dealt with in a course.

0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 75.0% (3) 25.0% (1) 4.25 4

I prefer to be told exactly what I need

to know for an assessment.0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 50.0% (2) 4.00 4

I consider it important to be advised

by other students as to how to

approach my studies.

0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 3.50 4

The teacher should encourage me

to check whether I have mastered

the subject matter.

0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 66.7% (2) 33.3% (1) 4.33 3

To me, learning means acquiring

knowledge and skills that I can apply

in practice.

0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 50.0% (2) 25.0% (1) 3.75 4

I should try to think up examples

using the study materials on my

own.

0.0% (0) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 3.50 4

The teacher should encourage me

to reflect on the way I study and how

to develop my own way of studying.

0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 50.0% (2) 50.0% (2) 4.50 4

I have a need to work together with

other students in my studies.25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 25.0% (1) 0.0% (0) 2.50 4

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30. Please enter your name and email address if you would like to be sent a copy of the research findings

 Response

Percent

Response

Count

 Name: 100.0% 5

 Email Address: 100.0% 5

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