The promise and practicalities of e-portfolios: Getting Blackboard to deliverGuy Pursey & Nicola Langton8 January 2009

Outline

• Setting the scene

• ‘Adapting’ Blackboard

• Early evaluation

• Where next?

• Discussion: Adopt or adapt?

Setting the scene

• Blackboard since 2000

• Academic Suite in 2006

• Currently on Version 8

Setting the scene

PDP

PAR

Personal Tutor Meetings

PDPBlackboard

iLearn

• 2007/8• 4 pilots• Approx. 700 students• All using portfolios• All need training in Freshers’ Week…• …and support throughout the year!

Setting the scene

Issues with Blackboard’s Basic Portfolios…

• Technical

• Pedagogical

• Aesthetic

Setting the scene

Solutions…

• Other systems

• “Personal Portfolios”

• Improving help guides

• Adapting what we have…?

iLearn in Blackboard

Individual Learner Profile

Initial changes

• Step-by-step pop-up help

• Files stored in the Content System

• Link direct to tools from course

Adapting Blackboard

• Sticking with Blackboard

• Want closer integration between tool and course

• Something to ease training and support

addPageToPortfolio.jsp

Enter stage-left…

New entry point

Your first portfolio…

Preview

Enhancements

• Step-by-step help

• Preview buttons

• Some automated fields

• Built-in questionnaire

Individual Learner Profile

Evaluation

• 3 surveys• 4 focus groups

First Year Responses• 135 out of around 3000 (4.5%)

Staff Reponses• 50 out of 700 (7.1%)

Success…?

• Very little training

• Workshops easier

• Minimal queries

Issues

• Some technical issues

• Some confusion

• Staff engagement

• Future-proof?

What and where next?

• Basic improvements (more colour, etc)

• Web 2.0?

• Staff-student collaboration?

Adopt or adapt?

… or, of course, any other questions.

Thanks for listening!

E-mail: g.i.s.pursey@reading.ac.uk