presented at jisc rsc wm moodle mahara users forum dec 7th 2012

1. Mahara for personal development
and Assessment
T.MacKinnon
Senior tutor, e-learning
Language Centre, University of Warwick

2. Context
• Language Centre, 3000 students a year, 8
languages for academic credit.
• Accrediation against CEFR levels
• Recent overhaul of our assessment framework
• Delivery of blended learning through
Languages@Warwick
• Developing AfL and learning strategy use.

3. Challenges:
• Multi cultural team with differing
expectations of assessed activities and
differing concepts of an e-portfolio
• Range of tutor IT skills
• Range of pedagogical understanding and
experience

4. Using the Community of Practice approach.
• Course area to share the conceptualisation
• Shared resources for the student presentation
• Student support areas
• Hands-on sessions and drop-ins
• Virtual and face to face communication
• Cycle of review informing support and
development.

5. What is an e-portfolio?
• An e-portfolio is the product, created by the
learner, a collection of digital artefacts
articulating experiences, achievements and
learning.
(Jisc, Effective practice with e-portfolios)

6. Why use an e-portfolio?
• ‘An e-portfolio is a purposeful aggregation of digital
items – ideas, evidence, reflections, feedback
etc, which “presents” a selected audience with
evidence of a person’s learning and/or ability.’
Sutherland, S. and Powell, A. (2007), Cetis SIG mailing list discussions [www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/cetis-
portfolio.html] 9 July 2007

7. Integration of Mahara.

8. Propagating a community
of learners
• “Walled garden online
environments prevent
the occurrence of
serendipitous learning
connections with the
outside world”
http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2012/08/26-
internet-safety-talking-points.html

9. Assessment framwork:
Audience awareness, focus student has clearly selected 1 2.1 2.2 3 F little/no evidence of selection, poor
Appropriateness to task relevant materials for the purpose understanding of the purpose of
of assessment, shows page created for assessment, page
understanding of criteria. Page has does not have suitable tone for
a suitable tone, student has task, no real insights into student’s
articulated and evidenced their language learning persona.
language learning persona. Assessment view does not present
Assessment view presents a a coherent narrative of the
coherent narrative of the learner’s learner’s journey.
journey.
Effective use of e-portfolio good use of mahara, some 1 2.1 2.2 3 F minimal use of technical
assessment view for conveying the creativity, enhanced with good use possibilities, evidence and
learning process of range of media. Highly authentic, presentation do not enhance the
personal, engaging and thought narrative, difficult for assessor to
provoking, gives the right amount follow, seems contrived/
of detail, assessor can see student’s superficial. Not very interesting and
personal engagement with has little impact, story rambles and
language learning process and seems too long/too short or
efforts made to address difficulties. disjointed. No evidence of the
application of learning strategies
Analysis & Reflection extensive reflection and critical 1 2.1 2.2 3 F little analysis and reflection, mostly
(Why?, So what? Now what?) analysis, develops a clear personal descriptive, lacks explicit personal
narrative, shows understanding of awareness to apply to future
experiences and gives plans for language learning.
future language learning.

10. Outputs:
E-portfolio assessment group
Teaching resources for this year
Publically shared tutorials
Book chapter

11. When I first heard that it was necessary to make an e-portfolio of my
francophone journey, I thought it would not be a very useful exercise.
However, I am pleasantly surprised as to how it has given me the
chance to reflect and analyse my language learning process overall. It
has enabled me to structure and plan the way that I learn which is
something of a first for me, and I want to try and incorporate the
methods that I used here in future learning.
Overall, I am very pleased with the work I have done over the
year and am proud of the progress that this e-portfolio
displays. I feel that in tracking my progress and in really
thinking about how I learn and the best techniques for me I
have learnt a lot about myself, which will be invaluable for all
of my language learning in the future.

12. Next steps:
• The journey to a shared understanding was
worthwhile
• Back up options for auditing need work
• Project expanded to include levels 6 and 7
• Increasing student and tutor mahara use for
personal spaces and professional digital profile
use

13. Contact me:
T.MacKinnon@warwick.ac.uk
On youtube and twitter: WarwickLanguage
My website:
https://sites.google.com/site/lamodification/