Notes from PebbleBash session: Getting on to the Ladder

The session was guided by three questions:

  1. What strategies have proved useful in introducing learners early to the idea and the learning processes involved in developing an ePortfolio?
  2. How do you scaffold learning activities that engage students with the PebblePad environment from the outset in a meaningful way?
  3. What are the main traps or barriers to be aware of in the early (and risky) stages of learning PebblePad?

1. Useful strategies:

  • Introduce PebblePad prior to classes beginning:
  • useATLAS workspace as a hub with information and direct links to activities – see British Swimming example
  • leverage early enthusiasm and interest
  • initiate blog discussions between students and supervisors/tutors
  • Find ways to reward early engagement – e.g. a ‘Pebble+ user’ badge; adaptive release of tasks as they are completed, followed by a ‘Pebble+ explorer’ badge (British Swimming example again)
  • Make navigation easy for students to engage
  • Show exemplars of students’ work (not too fancy though as some people can be intimidated)
  • Use a ‘Read  Watch  Do’ approach in training (i.e. have people read before training, watch a video during training, then do a fun, immediately rewarding activity, such as changing the background)
  • Use concrete examples of paper and digital portfolios
  • Build instructions from a familiar base and relate to relevanttasks
  • Explain why they are using PebblePad before showing them howto use it
  • Bring in past students to talk about their experience and how it has helped them

2. Learning activities

  • Show students a map of course-wide ePortfolio/Pebblepadactivities
  • Show what a graduating ePortfoliomight look like
  • Always scaffold activities that are relevant
  • Introduce activities one step at a time
  • Introduce tasks for the purpose of learning (and failing) with features of pebblepad
  • Promote autonomy and self-directed learning
  • Use the eportfolio as a primary scaffold for learning activities
  • Find the ‘excitement point’ as a way in
  • Capitalise on early adopters – they can be mentors for others
  • Allow for co-discovery with your learners

3. Traps and barriers

  • Students don’t always read instructions
  • Beware using copy and submit for webfolios (they do not get the same ‘single use’ option)
  • Students don’t always understand the live link between their submissions and what they are doing in Pebble+
  • Don’t overuse the word ‘reflection’ – use language appropriate to the discipline
  • Don’t make things overly complicated at the outset – keep things reasonably simple at first
  • Don’t let students see you as the PebblePad‘expert’ – learn along with the students