Megan Lawton

1. PebblePad: from pilot, to
implementation, to evaluation and
beyond …
Megan Lawton
University of Wolverhampton, UK
M.J.Lawton@wlv.ac.uk

2. Hello from the UK
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share our experiences with you.
My presentation will start by setting the UK context for the development of
PebblePad and then will address the implementation of the software in the
University of Wolverhampton.
I will then explore some of the institutional issues that we have identified
through an evaluation of pedagogic practices
Finally addressing present and future use within a strategic framework of
blended learning and graduate attributes.

3. Who is the University of Wolverhampton?
The University of Wolverhampton is:
• multi-campus based in three towns, Wolverhampton, Walsall and
Telford in the middle of the UK to the west of Birmingham
• approximately 22,000 students
• known for its successful widening participation
• also know for its use of Blended Learning and ePortfolio based
learning
• 8 academic schools and a number of central departments that
includes the Institute for Learning Enhancement (ILE)

4. Where do I work? ww.wlv.ac.uk/ile

5. UK context
• 2000 Quality Assurance Agency with others issue a
policy statement on a progress file for HE,
coming out of a recommendation in the
Dearing report 1997
• 2001 Guidelines for Progress files in HE
• 2005/06 perceived implementation date
• 2009 Personal development planning: guidance for
institutional policy and practice in HE

6. www.qaa.ac.uk

7. PDP is a structured and supported process undertaken by a
learner to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or
achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and
career development. It is an inclusive process, open to all
learners, in all HE provision settings, and at all levels.
QAA et al 2001 and 2009
What is personal development planning
(PDP)?

8. PDP framework - PACE

9. 2004/05
Pebble Pad pilot project: 4 academic schools, 200 students
2005/06
Pebble Pad live to all staff and students
2009
An evaluation of the impact of pedagogic processes for
personal development planning (PDP) and e-portfolio
development at the University of Wolverhampton.
2008/11
The Blended Learning Strategy – all student to have
opportunities for ePDP

10. Deepwell, F (2002)
• Both multi-disciplinary and multi-method
• Like Anderson et al (2000) "eclectic approach to the selection and
combination of research methods".
• Three distinct layers each with a discrete audience:
1st
the evaluation to guide the further development
2nd
informing decision-making around policy and practice
3rd
a vehicle to disseminate experiences to a wider
academic community
• Intended and observed outcomes based on Stake, R (1967)
countenance model

11. Scaffolded templates - tutor

12. Student example

13. IMS Global Impact Awards 2010
The Learning Impact Awards are designed to recognize
the most impactful use of technology worldwide in support
of learning.
Platinum Award (established initiatives):
PebblePad: from project, to pilot, to personalised learning
for all - PebblePad and University of Wolverhampton - UK
http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/cs_download/prese

14. Current projects - ePPSME
www.wlv.ac.uk/eppsme

15. Current projects -DePTA
www.jisc.ac.uk

16. We aim to produce Wolverhampton
Graduates who are knowledgeable
and enterprising, digitally literate
and are global citizens.
Learning Works 2009 -

17. “What is important, however, is that a patchwork is not just
a ‘collection’ but a ‘pattern’: in the end it does have a unity,
albeit made up of separate components. To begin with it is
defined by academic staff, as they carefully derive a
sequence of tasks from the course material. And finally it
is, … re-defined by individual students, … to write their
final section as an interpretation of what this course
material ‘means’, to them”,
Winter (2003: 119)on
Patchwork text …
A resonance with Graduate Attributes?

18. knowledge exchanger and producer,
interpersonal and communication skills,
ethical and professional approach,
community player,
critical thinking,
cultural fluidity,
innovation,
creativity,
reflexivity
Characteristics?

19. Contextualised by subject/course
Stitched
together by
students

20. Students who are graduating need to:
• Reflect on
• Articulate
• Evidence
• Apply …
what they have learnt while studying in HE

21. The Blended Learning Strategy
(2008-11)
ePortfolio based learning
PebblePad since 2005/06
Active users in 30
days = 18140
From
8 x 15
to
6 x 20
Long thin
modules
Graduate attributes
BL
Unit
… knowledgeable and enterprising,
digitally literate global citizens
6
‘Blends’
Learning
Works
ePDP evaluation 2009
Learner
spaces

22. Citations
• ‘Cushions’ with the kind permission of
http://fabricadabra.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/squint-patchwork-1cushion
• Deepwell, F (2002) Towards Capturing Complexity: an interactive
framework for institutional evaluation Educational Technology &
Society 5(3) 83-90
• Winter R. (2003) Contextualizing the Patchwork Text: addressing
problems of coursework assessment in higher education. The
Patchwork Text: A Radical Reassessment of coursework
Assignments. A Special Issue of Innovations in Education and
Teaching International 40, 112–122.