ePortfolios are re-shaping the landscape of higher education through changes in how students learn and how faculty teach. To be considered a meaningful mechanism for the development of knowledge, ePortfolios must focus on reflection and the assessment of that reflection, and enable the creation of connections between learning experiences that happen in various contexts and environments, thus supporting deep learning. ePortfolio, using PebblePad, was implemented as an innovative assessment tool in an Indigenous business course - 3100AFE Engaging with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Business Communities. In this presentation we will take you through how the student learning needs were addressed by use of PebblePad as an ePortfolio platform, impact of its use, and the key issues - what worked and what did not, and advice for other academics who are thinking to (1) use eportfolios as an assessment tool, and (2) use of PebblePad as an ePortfolio tool.

1. Implementation of PebblePad
ePortfolios as an assessment
tool in a mixed-mode
Indigenous business course
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
Dr Khamsum Kinley
Learning and Teaching Consultant
(Design)
Dr Kerry Bodle
Senior Lecturer
Department of Accounting,
Economics and Finance

2. Acknowledgement
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 Dr Chris Campbell
 Lenka Boorer
 Megan Duffy
 John Bourke
 Jenny James

3. The Course
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 3100AFE Engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Business
Communities
 A third year course
 8 modules
 3 Assessment tasks
 Research based assignment -ePoster
 Reflective Journal ePortfolio
 ePresentation-video

4. The Assessment
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 ePorfolio using PebblePad
 8 Reflective Journals
 Designed to assess students’ ability
to apply core concepts of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander society
 Assessed on their ability to reflect on
their learning about cross-cultural
issues presented in 3100AFE
 Marked using marking criteria

5. Literature Review - ePortfolios
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 Improving pedagogy is an important concept in the 21st century.
 ePortfolios are a tool that can support deep learning as well as reflection across
numerous contexts (Harring & Luo, 2016).
 ePortfolios are increasingly important in student learning in higher education as
they can enhance the student experience (Goldsmith, 2007; Morales, Soler-
Domínguez, & Tarkovska, 2016).
 Students find the use of ePortfolios to be positive to their education and
improvement when compared to a traditional learning approach (Morales, Soler-
Domínguez, & Tarkovska, 2016).

6. Literature Review - PebblePad
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 PebblePad is often described as an ePortfolio system
 Regarded as Personal Learning Environment
 PebblePad contains both a space to support individual personal
learning (Pebble+) and a space to support institutional teaching,
learning and assessment (ATLAS)
 Can be used for a range of activities in areas of learning and teaching
 Great tool for reflection and self regulation

7. Our Approach
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 Assessment details in PebblePad
 Design reflective journal template in PebblePad
 Design workbook reflective journal in PebblePad
 Create LTI link in Learning@Griffith (LMS) for PebblePad
 Design and add user guide to Learning@Griffith for students
 Mark the assessment in ATLAS in PebblePad

8. PebblePad as an ePortfolio assessment tool
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 University wide implementation and support for PebblePad
 Career pathways
 Employability strategy -> create once and keep forever.
 Work online 24x7

9. Why?
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
Why did we use of PebblePad? What was the learning need addressed by
PebblePad?
 Supporting and inspiring students to own, transform and communicate
their life-long learning journey
 ePortfolio and PebblePad can connect students to their futures
 ePortfolio and PebblePad enable students to reflect on their learning and
achievement

10. How?
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
How did we employ PebblePad to meet the learning need?
 PebblePad as an ePortfolio platform
 Reflective template in PebblePad
 Workbook in PebblePad
 Workspace in ATLAS
 Auto-submit

11. What?
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
What was the impact of the use of PebblePad on learning?
 Enhance student learning experience
 Help students to reflect on their learning and achievement
 Data from SET/SEC
“I really found how the assessments were all very visual in PebblePad
and that Kerry was very supportive of each assessments”.

12. How did students use PebblePad?
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 Access PebblePad workbook via Learning@Griffith
 Work on individual reflective journal over a few weeks
 Work online anytime 24x7
 Save…save….
 Receive feedback and grade online

13. Feedback on ePorfolio assessment
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 Marked in ATLAS using marking criteria rubric
 Provided written feedback
 Released both the written feedback and grades

14. Student experience
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
ePortfolio
 Pre survey – 2016 results indicate that “Despite having low knowledge and experience, attitudes
and expectations towards ePortfolios as an aid to learning were relatively high”.
 Post survey – 2016 results indicate that..
“Over 80% of participants agree that using ePortfolio has been a valuable experience which has
enhanced their learning and understanding of the course”.
PebblePad
 Data from SET/SEC
“I really found how the assessments were all very visual in PebblePad and that Kerry was very
supportive of each assessments”.

15. What we thought?
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 The assessment tasks for this course were innovative, appropriate to
the course content
 Innovative tool – use of PebblePad as an assessment tool
 Enhance students learning experience
 Challenging too.

16. Implication of using ePortfolio/PebblePad
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 Innovative tool
 Active learning
 Career development
 ‘Reusable’ assets/template/workbook
 Griffith’s Digital First strategy

17. Challenges of using ePortfolio/PebblePad
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 Students need to be trained or made familiar with PebblePad
 Students require additional written and communication activities
 No spell check
 No text matching check
 Students worried they would lose their work or their assessment not
submitted.

18. Sharing our (scholarly) experience
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 2017 PebblePad Symposium – celebrating teaching week
 2018 ePorfolio Forum
 A Journal paper on students’ perception and experience (work in
progress)
 Future conference

19. Our tips
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
 Use Simple tool
 One assessment in PebblePad
 Reflective in nature
 Auto-submit submission
 Integrate into course site (Learning@Griffith) and mark centre

20. Griffith Business School, Griffith University
Dr Khamsum Kinley
k.kinley@griffith.edu.au
Dr Kerry Bodle
k.bodle@griffith.edu.au
Thank you