Tutor-led Mahara use at Southampton Solent University provides examples of how the ePortfolio system Mahara is being used across various courses and assessments to support employability. Examples include using Mahara to create research portfolios, log skills and experience such as lab and coaching hours, and develop career development plans with course evidence and independent learning. Tutors are encouraged to create many example portfolio pages and work closely with teams to develop strong case studies of Mahara use.

1. Tutor-led Mahara use
Southampton Solent University
• Samantha Moss
Learning Technologist
• Oliver Bailey
3rd Year PR & Communications

2. Background:
• 2008 Research into ePortfolios
• 2009 Pilots & usability testing
• 2010 Institution-wide roll out
• 2011 ‘Early adopters’ design bespoke activities to
support employability-focussed assessments
• 2012 More & more interest at course level

3. Examples of use…

4. Research Portfolios (1)
• Design Communication Webfolio
o 7 areas & themes to research & present
using ‘Collections’
o Encouraged to include video, images,
sketches, links and text
o Each page to have sufficient referencing
o Exported & submitted to Moodle ‘assignment upload’ activity
o http://mahara.solent.ac.uk/view/view.php?t=qfLA4dyC3B9bTxFN2Ju5
o http://mahara.solent.ac.uk/view/view.php?t=nZhQAKM7sXrIEYPGJzLa

5. Research Portfolios (2)
• Introduction to Marketing
o 5 areas to research & present
using ‘Collections’
o Encouraged to include video, images,
sketches, links and text
o Students to use groups for peer feedback
o Exported & submitted to Moodle ‘assignment upload’ activity
o http://mahara.solent.ac.uk/view/view.php?t=f1uxOF7Z3Y0I5kU6XzlP

6. Logging Skills & Experience
• Sport Science & Coaching
o Logging lab experiences, lab time with real
clients, coaching hours, coaching
qualifications
o Module results & assessment feedback
o Once a term students (about 90) to send a page to a ‘Course
Controlled’ Mahara group for feedback from their course leader
o http://mahara.solent.ac.uk/view/view.php?id=61720

7. Career Development Planning (1)
• Architectural Technology
o First year students – How to become a CM
of CIAT
o 2 Mahara pages:
Course Evidence and Independent Learning
o 6 month review and PD Plan + 10 examples of work (writing, drawings,
RA report…) plus outcomes of independent learning tasks
o Exported & submitted to Moodle ‘assignment upload’ activity

8. Career Development Planning (2)
• PR & Communications
o Helping students to focus on career path
prior to their compulsory 2 x two week work
placements
o Supported by Careers & Learning Technology
o Seminars, tutorials and hands on sessions
o Exported & submitted to Moodle ‘assignment upload’ activity
o http://bit.ly/casestudyprcomms

9. Assessment Rubric

10. http://bit.ly/oliverbailey

11. Tips for success:
• Create MANY example pages
• Pick an area and work very closely with
that team to create a great case study
• Make sure lecturers understand what it is and what it does
• Get your careers department involved
• Write ‘good news’ articles for internal journals/newsletters

12. Contacts:
Mahara user advice: Samantha Moss
samantha.moss@solent.ac.uk
@samwisemoss
Technical advice: Roger Emery
roger.emery@solent.ac.uk
@solentroger
Student perspective: Oliver Bailey
oliverbailey2009@hotmail.co.uk
@oliverbailey90
http://portal.solent.ac.uk/learningtechprofiles