IT Induction
An hour-long induction activity has been created for you to use with your students, so you won't need to worry about showing your students what it is and how it works.
- You can choose to set it as a homework task, where your students can do a 'show and tell' during the next classroom session or seminar.
- You can choose to use it during an IT session with all your students are in one room. Find out more about room booking.
Resources for your students
You can link to these resources from your myCourse page:
Your students have access to the myPortfolio Help Site where they'll find resources to help then Plan, build, compile and submit their assessment.
> myPortfolio quick start guide (PDF)
Strategies for improved engagement:
“Lecturer engagement and enthusiasm is key to students building great ePortfolios”
Sam Taylor recently gave a presentation at Mahara UK 2014 on how great lecturers get the best from their students (see slides to the right).
Below are four strategies to ponder:
- Inspire them
Show your students an inspiring video - specifically a talk given by Sugata Mitra all about his 'Hole in the wall' project where kids in the slums of India taught themselves how to use a computer in English! - Create great templates with instruction
Giving your students an idea of what to produce can help them to plan and structure their work. - Past examples
If you are lucky enough to have previous students' work to hand, then getting permission from two of the to share their work as examples could help motivate your students. Otherwise show them the examples as shared above. - Peer Leaders
Employing previous students to act as mentors during IT sessions could help improve the quality of work. Great for them as it can be something to put on a CV and can be discussed during interviews!
Using the Hole in the Wall video
The rationale for showing my students Sugata Mitra's 'hole in the wall' video is to develop their self-efficacy, that they can use Mahara successfully. So long as they put the effort in to learn the system via watching the help videos provided.
For the students, watching the video really made them reflect on the resources and support that they have around them, and importantly that compared to the children in India they are in a very advantaged position.
My students were inspired by the children in the video and from this I have received no resistance from students who at first may be a little reticent about using Mahara software.
Dr Ruth McLellan, EdD, MA, BA (Hons), PGCE, HEA Fellow.
Recipient of 'outstanding feedback to students' category at the inaugural Student Teaching and Recognition (STAR) Awards 2013.