s Universities
BY ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MICHAEL SANKEY
A recent sector scan across
multiple tools were being used, usually
system (LMS), three (6 percent) were
the functionality (or otherwise) of
Australasian universities conducted
in different schools or faculties to meet
using the portfolio tool in Bright Space
these tools.
by the Australasian Council on Open,
a particular or perceived need. So,
(D2L) LMS, two were using Google,
Distance and e-Learning (ACODE)
although the institution may have had
one each were using Chalk & Wire and
how higher education is embracing
found a variable uptake of ePortfolio
a centrally supported system, others
Career Hub, and seven (15 percent)
newer forms of technology and how
tools across the university sector.
(departments and often individuals)
had no centrally supported ePortfolio.
the role of the commercial marketplace
Although many universities now have
within the university were bypassing
In nearly all cases, those institutions
is changing. This is seen in the
well-established ePortfolio systems in
this for other (non-supported) solutions.
that had no centrally supported
plethora of social media tools that can
place, and have had for many years,
This is not necessarily a problem, but it
tool were currently trialling some
now slot (although not comfortably)
others are still grappling with, or slowly
does point to the fact that the centralised
different options.
into this virtual learning environment
moving towards, a more consistent
system may not necessarily be fully
approach to providing this institutional
hitting the mark or that the functionality
identify the products used, in many
linkedin.com/in/michaelsankey/) and
service for their students and staff.
of the tool is not understood well
cases this was accompanied by
a range of efficacious self-authoring
It is fair to say that although
enough by the staff and thereby
a disclaimer, such as ‘but we are
website tools sites (such as Wordpress
the students.
trialling X’ or ‘different schools have
[https://michaelsankey.com/], Weebly
different requirements, so we can’t
[https://www.weebly.com/au], and
ePortfolio has been on the higher
Not only did the sector scan
Anecdotally, this is partly to do with
space (such as LinkedIn, https://www.
education agenda for quite a few
Of the 48 institutions, 18 (38
years now, it has not necessarily
percent) were using the Mahara open
get any agreement’. So, although the
Wix [https://www.wix.com/]) making
been adopted as quickly as some
source tool, 10 (21 percent) were
above is simply a product list, there
it possible for students and staff to
may have hoped. In fact, it was the
using Pebble Pad, six (13 percent)
are implications that can be drawn
quickly develop an online presence.
dream of many, including myself,
were using the portfolio tool in their
from this, particularly when looking
As the functionality of these newer
that national projects such as the
Blackboard learning management
at some of the tools being used and
tools improves, some are seeing
Australian ePortfolio Project (http:// www.eportfoliopractice.qut.edu. au/) and, more recently, ePortfolios
ePortfolio Systems 2017: 48 Australasian Universities
Australia (https://eportfoliosaustralia. wordpress.com/) would have had a more profound impact on the uptake
7
of this tool within the sector. In some instances it has, but this dream has not In the ACODE sector scan Australasian universities responded. This represented all major Australian
n Pebble Pad
2
yet been fully realised. conducted in September 2017, 48
n Mahara
n Blackboard
2
18
3
n Google
and New Zealand universities and one from Fiji. The scan asked these institutions to identify which centrally supported ePortfolio tool they were using. This does not mean that this was
n Bright Space
n Other
6
n None
10
the only tool the institution was using; rather, it was the main tool they were using, thereby attracting some broader institutional support. In some instances,
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