Mahara in the Sahara - Using e.Portolio's in 21st Century Learning

Today came the introduction of Mahara, an online tool used to create an e.Portfolio. With an 'e.Portfolio' assessment looming and time seeming to fly by at a great rate of knots, I very studiously took notes and viewed the tutorial's as instructed... and I'm glad I did! My previous impression was that Mahara was a resume'... a complex resume', but a resume' none the less. Indeed, I had underestimated its potential, both for me as a job-seeker, as well as for my future students.

Mahara allows you to essentially create a website all about you! Its like an iPhone... not just a phone, not just the Internet, it can give you emails, reminders, maps, a camera, a video recorder, a diary, a calender, and much more... but enough about the iPhone, it gets enough marketing already don't you think? My point is, Mahara is not just a glorified resume', it's also a social networking program, a web page, a blog, a forum, and the list goes on. It can be used to communicate with whomever you want, whenever you want, about whatever you choose. It is simply overwhelming to think of the options available - what to include, what not to include, and where to include it. So how does this apply to the classroom?

Obviously, students, particularly those currently or soon to be in the work force, can use this as a professional portfolio tool for employers, on which students can display not only their qualifications and education details, but can also use to demonstrate their very relevant and up-to-the-minute ICT skills.

This, though, is but a mere fraction of the possibilities that Mahara can offer. This program can be a one stop technology shop for teachers in all areas of the school to offer rewarding, engaging and relevant learning to their students. The two examples outlined below involved Mahara as a virtual classroom and as an assessment tool.

Mahara as a Virtual Classroom
This program offers teachers the opportunity to teach and students the opportunity to learn whenever and wherever they choose, in essence making learning possible outside of school hours where once it wasn't. Teachers can upload all types of information and content on a particular topic via links to websites, relevant and current articles, pod casts and videos,etc. which students can then access at will. Essentially, it is a medium whereby teachers can provide students with all of the knowledge and understanding they require from the curriculum. This is described as Mode 1 knowledge in the article Teacher Education and the New Knowledge Environment (Heath, 2001). Displaying the information in this way not only encourages self-directed learning as described in Engagement Theory (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999)and can be made to appeal to a whole variety of learning styles (Felder, 1991), but also frees up valuable time within the classroom for teachers to guide students through higher order thinking skills and complex reasoning, referred to as Mode 2 by Heath (2001) and Dimension 3 in the Dimensions of Learning (Marzano & Pickering, 1997). The classroom could also becomes paperless so trees will love the idea!

Mahara as an Assessment Tool
Mahara could also be used by teachers as a form of assessment, with students preparing e.Portfolio's on any number of topics, from planning a cocktail party in Home Ec to creating a site on a particular sport for PE or perhaps designing and undertaking an experiment in Science. The forum sections can be used to encourage active learning through peer teaching, the blogs to display self-reflecting and the views to promote literacy skills. In this way the flexibility and freedom of choice offered within the program offers students the opportunity to undertake a self-directed learning approach and allows them to make choices about their learning in a student-centred environment. Aldred (2010) explains that student-centred learning "builds students ownership which in turn makes the learning meaningful and engaging."

In all of the ways explained above, the use of Mahara has endless possibilities to encourage students to become life long learners, and ultimately survive and thrive in the knowledge economy.

Reference List

Aldred, S. (2010). Study Guide. Week 2: Learning Design Fundamentals. Rockhampton, QLD, Australia: CQ University

Felder, R. (1991). The Index of Learning Styles.
Retrieved 12 March 2010 from http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSpage.html

Heath, G. (2001). Teacher Education and the New Knowledge Environment. Fremantle, WA, Australia: Australian Association for Educational Research Conference.

Kearsley & Shneiderman, (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning.
Retrieved 1 March 2010 from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

The Albiene Christian University Adams Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2000). Why Use
Active Learning?
Retrieved 8 March 2010 from http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm