e-portfolio at Coventry University - an introductory guide

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1 e-portfolio at Coventry University - an introductory guide This guide is for students and staff February 2014

2 CONTENTS About Mahara... 1 About this guide... 1 Access Coventry University s Mahara... 2 Dashboard - what s there when you have accessed Mahara... 2 Content - add information about you... 3 Content - use Journal in Mahara... 4 Portfolio - create a Mahara page... 6 Add a Title and Description to your page... 6 Add content to a page... 7 Change the number of columns on a page... 9 Other content blocks that you can add to a Mahara page Portfolio - share a page Share a page with a secret URL Alternative access Advice on alternative access to Mahara is available from Health & Wellbeing, telephone or disoff.ss@coventry.ac.uk Dr Anne Dickinson, Coventry University, CV1 5FB, UK

3 About Mahara Mahara e-portfolio guide Mahara enables you to create an online portfolio. You do this by assembling a selection of your résumé (curriculum vitae/cv), files, journals and links to your files onto a Mahara web page and sharing the page. You can create more than one page You can embed media that you keep elsewhere on the internet, for example YouTube You can also share your page with people who do not need to have a Mahara ID Here is a visual summary of what you can do in Mahara... About this guide Staff and students at Coventry University can use Mahara to create and share their own pages. In addition, students can submit a Mahara page to an assignment in Moodle (covered elsewhere). This introductory guide shows you how to: 1. Access Coventry University s Mahara from Moodle 2. Start your profile - add information (content) about yourself 3. Use journal in Mahara 4. Create a page - assemble your portfolio into a web page comprising some of your content 5. Share a portfolio page by creating a secret URL You can use this guide as a step-by-step tutorial or as a reference. A Dickinson, February 2014 P a g e 1

Access Coventry University s Mahara Log into Moodle: http://cumoodle.coventry.ac.uk You then type your Coventry University user name and password.

My e-portfolio (Mahara) Or: From a Moodle Assignment (students only) Students can also access Mahara from an e-portfolio module assignment that a tutor has set

4 Access Coventry University s Mahara Log into Moodle: You then type your Coventry University user name and password. Either: From Moodle (staff and students) When you have logged into Moodle, click the e-portfolio link. My e-portfolio (Mahara) Or: From a Moodle Assignment (students only) Students can also access Mahara from an e-portfolio module assignment that a tutor has set up in Moodle. Dashboard - what s there when you have accessed Mahara Having accessed Mahara, you will see the dashboard with the following tabbed options at the top: This link takes you back to Moodle P a g e 2 A Dickinson, February 2014

Content - add information about you Note: The material that you add is invisible to everyone until: You have added it to a page AND You have shared the page.

5 Content - add information about you Note: The material that you add is invisible to everyone until: You have added it to a page AND You have shared the page. Profile, Profile Pictures and Résumé tabs 1. Click Content (see image below). Profile should appear as a tab below. 2. Work along each of the Profile tabs, filling in the relevant information about you. 3. Important: after making changes to any tabbed page, click Save Profile 1. Click Content 2. Work along each of these Profile tabs 4. If you wish to add an icon that will appear when you communicate, click the Profile Pictures tab. 5. Then click the Résumé (curriculum vitae, CV) tab to add more details. Work along each Résumé tab, adding information about you. 6. Click Save on the bottom of a tabbed page when you have added information. 3. Important: click Save Profile 4. Profile Pictures for an image representing you 5. Work along each of these Résumé tabs Other Content tabs 6. Important: click Note that from the Content area, you can also: Save on a tabbed Add a file Create journals (blogs) within Mahara - see later page, if present Add plans, which include an area for adding tasks Access and edit Notes, a list of text box content blocks that you create on your pages (see later). A Dickinson, February 2014 P a g e 3

Content - use Journal in Mahara Journal in Mahara is a method you can use to store and display your writing such as a reflective diary, a set of articles or a blog.

6 Content - use Journal in Mahara Journal in Mahara is a method you can use to store and display your writing such as a reflective diary, a set of articles or a blog. You can have more than one journal in Mahara to reflect diverse subjects that you would write about. Nobody can see your journal until you add it to a Mahara page and share the page. You can add to a web page a single journal entry, the latest journal entries, or the whole journal. Add an entry to a Journal From your Mahara Dashboard, choose the Content tab, then the Journal tab. You can change the title and summary of the Journal by choosing the Settings option beside the journal's title. 1. By the current journal's title, choose the New Entry option. 1. New Entry You can change the journal s title and summary here (See the next page for an image showing the steps given in the following text.) 2. Add a Title to the item 3. In Entry, type the text of your journal entry (reflection, diary entry, thought, article). Note that you can use the editor to embolden text, add links and so on. Editing tip: you can paste your journal entry from Word if you wish: use the Paste from Word option to do this. It s a small paste icon with a W on it, located on the right of the edit icons: 4. IMPORTANT... add Tags to your journal item. It will be easier for you to find the entry later, amongst the many entries that you will have made. PLUS you can add to a page a set of journal entries that have been given the same tag. If you are not sure which tags you have already used, click the Show my Tags link. To know more about tags, click the information icon that is located beside the Tags text box. (You can also attach files to your journal and adjust whether comments can be added.) 5. Click Save entry P a g e 4 A Dickinson, February 2014

7 Add an entry to a Journal continued 2. Add a Title Tip: Paste from Word 3. Type your Text 4. Add Tags - IMPORTANT 5. Save Entry Tip: Click Show my tags to see tags you have already used Tip: Click the information icon to see help about an item. Nobody can see your journal until you have added it to a Mahara page and then shared the page. The following instructions show you how to create a Mahara page. A Dickinson, February 2014 P a g e 5

Portfolio - create a Mahara page You can create different web pages for different people to see. Note that the page is not visible until you have shared it. 1. Click the Portfolio tab.

Tip - you can use Copy a page if you have want to produce a page that is similar to one on your list. 1. Click Portfolio 2.

8 Portfolio - create a Mahara page You can create different web pages for different people to see. Note that the page is not visible until you have shared it. 1. Click the Portfolio tab. You should see the Pages tab By default, you see a dashboard page and a profile page. Any other pages that you create will be added to this list. 2. Click Create Page to create one from scratch. Tip - you can use Copy a page if you have want to produce a page that is similar to one on your list. 1. Click Portfolio 2. Click Create Page Your list of pages Creating a page: summary There are 3 steps to creating a page. These are shown in more detail on the following pages. Add a Title and Description to your page When you first create a page, it will display the Edit Title and Description tab. The title of your page will remain as Untitled if you do not change the title. Add content to your page A Mahara page can be made of several elements. It can include content such as information about yourself, all or part of a journal, a YouTube video. You need to drag a content block to add it to a page. Change the number of columns on a page You can change the number of columns using the Edit Layout option. Title and Description Number of columns Content P a g e 6 A Dickinson, February 2014

Add a Title and Description to your page 1. Add a Title and Description to your page, then click Save. You can always return to change these later. 1a. Add a title 1b. Add a description 1c.

9 Add a Title and Description to your page 1. Add a Title and Description to your page, then click Save. You can always return to change these later. 1a. Add a title 1b. Add a description 1c. Click Save Add content to a page Having added a title and description to a page, you can now add content. You should see the Portfolio then Pages tabs and Edit Content tabs uppermost. The following examples show you how to add a Journal item and how to embed a YouTube video to your page. For a list of other content blocks that you can add, see later in this guide. Choose the Portfolio tab and then Create Page or Edit an existing page. A - Add all or part of a Journal to a Mahara page (See the image at the top of the next page for more guidance) 1. Choose the Journals tab 2. Drag the required content block (a Journal / one Journal Entry / Recent Journal Entries / Tagged Journal entries, you choose) onto the page layout below. Wait for the Journal configuration window to appear. Fill in the appropriate details in the Configure window, then click Save. Note that for Recent Journal Entries option, you can choose the number of entries you wish to show. Any changes that you make to the Journal will automatically be reflected on the page. A Dickinson, February 2014 P a g e 7

10 Add all or part of a Journal to a Mahara page, ctd: 1. Journals 2. Drag the required Journal content block onto the page layout Wait for the Configure window B - Embed a YouTube video onto a Mahara page 1. From the External tab, drag the External media content block to add it to the page. Wait for the External media Configure window to appear. 1. Drag the External media block onto the page layout Wait for the Configure window... P a g e 8 A Dickinson, February 2014

Paste the URL of your YouTube video, and add the title, width and height that you need. 5. Click Save to save the information and close the Configure window. 6.

11 2. Use the link to go to YouTube (opens in a new window) and find the video that you want to embed. 3. From the new window, copy the URL of the YouTube video from your browser s address box at the top. 4. Paste the URL of your YouTube video, and add the title, width and height that you need. 5. Click Save to save the information and close the Configure window. 6. You should see your YouTube video embedded on the preview of your page. 2. Click to go to YouTube (see image below) 4. Paste the URL of your YouTube video to here 5. Click Save 3. Copy the URL of your YouTube video from here 6. An embedded YouTube video A Dickinson, February 2014 P a g e 9

Change the number of columns on a page You should see the Portfolio then Pages

Advanced options give you more combinations and to customise your layout too.

content block. (Tip: You can paste text from Word to a text box.

Picasa: You can add a PDF file from here. Journals: see earlier.

12 Change the number of columns on a page You should see the Portfolio then Pages tabs and the Edit layout tab uppermost. 1. Choose a layout. Advanced options give you more combinations and to customise your layout too. 2. When you have made your choice, scroll to the bottom and click Save. 1. Choose a layout 2. Click Save Other content blocks that you can add to a Mahara page Text box: content block. (Tip: You can paste text from Word to a text box.) Media: Image gallery lets you embed from external galleries eg Flickr, Picasa: You can add a PDF file from here. Journals: see earlier. General: includes Creative Commons licence Personal info: includes adding your entire résumé in one go. External: see earlier. Includes External Media eg YouTube P a g e 10 A Dickinson, February 2014

secret URL (web address) and to submit a page to a Moodle Assignment.

13 Portfolio - share a page Nobody else can see your page unless you share it. There are different ways that you can share a page: with a secret URL to a Moodle assignment with groups, with individuals, the public The following instructions show you how to share your page via a secret URL (web address) and to submit a page to a Moodle Assignment. Share a page with a secret URL Using this method, the person receiving the URL (for example, by ) does not have to log in to any account. So this is the best method to use if you want to show your page to a potential employer. 1. Click the Portfolio tab. 2. From the Portfolio tab, click the Shared by me tab. 3. From the Portfolio - Share page, click the pencil icon in the Secret URL list beside the title of the page that you wish to share. 1. Click Portfolio 2. Click Shared by me 4. Confirm that this is the page you wish to share 5. Click Add and a URL will appear. Copy this URL for sharing. 6. Edit the release dates, if you wish, by clicking the edit pencil and clicking Save You can add more secret URLs with different dates, to share with different people, if you wish. 3. Click the icon beside the appropriate page 4. Correct page? Look at the title 5. The Secret URL. Add has been clicked Add another secret URL, if you wish 6. Edit dates if you wish A Dickinson, February 2014 P a g e 11

e-portfolio guide using FolioSpaces

CUOnline e-portfolio guide using FolioSpaces Dr Anne Dickinson e-learning Unit, Coventry University CONTENTS Mahara e-portfolio guide using FolioSpaces... 1 Introduction to Mahara... 1 Accessing Mahara