Experience of PebblePad as a Student

RUTHY’S PEBBLEPAD PRESENTATION

VIDEO PRESENTATION

I first found out about PebblePad when I was doing a module at uni

called Working Towards the Future. The aim of the module was to

encourage students to understand the skills they have and to think about what they may need to do to make

themselves as employable as possible.

WHEN DID I FIRST USE PEBBLEPAD?

For this module we were asked to make a webfolio on PebblePad which contained:

Personal reflections from each lectureEvidence of personal research outside of

the lecturesCopies of our certificates and qualifications

A current CV and a personal referenceA Personal Development Plan

WHAT DID I DO FOR THE MODULE?

I really enjoyed working on PebblePad as I could include things like:

Photos of my artVideos which I found inspirational

A link to my blogMy goals for the future

And so much more!

WHAT DID I LIKE DURING THE MODULE?

I think the ability to have all these elements in one place, and the potential to

personalise my webfolio through colour schemes, fonts, layouts and pictures

helped my tutor to better understand who I am.

Being able to personalise my PebblePad homepage made it feel like PebblePad was

my own.

EXPERIENCE OF PERSONALISATION

EXPERIENCE OF PERSONALISATION

As an artist, I find it easier to express myself visually than through just

words alone. I feel PebblePad enabled me to create something that was far more visually effective and more interesting than a

bog standard essay.

PEBBLEPAD COMPARED TO ESSAY

PEBBLEPAD COMPARED TO ESSAY

The wizard prompts contained within PebblePad were really useful as they

reminded and encouraged me to reflect upon the work I was doing, or

the files I was uploading. This helped me to gain a deeper

understanding from my learning and to “connect the dots”, as it were, as

to how I might apply it in the future. It also allowed my tutors to

understand the thought processes behind my work to a greater extent.

EXPERIENCE OF WIZARD PROMPTS

EXPERIENCE OF WIZARD PROMPTS

• It was really helpful that files could be linked together from one central

umbrella webfolio and access to links to the webfolios within that

could be individually set to different users.

EXPERIENCE OF ANUMBRELLA WEBFOLIO

For example with this webfolio I have the main webfolio, which allows full access to

all the webfolios within it.I also have my university module webfolio,

which would allow access to the two webfolios within the university module webfolio but not

to anything within my main webfolio.Lastly, I also have my evidence building

webfolio, which allows access to purely this webfolio and nothing else.

This enabled me to give people access to just the files relevant to them, but at the same time keeping them all together for myself. This helped me maintain my confidentiality

within my work.

EXPERIENCE OF ANUMBRELLA WEBFOLIO

I believe PebblePad is a great resource for students.

By being based online it is more environmentally friendly than

traditional portfolio methods as it uses no paper or ink.

It is also more cost efficient as I don’t need to print anything off or buy

expensive portfolio case to present things in.

MY CONTINUED USAGE OF PEBBLEPAD

Even though I finished my uni module in December I have continued to use PebblePad.It has been especially useful to me as, due to a

medical condition I have (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) I often find it more difficult to

travel to drop off my CV or portfolio, where as with PebblePad I can just send it online.

Even though I could send a bog standard CV via email, I feel that being able to share an online

webfolio helps employers to get a better understanding of who I am as a person and not

just the words and facts I can put down on a sheet of paper.

MY CONTINUED USAGE OF PEBBLEPAD

Since using PebblePad I have successfully applied and been accepted for a temporary job in the area

of field in which I hope to work. Before I used PebblePad I don’t think I would have

had the confidence to apply for the job, as I felt that I did not have enough experience or

qualifications. I think that by reflecting on my various certificates

and experience, I have begun to understand the different qualities which I possess. This has helped

me view myself in a new light and given me the confidence to apply for things I would not

previously applied for.

MY CONTINUED USAGE OF PEBBLEPAD

As I’m doing my course part time this year I’ve been doing a mixture of both Stage 1

and Stage 2 modules. This meant I had already begun to use PebblePad and when a Stage 1 tutor

decided to introduce them to it in the first year, she asked me to show my fellow

Stage 1 course mates what I had found helpful.

HELPING MY PEERS

Some students were afraid of trying to use PebblePad as they felt that their IT skills may not be up to it. I was able to encourage them that they could work at different levels

and that they could just use just the basic features to begin with. However PebblePad offers the

opportunity to add extra things, personalize it, as they became more

confident with the software, e.g. incorporating pictures

HELPING MY PEERS

Students fed back that they really benefited from me helping them in a hands on manner,

giving them opportunities to have a go, rather than just giving verbal instructions.

With my Stage 1 tutor, we also produced a short hand-out, with written instructions explaining the basics, so that they had

something to take away to remind them of what I’d covered.

HELPING MY PEERS

THANKYOU