File:PebblePad in the Department of Occupational Therapy.ogv

English: Video interview on Youtube and Archive.org

In 2012, staff in the Department of Occupational Therapy recognized a need to begin using web-based learning tools to complement face-to-face teaching. These were needed to reach students on all campuses and to create more flexible learning opportunities for students who participate in a problem based learning curriculum in the Masters component of the course. Additionally, it was felt that the Department needed to embrace the growing web-based and technological learning environment, or be left seriously behind.

A literature review of occupational therapy research into web-based learning informed the development of guidelines to apply when designing web-based learning activities in a curriculum with a constructivist approach to learning. In particular, it was felt that web-based learning activities could provide a way for students to share knowledge they had created during the course.

In 2013, we selected the PebblePad system as the platform to create web-spaces where students could work collaboratively and share assignments. Students in third year were introduced to PebblePad and completed assignments and learning activities in three subjects over the year, with three of these resulting in access to shared knowledge resources created by the students. PebblePad was chosen it is supported at La Trobe University and so that resources could be accessed by students for the duration of their course. Students will have the opportunity to use the resources developed on placements in 2014.

Early feedback was sought from students about their experiences of using PebblePad, with the majority reporting that they found it difficult to use. Conversely, many reported that they regularly used FaceBook and YouTube in their learning.

We have learnt that students require a lot of support when introducing a new system and that benefits of sharing work need to be communicated more effectively, to gain support from students. For academics, developing the learning activities and understanding the system, although well supported by the University, was slow and fundamentally did not increase knowledge of a range of web-based tools. In reflection, PebblePad may not have been the most appropriate platform for the aims we wished to achieve. We are currently considering if and how to use PebblePad with new students in 2014 and what other web-based tools we could use. We would like to explore additional ways for academics to rapidly gain web-based learning literacy – the pace this year has been overall too slow.