e-portfolio Groups - our Collaboration space plans

Last week we had our first project meeting for 2011. The research & thinking everyone did in the summer break has really paid off. The teachers involved have really thought out why & how they want their students to collaborate and how the Group function of the e-portfolio/Mahara platform can support that.

The Building Design team want to provide collaborative space for 3^rd years students to complete the first phase of a major Project. Students participate in the Building Designers Association Victoria student competition. In 2011, this competition is to develop a design for an Electric Vehicle Charging Station, using the Design Brief provided.
Phase 1 is the research /investigation phase of the project. Research areas include site, client brief, user groups, the local authority, case studies, building materials and construction systems. Research areas will be distributed among the student group and the students will share their research findings (as per standard architectural business practice). So the e-portfolio group will provide a space for this sharing and discussion of research. Not just a ‘place to put stuff’ but a real collaboration space where students can see what others are doing, comment on it, provide leads & good ideas to each other…

The focus of our Innovations project will be this initial phase but the teaching team see use of the collaborative space, as a way to share & discuss, will be on-going throughout the life of this Student Project.

The Gordon BDAV Design Project 2011 Group was created today, so we are up and running. Students start on Friday Feb 25^th. Student training is already scheduled for that day (setting up their e-portfolios and using the group space). Brainstorming to decide on the way they want to structure the group space in Mahara is also happening on 25 Feb.

We researched possibilities of using the group function to connect with ‘external’ groups but found few relevant groups so have decided to focus on ‘internal’ use of groups. Allan Fairchild hopes to promote this use of e-portfolio groups with Building & Design teachers state-wide (through their network) so in future there may be the opportunity to collaborate with students/teachers in other TAFE’s. This would be a really exciting extra dimension to using Mahara for students and teachers.