The document summarizes a project to train teachers at Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE (GOTAFE) on using Mahara ePortfolios to document their vocational experience, professional development, and industry currency. Key outcomes included giving teachers a single system to log their qualifications, experience, and professional activities, as well as assisting managers with staff reviews. Teachers attended workshops where they learned how to create ePortfolios, add journals, resumes and other evidence to showcase how they maintain industry currency through various strategies like networking, training and research. Evaluation found the training increased teachers' understanding and confidence in using ePortfolios for vocational currency.

1. Using Mahara ePortfolios for
Vocational Industry Currency
By Christine Nicholas
Monday, 10 April 2017 Chris Freeman V1.0 1

2. Project Purpose:
• The purpose of the project was to upskill
Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE (GOTAFE)
teachers/trainers in the use of Mahara ePortfolios
to capturing evidence of vocational and VET
currency, experience and professional
development.
• GOTAFE received funding from the VET
Development Centre to deliver this project.
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3. Outcomes for the project
– One system to capture staff professional
development, VET currency and experience
– Enable staff to record
• work done outside the workplace
• keep track of their professional development
• memberships,
• activities,
• employment and education,
• reflections and
• information on project experience.
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4. Outcomes for the project
• Other outcomes included:
– Assist Manager and staff with staff reviews
– Upskill teachers the gain confidence to
introduce their ePortfolios to their students.
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5. How the project worked
• 2 hour workshop where teachers were
given the following overview and then they
created their own ePortfolio under
guidance and training.
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6. Australian standards VET sector
Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA)
standards require teachers to be:
Qualified, Experienced, Current in both
A. VET – Education
B. Vocation – Industry

7. VCR
Teachers are currently using the Vocational
Competency Record (VCR) which provides a
matrix of your qualifications, experience and
currency at the Unit level. This demonstrates
that you have the credentials to deliver that
unit.

8. CURCAT
GOTAFE teachers were asked to complete a
CURCAT report which provides a prompt to
think about HOW you are maintaining
Industry currency.

9. Storage of evidence
myHR
Certificates .
Licences
Signed Resume
Staff development
record
Qualified – VET and
Industry
Experience – VET and
industry
Currency - VET
CURCAT methods
eg
Industry log/
journal
Industry short
courses
Currency - Industry
ePortfolio

10. ePortfolio
• Showcases your professionalism as a VET
practitioner
• Builds upon your personal CURCAT report
to show how you maintain your industry
currency

11. Maintaining Industry Currency
• The CURCAT reports showed teachers that
they are really good at maintaining industry
currency.
• The CURCAT report showed that VET
Practitioners use up to 27 strategies to
maintain industry currency, and they are all
valid strategies.

12. Strategies in CURCAT
• Broadly, these strategies fall under the headings:
– Personal and professional industry networks – eg
employer conversations, committees, employed
students
– Industry experiences – eg employment in industry,
industry release
– Mentors, coaches, benchmarking with peers
– Training – eg industry courses
– Active enquiry - personal research: internet,
publications

13. Using the ePortfolio to showcase
• Using an ePortfolio teachers are able to
showcase the evidence and demonstrate
that they are maintaining industry currency.
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14. Pathway Industry Research and
Training

15. Pathway Industry Engagement and
Practice

16. Training Started
• Teachers were shown how to log into
Mahara
• They were shown how to update their
profile
• They were shown how to create a journal
and use the tags to identify the year they
did their currency update
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17. Creating folders
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18. Creating a journal and using tags
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19. Creating their resume
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20. Create a page
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21. Create a collection
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22. Evaluation methodology
• Participants were surveyed at the
commencement of the project to evaluate
their current understanding of ePortfolios.
This allowed the training to be customised
to beginner and advanced sessions.
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23. Evaluation methodology
Participants then completed Feedback following the
training sessions. Data was gathered regarding:
• Trainer competence
• Workshop experience
• Confidence in participants’ ability to use the
ePortfolio
• Confidence in participants’ understanding of the
need to use ePortfolios for gathering evidence of
their Vocational Currency activities and reflections
Results were overwhelmingly positive on all aspects of
the training.
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24. Evaluation methodology
• However, feedback from the participants
indicated that some participants preferred
a written manual rather than videos, and so
a Training Manual was also created.
• Specific areas of improvement would be
follow up refresher courses.
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25. Outcomes for the organisation
• 20 Training Workshops initially planned. 29
Training Workshops were actually delivered.
• 109 staff participated in the training
• 4 Training Videos were created, plus 1
Training Manual
• 85 participants gave feedback, which was
overwhelmingly positive.
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26. Potential Improvements
• Approx 1/3 of teaching staff have
undertaken the training.
• A continuation of training into 2017,
– with refresher sessions will be required to
capture all staff plus
– embed the knowledge and skills of the
participants who are new to ePortfolio
platforms.
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27. Potential Improvements
• This training allowed staff to better
understand the ASQA and HESG compliance
requirements of Industry Currency.
• Improvements in linking the information
gathered in the ePortfolios with the HR
system need to occur.
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28. Maximising the benefits of the
project for GOTAFE
• GOTAFE needs to better articulate how
each of the VET Practitioner Capabilities,
including both VET and Vocational
professional development and currency, tie
together into a seamless system of
development and compliance recording.
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29. • The feedback from participants was that:
– The training was highly valuable in increasing
their knowledge and understanding of
Vocational Currency,
– The training allowed them to better
understand how to use ePortfolios as a
professional tool of value to themselves and to
their students.
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