Athabasca University uses Mahara to support lifelong learning

Learn how Athabasca University uses Mahara ePortfolios to remove a 'hand-in and done' approach, better supporting lifelong learning.

Background

Athabasca University, a leading institution in open, online, distance, and digital higher education, has long prioritised innovative approaches to learning. As part of its Master of Education in Open, Digital, and Distance Education (Med-ODDE), the programme has embraced ePortfolios to help students reflect on their learning journeys in meaningful ways.

Professor Dr Debra Hoven and Dr Rita Zuba Prokopetz are both champions of this initiative and have spent years advocating for integrating portfolios in education. Their goal, which aligns with Athabasca University's, is to create learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom, promoting personal, academic, and professional growth.

Opportunity

Athabasca University wanted to give its education students a way to connect their learning across the programme, reflect on their achievements, and have the opportunity to showcase their skills to future employers or as part of ongoing professional development. Portfolios were the perfect fit, offering students the opportunity to document their learning journey, share their work, and receive peer feedback.

Instead of sticking to paper-based portfolios, which can be limiting, Athabasca saw the potential in ePortfolios and chose Mahara as its main platform. Mahara has the flexibility and capacity to enable collaboration, reflection, and ongoing feedback making it the ideal choice for the university’s digital and distance learning environment.

Solution

When Athabasca first rolled out ePortfolios, there were a few hurdles to overcome. One of the key challenges was getting students comfortable with the technology. While some were already familiar with online tools, others found the concept of building a digital portfolio overwhelming, particularly those who weren’t as tech-savvy or had never experienced this type of reflective learning before.

Another challenge was encouraging students to embrace reflection as a key part of the process. Many were used to more traditional forms of assessment and academic writing, so they struggled to understand how reflecting on their learning and receiving feedback from peers could enhance their understanding. The shift from a 'hand-in-and-done' approach to one that involves ongoing interaction, feedback, and revision was unfamiliar and, at times, uncomfortable. 

Reflection creates a mind-opening experience

Prof Dr Debra Hoven reflects that when students begin to take "a critical look at their own learning," the transition is "a mind-opening experience." Through the reflective process, students can see their learning and professional growth and craft their understanding in their own voices.

Athabasca University wanted to create a learning experience that was both reflective and practical, helping students demonstrate their competencies while preparing them for the future, whether in their existing careers or entering a new field. 

Building a sense of community

Athabasca approached the project with a focus on community and support. Dr Rita Zuba Prokopetz, one of the educators leading the capstone ePortfolio course, played a key role in ensuring students didn’t feel overwhelmed. Her strategy was simple: get students to engage with each other early on and build a sense of community around the shared experience of creating their portfolios.

In the capstone ePortfolio course, students are asked to build a seven-page portfolio, reflecting on five key learning experiences throughout the programme. From the start, they are encouraged to give and receive feedback from their peers, turning what could have been a solitary task into a collaborative process. Rita ensured that students understood they weren’t alone—regular check-ins, group discussions, and even guest speakers (including our Mahara project lead Kristina Hoeppner) helped students feel supported and confident.

"[Mahara] is a thoughtful ePortfolio management system, since it enables not only a collaborative project development but also an open sharing of ideas among community members."

-Dr Rita Zuba Prokopetz


Ownership of the learning process

One of the key elements of this approach is feedback. From the first week, students are organised into small groups to exchange feedback on each other’s work. This builds not only a deeper understanding of the material but also a sense of ownership of the learning process. By seeing what others are doing, students learn to improve their portfolios and reflect more deeply on their progress.

Results

The ePortfolio approach works. The capstone ePortfolio course became a stand-out success for Athabasca University. In a recent iteration of the course, all 16 students completed their portfolios on time, and many finished ahead of schedule—some even weeks before the deadline. The structure of the course, with its focus on peer feedback and ongoing reflection, enables students to fully engage with the course material and learning activities in a way that traditional assessments couldn’t.
"It's the reflective element that is the most critical for making the difference in an ePortfolio from a collection of bits and pieces that you've done well," Professor Dr Debra Hoven notes.

Students completed projects and actively learned from each other. The process of giving and receiving feedback helped them to refine their work and develop a stronger understanding of their competencies. By the time they presented their final portfolios, they experienced a sense of achievement not just for themselves but for the entire group.

Dr Rita Zuba Prokopetz shares, “They embodied authenticity, vulnerability, and the sense of community. It’s not ‘my project will be better than yours,’ it’s ‘my project will be good because of you.’” 

"Portfolios are well positioned as an innovative way for students to reflect on their learning history and for educators to design meaningful learning episodes."

-Dr Rita Zuba Prokopetz

Students are more aware of their growth

Athabasca’s decision to focus on community and collaboration, supported by the flexibility that Mahara offers, has paid off. Students not only complete their capstone projects, but many are now advocates for using portfolios in their own educational and professional environments. Dr Rita Zuba Prokopetz shares, "As I have observed, students who experience a meaningful ePortfolio development process or ePortfolio practice done well... become more aware of their growth on a personal, academic, and professional level.”

  • Students completed projects successfully.
  • Some students finished their portfolios weeks ahead of schedule, reflecting the effectiveness of the support and structure.
  • Some students continue using their portfolios beyond the course, bringing them into their professional lives.

Deepening learning journeys

If you'd like to learn more about the ePortfolio practice at Athabasca University, you can listen to the following three episodes of our podcast 'Create. Share. Engage.' for their interviews:

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Catalyst is the core maintainer of Mahara, and our team has many years of ePortfolio experience. Contact us to explore how reflective practices can enhance your learning and professional development strategy to better support your learning community.

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