Jude Comfort

1. Jude Comfort and Hannah Jago
Curtin University
Perth, Western Australia
J.Comfort@curtin.edu.au
ePortfolios Australia Conference, October 2011

2.  Curtin’s iPortfolio trialled in 2009, implemented more
in 2010
 iPortfolio online space for students/staff to allow for
self-assessment of learning achievements and
professional competencies, sharing and feedback
mechanisms and a showcase of achievements
 2011 wider use including to several large units
 Notably Foundations in Professional Health Practice
(cohort 1700 in semester 1, 2011) where some
assessment tasks used iPortfolio
 In Health now integrated into several units and
courses across all faculties and as of April 2011 there
were 27,000 iPortfolio account holders

4.  Number of strategies provide support.
 Core has been iPortfolio Student Support
Officers
 Curtin students who get paid as casual
employees to provide support
 Have become first port of call technical
assistance and feedback to users
 Part of an ‘earn as you learn’ initiative
 Uses principles of peer team approach

5.  Staffing lunchtime shop front help desk 2
hours each teaching day
 Respond to emails to iportfolio@curtin.edu.au
 Provide assistance to lecturing staff in
practical aspects of using iPortfolio with a
class
 Deliver promotional/introductory sessions to
students and staff
 Running iPortfolio Elluminate sessions (virtual
classroom)

6. IPSSO help desk
in action
Busy day –
assignment due
next afternoon

7.  Recruitment semester 1 from Curtin student
mentors through simple EOI
 Interview process
 Short training session run by iPortfolio Officer
 Semester 2 EOI to large first year health
science class cohort
 On the job training by first year ‘experienced’
IPSSOs

8. 2011 Semester 1 2011Semester 2
(13 weeks data – full (11 weeks data)
semester)
In-person 159 44
consultations
Email queries 140 66
Staffing 4 commenced 3 continued
3 continued 2 new first year
recruited
Hours worked Generally 2 IPSSOs for Generally 2 IPSSOs
2 hours weekdays for 2 hours
weekdays
Approx cost $7,000 $6,000
(admin + salary)

9. Other
Editing tasks
Connection issues
Assessment tasks
Deleting items
Introduction to iPort
Navigation
Uploading evidence
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
percent

10.  Small well qualified cohort of iPortfolio student
helpers
 Provide student perspective on using iPortfolio.
 Benefitting from many brains working on tech
solutions
 Provide valuable feedback to information
technology team responsible for the technical
aspects of the system
 Feedback on issues lecturers may need to know
in setting assessment work
 Student/peer led support program
 Provides great ‘earn as you learn’ experience
 Connects students with Curtin services
 Students become our promotion staff

11.  ‘Very helpful, didn’t make me feel stupid for
not understanding iPortfolio.’
 ‘A very helpful experience – relaxed and not
intimidating. Thanks for this service.’
 ‘Very helpful and able to undo and fix my
computing problems.’
 ‘Thank goodness they are here to help as I
was shown other computer things that will
also make it easier for me.’

12.  Earning opportunity with connection to uni
 No need to travel to work
 Flexibility around study commitments using
rostered approach
 Impressive addition to CV
 Students develop unique skill base of
transferable skills e.g. customer
service, IT, presentation skills
 Allows for fairly autonomous work environment
 Peer to peer learning & promoting peer led teams
 Positive working environment

13.  Advertising scheme to whole Curtin community
 Inconsistent workflow; busy times/quieter times
often driven by assessment demands
 Being able to ascertain if problem is system wide
or a specific individual portfolio
 Responding to wide variation in IT competency
 Ensuring peer training is adequate
 Finding the best place for them to be situated on
campus

14.  Need ongoing recruitment to ensure
continuity as some IPSSOs will graduate end
of this year
 Need for ongoing training and updating
(model will be to recruit new students
semester 2 year 1 with hope to have them for
2.5 years)
 Ongoing funding/management resource
commitment required
 As better trained Curtin community less
demand for helpline then need to ensure
other uses of IPSSOs

15.  Continuing with use of IPSSOs
 Using IPSSOs for wider range of iPortfolio
promotion e.g. delivering Open Day
events, running Elluminate
sessions, producing instructional videos
 Looking at offering more advanced user
sessions
 Need creative solutions to serving non
Bentley based staff and students
 More tailored support for staff using
iPortfolio in teaching

16. Email j.comfort@curtin.edu.au
www.iportfolio.curtin.edu.au