Learning platforms in use for the ATS2020 pilot

The ATS2020 learning model puts the learner in the center. This means to empower the students to discuss the setting of their own learning goals and to make them responsible for documenting (and evaluating) their own learning.

For the documentation of the learning products (artefacts) of the students, a learner centered Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) has to be chosen, as learning products can be different media – texts, pictures, audio files, videos, …

To build a solid basis for the choice, ATS2020 project offered for the partners and pilot schools a Functional Specification (http://mahara.ats2020.eu/view/view.php?id=182) for such a learning environment. One of the outcomes: The ideal VLE has the characteristics of an ePortfolio. The work package “Technology and Tools” did not only care for the background (like specifications), it also provides partners with the learning environments Office 365/OneNote Class notebook (hosted by the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute/CPI) and Mahara (available as http://mahara.ats2020.eu, hosted at Danube University Krems, Austria). However, partnres were free to use their own learning environments, as long as they were in-line with the Functional Specification.

At the end of the pilot, a total of 102 schools were using Mahara, 113 were working with Office 365/OneNote Class Notebook. A few schools (21) decided to go their own way, mainly using own developments. We will report about the experiences of these schools in an own article.

A presentation of the Irish partners of ATS2020 (https://prezi.com/sn57iolth9rt/using-eportfolios-to-foster-transversal-skills/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy) allow a glance into the work with this Learning Environment. A post in the Microsoft office blogs by a Lithuanian partner of ATS2020 (OneNote Class Notebook as an ePortfolio) gives another insight into the work with this Microsoft platform.

For ATS2020, the platform mahara.ats2020.eu is the main Mahara platform. Slovenia, however, uses its own Mahara. Mahara is an ePortfolio platform, and students quickly start to like the possibility to create their own web pages with their learning plans, artefacts, assessments and reflections. The students have the options to keep the pages strictly their own (not sharing the content with anyone), to share with peers and/or teachers and/or a group and to publish pages on the World Wide Web. A video made by Spanish students is called “We are Maharers” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFZPvVoCxCQ). It shows the experience of a class in Galicia (Spain) with Mahara – and the fun the students obviously have in their ePortfolio space.

For those partners and piloting schools which were not acquainted with the use of the platforms, “Guides for Tools” are available via the ATS2020 resources portal (http://resources.ats2020.eu/guides-for-tools) and a Mahara ePortfolio page (http://mahara.ats2020.eu/view/view.php?id=468). This guidance material can be used by everyone who is interested in learning more about the platforms and the way they are used for ATS2020.