Create@UniSQ

As of July 1, 2023, the UniSQ preferred platform for student portfolios (online, digital) is the WordPress platform. This service is provided by Create@UniSQ, through outsourced host, CampusPress and managed by Julie Lindsay and team through the Learning and Teaching Futures Portfolio.

Important resources for staff wanting to join their course or program to the WordPress experience via Create@UniSQ are on the For Staff page. Read this carefully first and then get in touch with us if you have questions. Ready to join in? Fill in the form below and we will be in touch!

Watch the video!

At the recent Student Portfolio SIG hosted by Technology Demonstrators nearly 40 interested colleagues gathered to learn more and to share experiences around portfolio development and implementation into courses and programs. Resources available from the SIG:

• The full MP4 recording (about 56 min) - Student Portfolio SIG June 15
• Full session: Link to the Engageli Playback room
• Segmented videos - below

It was a very revealing hour - and exciting. Aligned with the Education Plan and employability and first year experience objectives the value added advantages of students portfolios as personal artefacts throughout a degree was highlighted. Of interest were narrated plans across disciplines shared in a storytelling manner for everyone to learn from.

To kick off the SIG Julie shared important updates on Create@UniSQ:

• View the SIG slides - updates for the Create@UniSQ project
• Self-serve WordPress sites - Yes! This is now open - Read more and access a site today! [Important note - most courses will still have student portfolios batch processed. Connect with us to discuss before sending your students to the self-serve option for this purpose. For any other need, students are welcome to grab a WordPress site at any time!]
• Watch the video below!

Thank you to our panel who shared developments with student portfolios as the recent SIG session.

Videos from each member are segmented below for quick 'bites' of information.

Lisa Ryan shares developing plans (in collaboration with Melissa Fanshawe in the School of Education) to embed WordPress portfolios into student learning. The goals are to weave portfolios through the new program Bachelor of Education through integrating many courses. In order to do this preparing students will involve developing a new portfolio template, program mapping, and staff training.

The key motivations include:

- documenting progress towards professional standards

- employability - some students have already been offered jobs using their portfolios

- use of the STAR framework for reflective practice (Situation, Task, Actions, Response)

Access Lisa's presentation material HERE.

Carol, as Associate Director for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), is forging ahead with portfolios for evidence-based formal and informal learning for those students applying for RPL. She explains the Professional Practice Framework shared below which is based on UniSQ Graduate Attributes and shares a recent exemplar student portfolio. Carol emphasised how portfolio development reveals a powerful sense of identity and self from the student and becomes part of the life-long journey.

Dianne, Senior Lecturer from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, shares her experience with a first year course 'Communications and Literacy for Health Care'. She explains how part of the portfolio is for assessment, and demonstrated how the Cadmus platform (a pilot program at UniSQ right now) works in conjunction with WordPress portfolio expectations. Reflective practice is a strong focus linked with employability. She also demonstrates a student exemplar portfolio.

Justine is program director for the Bachelor of AgTech&Management - new in 2022. Employability across the program has been planned for since inception and portfolio development goes hand in hand with this focus. Authentic assessment and tasks (formative and summative) encourage students to have useful artefacts uploaded to their portfolio to enhance employment. They are encouraged build a personal identity in year 1 starting with a personal statement - who they are, uniqueness and values. Content building support includes working with the UniSQ Careers team.

Access Justine's presentation material HERE.

Ros is program director for the brand new Social Work degree at UniSQ, which started in Semester 1 this year when all students received their WordPress portfolios upon entry. She shared meticulous plans for embedding into courses across the program with increased weightings for assessment. For example, by the 4th year 500-hour field placement course the portfolio is worth 25%, while the capstone course allocates 40% weighting to portfolio assessment.

Access Ros' presentation material HERE.

Anup is the employability lead in the School of Business. He is focused on encouraging digital literacy development and commended the facility that CampusPress provides for WordPress hosting. The Bachelor of Business capstone course is a showcase for the portfolio. Anup shared a student exemplar portfolio with major assessment based on an authentic, real world topic and experience. Narelle Peach also came into the session and shared links made between the Career Connect resources and StudyDesk development with key links to portfolio support. Plans are well under way for embedding the portfolio across the degree.

May 2023 - Moving towards innovation and Building a CoP

April 2023 - Join in and Collaborate

March 2023 - Innovation & EdTech

February 28, 2023 - AI and ChatGPT

February 1, 2023 - Creating the Future

Technology Demonstrators (TechDems) is a UniSQ initiative designed to foster educational innovation, through active experimentation with, pilots, evaluation of and research into educational technologies and virtual platforms to continuously improve learning and teaching.

Click on the image below to read more about our team.

Senior Education Technology Advisor

Learning and Teaching Futures

Email: julie.lindsay@usq.edu.au
Phone: +61 7 46312890