PebblePad Training Resource

In line with the university's Active Blended Learning (ABL) teaching model, the LearnTech team has provided you with an e-tivity for students to learn how to use PebblePad. This self-explanatory PebblePad workbook is designed for students to complete in the week leading up to their face-to-face session. Alternatively, you can set time aside in the session for students to work through the activities.

The workbook is broken up into different units along with an introduction and information about help and support. Each unit covers the most important information that students need to know in order to gain the best student experience using PebblePad and to avoid the most common pitfalls.

Benefits

• Expert advice and guidance from LearnTech prepares students to deal with the most common challenges they are likely to have with PebblePad.
• Practical activities train the students to use and understand PebblePad.
• Equips students with the knowledge and understanding to avoid common errors and troubleshoot any potential technical issues themselves.
• A PebblePad workbook that aids with familiarity and confidence using PebblePad, before commencing placement.
• Suitable for students with low levels of digital literacy.
• Use as a diagnostic assessment to identify the students most likely to need extra support using an online portfolio.  
• A resource students can refer back to once their placement begins.
• Fully customisable for adding subject-specific information and activities. Make additions/amendments based on student feedback.
• Students unable to attend in person still have the opportunity to receive full training.
• Staff can complete the training themselves to improve their ability to fully support students.

For best results

• Complete the training resource yourself, so you know exactly what information it contains and the tasks it asks the students to perform.
• Customise the resource. Add any relevant information to help students, based on previous students’ feedback, common issues or guidance specific to your workbook.
• Schedule a specific time for students to work on the resource, either in or outside class. Give students time to work at their own pace.
• Make clear the importance of completing the training.
• It is imperative that you go through the answers, either as whole class feedback or provide individual feedback within PebblePad. Make sure you are clear on what the answers are and have a good understanding in case of follow-up questions. Your Learning Technologist can help you.
• Teach the information just before it is needed. Save the PebblePad training until a few weeks before their first placement, or do some of the units initially and save the one about sharing with a mentor until just before placement it’s needed.

Send the students these instructions which go with the e-tivity

1. Go to: www.pebblepad.co.uk/northampton and log in.

You should have received an email from PebblePad with instructions on how to get logged in. Let your tutor know if you have not received an email from PebblePad (and it's not in the junk mail folder).

2. Go to RESOURCES and click the LEARNING PEBBLEPAD workbook to open it.
3. You will see a pop-up window asking you to AUTO-SHARE. Tick the check-box and click confirm.
4. SAVE
5. Click the PebblePad logo to return to the homepage.
6. Click on ASSETS.
7. Open the Learning PebblePad workbook.

For each unit:
  - Read the information
  - Watch the short video (where there is one)
  - Complete the tasks
  - Answer the questions

If you are unsure of the answer, go back over the information and try again. Some units will not let you progress until you have completed it. 

Tick the progress button at the bottom of each unit only when you are sure you have completed all the tasks and answered all the questions.

When you have finished the e-tivity, jot down some questions to ask your tutor. Have a think about how you can make the most of your PebblePad account, both as a student and after you graduate.

Give yourself time uninterrupted to complete. Just go at your own pace and make sure everything is making sense. Take a break between units if you feel overloaded with information.

If you step away from PebblePad, please save and exit the workbook to avoid losing your work.

Troubleshooting

Tutors are the first line of support for students in the use of PebblePad. 

Many of the common queries below are easily resolved by the tutor and do not require second-level technical support, for queries marked * students should be advised to complete the PebblePad contact form.

Logins

• Cannot log in - How do I reset my Pebblepad password/I have forgotten my password.
• No email from PebblePad
  • Students should check their spam folder.
  • Students who've previously had a PebblePad account will not receive a new email and should continue using their existing login details. Forgotten passwords can be reset, see above.
  • Check the MEMBERS list in your workspace to ensure the student is there. If not then contact your learning technologist with the student's Student number, first name, surname and email address.
• * I have an old PebblePad account but can no longer log in - the students account may have been deactivated if they have not logged in within 12 months - Advise students to complete the PebblePad form
• My mentor does not have a login - ask the student to give the mentor this link to request a new mentor account - https://mypad.northampton.ac.uk/placements/2015/08/14/how-to-get-a-mentor-account/

I cannot share my workbook with a mentor

• Does the mentor have a PebblePad account - if not they will need to complete the Mentor request form.
• Has the student followed the steps to share the workbook with an external assessor in the student guide? Please note the mentor email address must be correctly entered.
• If the student cannot complete the steps for 'sharing with an external assessor' it is likely they have not shared their workbook 'with an assessment and maybe working on a 'recovered workbook' If so they will need to copy the contents to the workbook 'shared for assessment'.
  * if the student does not have a 'recovered workbook' in their assets. It is likely they choose not to share the workbook when opening it. The student will need to share a workbook with an assignment manually, but this is best supported by a Learning Technologist. - Advise students to complete the PebblePad form for support.

Mentor able to view workbook but not add to assessor boxes

• If the mentor can view my workbook but cannot enter text in the assessor boxes then it's likely that the student has shared with them as 'a collaborator', they will need to delete this share then 'share with an external' as per the PebblePad student guide instructions.

Workbook activity is not visible

• A student may be working on a workbook that has not been submitted, The student will need to locate the submitted workbook and transfer content to there - see info above on locating 'submitted assessments'
• The deadline may have passed, in which case to view the student's work they will need an extension to their assignment. See the staff guide for details.

Feedback is not visible

• If the student is unable to see mentor/tutor feedback, check that the workbook feedback has been released for the page (this is an option at the bottom of each page)

Information is wrong or not up to date.

Any updates on the student record system do not automatically update on PebblePad. But for security reasons, we will only create PebblePad accounts based on the information provided by student records.

• * If the student is no longer using the email address on the student record system they should contact the Student Information Desk to change it, then complete the PebblePad contact form requesting we update this on Pebblepad.

For genuine technical issues, you are unable to resolve yourself, please direct your students and mentors to raise a ticket by completing the PebblePad Contact Form. The support tickets are monitored on a rota basis so you get a response within 3 working days.