Mahara (e-portfolio platform)

Mahara is used as an e-portfolio system. It supports learners in documenting, reflecting on and presenting learning processes and individual skills.

Mahara is suitable for teachers who want to use course or study-related portfolios, proof of competence or reflective task formats. Mahara is also used in continuing education and for reflecting on practical phases.

The Teaching Service Center supports teachers in the operation and didactic use of e-portfolios in teaching, while the IT Service Center ensures the technical operation.

In Mahara, learners create digital collections of artifacts (e.g. video, audio, image, text). The pages and collections created can be shared with teachers, tutors or peers and can be commented on or evaluated by them. A content network is created when users link their pages with each other. Further exchange is possible in groups, in which portfolios can also be created cooperatively.

As an alternative, Moodle can be used with its functionalities that can be used for e-portfolios, e.g. with diary functions or task modules. However, these offer fewer design options than Mahara.

• Creating individual portfolio pages
  Users create their own pages with content such as texts, images, videos or embedded documents.
• Collections and structuring
  A portfolio can consist of several pages that are bundled into thematic collections, e.g. for a module or practical semester.
• Access rights and releases
  Portfolios can be activated for specific persons, groups or the WWW - even for a limited time.
• Collaborative work
  Users can organize themselves into groups on Mahara and create joint portfolios, for example. Users can give each other feedback on shared portfolio pages and respond to each other.
• Export and import
  Portfolios can be exported and imported into other Mahara installations. Exported portfolios can be viewed offline.

• Over the course of a semester, students document their learning progress in an e-portfolio based on specific tasks and reflect on their development.
• Student teachers keep a practice portfolio that contains lesson observations, lesson plans and reflections and is shared with supervisors.
• In an art education seminar, participants present their works, ideas and creative processes in a visual e-portfolio.

• Internet access and up-to-date web browser

Registration takes place via the university account.

If you have any questions about Moodle, please contact the Mahara support team at the Teaching Service Center:

Monday - Friday: 9:00 - 12:00 and 13:00 - 16:00
Arnold-Bode-Str. 10
Room 0302 (media lending)
Phone: +49 561 804-3807
Email: moodle-support@uni-kassel.de
Web: https://uni-kassel.de/go/moodle-support

For advice and support on the use of Mahara in courses, please contact

Uwe Frommann
u.frommann[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
+49 561 804-7147

Websites Service Center Teaching

No regular training courses are currently offered. For didactic questions or introductory scenarios, advice can be obtained from the Teaching Team Service Center.

Mahara is usually operated on university servers.usually operated on the university's own servers. Users decide for themselves which content they share with whom. Personal data and content are subject to the university's data protection regulations.

Mahara is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Use in a university context is permitted within the scope of the services provided. Content is the responsibility of the user.