Less learner-driven aspects of Mahara

For the rest of this chapter, we will look at Mahara from a learning context. In this context, it is important for all of us to see a Mahara site as a space where learners who own their own personalized learning materials can choose whether or not to allow others to access them. The individual learner can also choose whether or not to interact with other site users in reference to the materials they create. Mahara is very much to be perceived as a learner-driven environment.

However, this does not mean that there is no useful role for an administrator or tutor in such an environment. Here are some of the things that a tutor might want to do in an ePortfolio system:

• Monitor their learners work, ready to give feedback on it

• Decide who's in and who's out of particular areas of the site

• Scaffold learners' work by creating templates, which they can work from and go on to extend creatively

• Get work submitted to them for formal assessment

• Allow other to access...