PebblePad: How it is Helping Me with Engagement & Efficiency

We aim to showcase a pilot course that improves assignment design by integrating PebblePad with Blackboard. This new approach enhances assessment development, feedback, and grading, providing a more engaging experience for both students and instructors. Our goal is to share how this integration can be a powerful tool for faculty looking to innovate their course design, streamline their feedback assessment, and improve student outcomes.

AUTHORING TOOL(S) USED

Blackboard and PebblePad/Atlas

WHY WAS THIS PROJECT NEEDED?
The existing Conflict Log Assignment, developed using Blackboard’s built-in tools, proved to be inefficient and cumbersome for both students and the instructor. The tool wasn’t designed for this type of assignment, making it difficult to provide feedback and time-consuming to grade. Additionally, the limitations of Blackboard’s test tool required extra steps in the feedback process, adding unnecessary complexity. Another significant issue was that students lost access to their completed assignments once the course ended, limiting the long-term value of their work. This project aimed to address these challenges by redesigning the assignment and integrating a more suitable tool.

The content bridges theory and practice in real time. We developed a very unique content that came out of practice wisdom in the field as there is almost nothing in the academic literature that uses dispute resolution practitioners’ lens. Based on the feedback received so far, these courses are changing the way people do their work in small and big ways. And, they’re leading to some really good discussions in all areas of family justice; from newly hired family justice counsellors taking these courses as a part of their training for the role, to experienced family justice counsellors, children’s needs assessment report writers, policy analysts and management.

HOW DOES THIS DEMONSTRATE INNOVATION?

By piloting the Conflict Log Assignment with PebblePad, we’ve introduced a more efficient workflow for students and streamlined the feedback process for instructors. PebblePad addresses many of the challenges we faced with the previous assignment design, offering a more user-friendly and versatile platform. This integration not only improves the assignment experience but also showcases how adopting PebblePad within our institution could benefit all faculty who teach using Blackboard, offering a model for enhancing course design and assessment across disciplines.

The process in which each course was curated is very innovative, starting with environmental scan of academic and grey literature and the learning from focus groups and consultations with family justice counsellors in the field as well as consultations with additional subject matter experts such as Office of Indigenization, other conflict resolution professionals, and the instructors and policy analysts at the Family Justice Services Division.

It’s a fair size project facilitated with a lot of thought and care. It’s ambitious and look at how far we’ve come!

PROBLEMS OR CHALLENGES FACED?

Better on boarding to guide students needed
Time invested needed to learn and create all the assignments which could be a potential barrier for sessional instructors
Unnecessary clicks create extra steps
With more engagement it means more work for the instructor, so may need to rebalance assignments to reduce marking time.

LESSONS LEARNED

Ability to be empowered resulted in using PP for all course assignments
Workbooks helped organize course assignments with ease
Students are focused + engaged from working on workbooks + classroom activities/exercises
Support from CTLI was key to success

COURSE

24FA CRES-1853 NW078