PebblePad

Final checks of PebblePad Resources and Workspace settings

PebblePad, TEL Support /

For those of you who are about to deploy PebblePad resources to your students for assessment, now is a good time to ensure that the resource and workspace settings are up to date.

  1. Check that your PebblePad workbook or portfolio template is current.
  • Have you changed the name of the resource to reflect the current academic year (if appropriate)?
  • Have you checked that all links still work inside your workbook  / portfolio template?
  1. When the TEL team create a PebblePad workspace for you, we place a PebblePad icon within your Blackboard module to control PebblePad student enrolments.
  • This is set by default to be ‘Hidden from students’. If you would like your students to be able to access PebblePad from within your Blackboard course, set the PebblePad icon to ‘Visible to students’.
Image of 'PebblePad and ATLAS via LTI 1.3' Icon to be taken to PebblePad from Blackboard.
  1. Have you entered a due date and time into the submission deadline and revision deadline on the workspace, or are you planning on manually ‘pausing’ your assessment?
'Pause assignment' button is shown at the top, with the 'Assignment deadlines' button shown below, as they appear in PebblePad.
  • Remember to set a reminder in your diary if you have decided to manually ‘Pause’ the assessment.
  • Individual student extensions for PebblePad assessments can be added where required. If you think you may need to add an assessment extension, then you must use an assessment deadline when setting up your assignment.
  1. If you have students who inform you that they do not have access to PebblePad, then you (as tutors) can click on the PebblePad icon in Blackboard to update your PebblePad student enrolments (see point 2, above). This will automatically add any students who have registered late.
  1. If you are taking a class session and instructing your students in the use of PebblePad, it is a good idea to advise students to ‘Favourite’ their work. This will ensure that it is always easy for them to locate.
Image of an example of 'Favourites', as they appear in Pebble+

    If you have any questions about any of the above settings or features of PebblePad then please contact a Learning Technologist who will be happy to guide you through the process.

    Final checks of PebblePad Resources and Workspace settings Read More »

    Getting ready for the New Academic Year

    Blackboard, PebblePad, TEL Support /

    As we prepare to welcome students for the new academic year, now is the perfect time to make sure your digital learning spaces are ready. Taking a few minutes to review your Blackboard modules, PebblePad resources, and online learning tools can help ensure a smooth start to teaching.

    1. Check what students can see when they access your Blackboard module

    When students access your Blackboard module for the first time, they should be able to find key information quickly and easily.

    Before teaching begins, it is beneficial to use ‘Student Preview’ to check what content is visible to your students. If you have been developing content over the summer, check that everything students need for the first few weeks has been made visible.

    If you need to update the visibility of multiple documents and/or learning modules, you can use the ‘batch edit’ option to select all of the content you want to make visible.

    1. Check any links are working

    Over the summer, resources can move, files may be updated, and links can change.

    Before teaching begins:

    • Open key documents and presentations
    • Test external website links
    • Ensure embedded media still works
    1. Ensure PebblePad Resources and Workspaces are requested

    If you use PebblePad as part of your module, please ensure you have requested a new resource for the upcoming academic year and for the workspace to be set up by the TEL unit, if you have not done so already.

    It is particularly important to let us know if there are changes needed to your PebblePad resource, before it is made available to students.

    At this time of year, enquiries can be high, so giving as much notice as possible is appreciated. Getting this done early means your students will have access to their PebblePad resource when they need it.

    1. Make sure you are familiar with Microsoft Teams for online sessions

    From this academic year, online teaching sessions will take place through Microsoft Teams. If you are unfamiliar with Teams or would like a refresher, take a look at our previous blog post containing useful guidance videos. For additional support or training, please contact Digital Services.

    1. Reminders for student inductions
    • As part of your student’s induction week, ensure you check that students have access to their Blackboard modules. If they do not, it may be because they have not yet completed their registration. Information for students is available through our ‘Student Blackboard Ultra FAQs’ webpage.
    • You may also choose to share suitable links from our student support pages with your students.
    • Please also point out the ‘Alternative formats’ available to students on Blackboard, to support them with using your Blackboard pages. Information for students is available via our new Blackboard Ally guide for students.
    1. Plan your first Blackboard announcement

    Announcements are a great way to establish communication with students and can be scheduled in advance.

    Consider scheduling a message which:

    • Welcomes students to the module
    • Highlights where key information can be found
    • Explains expectations for the first week
    • Encourages students to get in touch if they have questions

    Taking a little time now can make the start of the academic year smoother, clearer, and more welcoming for both staff and students.

    Need support? The Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) unit is here to help with Blackboard, PebblePad and digital learning tools more broadly. Get in touch if you need any advice before teaching begins. TEL@worc.ac.uk

    Getting ready for the New Academic Year Read More »

    PebblePad Alumni Accounts for students

    PebblePad /
    PebblePad Logo 2025

    If you are a tutor who teaches students who are using PebblePad, you may want to remind your final year students that they can take a free PebblePad alumni account.  

    Students who have used PebblePad during their studies may want to retain the work they have done for the purposes of CPD when they leave the University. They can do this by creating an alumni account, when they are about to leave the University. Work in the student’s University account will then be copied into their alumni account, and for this reason it is recommended that students do not create the alumni account until they are ready to leave the university. There is no charge for an alumni account. This PebblePad guide provides further information about Alumni accounts.

    To maintain access to their alumni account, students should use a personal email address which they intend to keep for the foreseeable future. 

    PebblePad Alumni Accounts for students Read More »

    PebblePad Support for Students and External Assessors

    Assignments, PebblePad /
    PebblePad Logo 2025

    The TEL Unit (Library Services) provide support for PebblePad, a personal learning system that is used for portfolios and practice assessments. All staff and students have their own account which can be used for recording personal development and continuing professional development activities. The TEL Unit offer training and support with PebblePad, this can range from student orientated workshops, advising staff at a departmental level, or 1:1 advice for PebblePad users. 

    At this time of year, we are aware that many students are using PebblePad while out on placements. We would like to make sure staff and students know where to get help with PebblePad by sharing some handy troubleshooting tips. We recommend tutors should be the first point of contact if a student experiences any PebblePad problems, but the TEL team are always happy to assist from a technical point of view.  

    • Students can contact the TEL team by email tel@worc.ac.uk for direct support -TEL office hours are Mon- Fri, 9am to 5pm. 

    External assessor shares: 

    Often students need to share their submitted PebblePad assignment with a placement assessor outside of UW.  

    • After students share in this way, external workplace assessors will be able to see an ‘Assessor’ view of a workbook / ePortfolio, to complete the sections they need to edit. (Likewise, students will see parts which they can only edit in their view.)  
    • UW Academic Tutors who have access to a workspace can view students’ submissions from their managers dashboard (so external assessor shares are not required).

    External assessor PebblePad emails: 

    • If assessors have any problems finding PebblePad emails, they can contact TEL tel@worc.ac.uk for further support, or students can do this on their behalf.

    Editing Issues and the new External Assessor Dashboard: 

    • If a student has accidentally made an incorrect type of share, they can remove this by using the trash can option. – Most often these are ‘with people’ shares, which will give a ‘read-only’ like view of a workbook or ePortfolio. PebblePad have helpful instructions to delete ‘with people’ shares: Share an asset with people | Learners – Using PebblePad : Help Hub 
    • If a workplace assessor can log into their External UW PebblePad account, and an external assessor share has been successful – they should be able to see an assessor’s view under ‘Items shared for assessment’. This will be visible from their external account dashboard: External dashboard | Externals – Using PebblePad : Help Hub 

    If there are any other technical PebblePad problems, Students or External Assessors can contact TEL, using the same email address which their UW PebblePad account is linked to, along with all the relevant details. 

    If assessors have any issues viewing an external assessor share link, or accessing their External UW PebblePad account, assessors and students are welcome to send a message to us at TEL: tel@worc.ac.uk  

    PebblePad logo

    PebblePad Support for Students and External Assessors Read More »

    PebblePad January Update – Part 1: Changes to ATLAS Interface

    Announcement, PebblePad /
    PebblePad Logo 2025

    With the January PebblePad update now scheduled for 29th January, our friends at PebblePad have very helpfully released additional resources to help colleagues familiarise themselves with changes to the ATLAS interface.

    There are two guides that you can access, depending on your needs:

    · New end user help guides: Focused on step-by-step guidance that can be easily shared with Managers, Assessors, and Administrators. These guides cover the practical use of the ATLAS interface for day-to-day tasks. View the new guides here ATLAS Navigation Enhancements – Help Guides

    · Existing guidance & support portfolio: Includes the ATLAS release overview and “Get Started” guides for early adopters, system administrators, as well as help resources for training and reference purposes. View the original portfolio here ATLAS Navigational Enhancements Guidance and Support

    From the 2026.1 release, Managers, Assessors, and Administrators will move to the new ATLAS interface, which will become their default experience. The legacy layout will no longer be available for these roles.

    External Assessors and Learners, however, will continue using the Classic ATLAS interface, which remains unchanged.

    For anyone wishing to try or move to the new interface before 29th January, the toggle option is still available to use. If you would like to have this toggle option added to your ATLAS account to familiarise yourself with the new layout, please email TEL@worc.ac.uk.

    In Part 2 we will talk about improvements to the external assessor workflow, which will be another important part of the January update.

    PebblePad January Update – Part 1: Changes to ATLAS Interface Read More »

    New PebblePad Atlas Interface

    Announcement, PebblePad /
    PebblePad Logo 2025

    If you are a tutor who assesses student work via PebblePad, you will be pleased to hear that there is a new ATLAS interface that is scheduled to be released in early January 2026. The new ATLAS design is a significant improvement in terms of visual appearance and workflow. The intention is to provide a clearer layout that requires less clicks to complete your tasks.

    PebblePad new Atlas Dashboard

    To assist you in preparing for this change, we can provide you with the option to toggle into the new ATLAS view. If you find that you want to revert to the original view, you can toggle back again until the end of December.

    PebblePad Toggle button - Preview the new Atlas - Try the new ATLAS

    If you would like to have this toggle option added to your ATLAS account to familiarise yourself with the new layout, please email TEL@worc.ac.uk

    New PebblePad Atlas Interface Read More »

    September Support from TEL

    Assignments, Blackboard, Panopto, PebblePad, Training, Turnitin /

    As the first semester gets underway and new colleagues join the university, we thought it would be helpful to signpost where and how staff can access support from the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Unit. Whether you’re exploring new digital tools or seeking guidance on best practices for online learning, we’re here to assist.

    Online Support Resources

    • Our TEL Tools page provides an overview for staff of the main technologies used to support learning, teaching and assessment at the university.
    • Our Support Resources page links to a range of online guides, manuals and instructional videos for both staff and students. You will be able to find support for the Blackboard VLE (including Class Collaborate), Turnitin, PebblePad and Panopto. You can share suitable links from our student support pages with your students. For example, you can choose to include the most appropriate student resources within your module content: Adding Links

    Our TEL Blog:

    Staff members are welcome to subscribe to our Blog posts. These keep staff updated about recent changes to the VLE and its’ integrations and also provide handy hints or tips for using our suite of Learning Technologies. We have included some blog highlights below, from last year, which are helpful to refer to early on in a semester:

    Additional help and training:

    We run staff training sessions through the year. Our workshops are included in Staff Development / iTrent bookings. In addition, our team of Learning Technologists are available for departmental or small group training sessions for staff. So, if you or your colleagues have any Learning Technology training needs, please do get in touch. Also, if you have any questions or queries about the systems we manage, please contact us at TEL tel@worc.ac.uk.

    September Support from TEL Read More »

    PebblePad Alumni Accounts for students who are leaving the University

    Announcement, PebblePad /
    Graduation hat, laptop and diploma on white background
    Adobe Stock by Pixel-Shot

    If you are a tutor who teaches students who are using PebblePad, you may want to remind your final year students that they can take a free PebblePad alumni account.  

    Students who have used PebblePad during their studies may want to retain the work they have done for the purposes of CPD when they leave the University. They can do this by creating an alumni account, when they are about to leave the University. Work in the student’s University account will then be copied into their alumni account, and for this reason it is recommended that students do not create the alumni account until they are ready to leave. There is no charge for an alumni account for students. This PebblePad help page guide provides further information about PebblePad Alumni accounts.

    We also have the following additional advice for students, which you are welcome to share:

    If you are leaving the University and want to keep your PebblePad for personal learning and professional development, you’ll need to create a free alumni account. To maintain access to your alumni account, you must use a personal email address (not your UW account) which you intend to keep for the foreseeable future. Only create the alumni account just before you are ready to leave, as all work will be copied across to your new account and it is not possible to reverse this action.

    PebblePad Alumni Accounts for students who are leaving the University Read More »

    Assessments in the Blackboard VLE

    Assignments, Blackboard, Panopto, PebblePad, Turnitin, Ultra, Video /

    Choosing assignment submission tools within Blackboard Ultra.

    It can sometimes be difficult to determine which is the best submission tool to use when creating assignments for your students in Blackboard.

    We have the following advice and guidance for lecturers to help with your choice. We recommend different tools depending on the assignment needs and have submission workflows which your students can follow.

    The flowchart below summarises the most suitable assignment software for each submission type:

    Assessment flow chart -Essay/Report: Turnitin; Group, Exam/Test, Blackboard tools: Blackboard assignment; Portfolio/Practice assessment: PebblePad; Audio/Video: Panopto

    Our Blackboard Ultra Manual includes instructions for the different Assessments within the VLE and how to provide Grading and Feedback.

    Turnitin Assignments

    Turnitin is most appropriate for word-based assignments or those which contain a large amount of text. Submissions can be checked for originality against the global database.

    We have a Turnitin staff manual and a recent Turnitin assignments blog post, which includes all relevant links and tips for tutors.

    Blackboard Assignments

    If large files, multiple files, zip files, or files which contain mostly imagery, need to be uploaded for an assessment – a Blackboard assignment can be used to manage submissions.

    Please see our Blackboard Ultra Manual: Learn Ultra Assignments.

    Panopto Assignments

    If students are creating video or audio, for example, as part of a presentation – a Blackboard assignment which uses the Panopto integration is normally most useful.

    We have a Panopto manual for Staff and a helpful blog post for tutors with further advice: Panopto Assignment Submission Points

    PebblePad Assignments

    The Ultra VLE manual includes information about PebblePad Assessments. If you require support with PebblePad, please contact the TEL Unit tel@worc.ac.uk.

    We also have student FAQs for common PebblePad queries.

    If you have any questions or would like to speak to one of the team about upcoming assessments, you are welcome to contact us at tel@worc.ac.uk.

    Assessments in the Blackboard VLE Read More »

    PebblePad Feedback

    Feedback, PebblePad /

    PebblePad is a learning journey platform used to support and develop students during their studies. There are a number of departments across the University that use PebblePad for a variety of different purposes; consequently the requirements for a single system that meet the needs of all users is complex and extensive.

    The platform is used to provide portfolio and practice-based learning so PebblePad’s use is heavily embedded within a number of courses. We are reviewing the provision of workbooks and portfolios that currently use PebblePad software and would welcome your feedback.

    We would appreciate if tutors who currently use the PebblePad system could take a moment to answer this short three question survey so we can gain a better understanding of how the system is used throughout the University.

    An open laptop
    Adobe stock By utah51

    PebblePad Feedback Read More »