PebblePad FAQs

This FAQ section provides answers to common questions about PebblePad, including its components, functionalities, and key concepts to help you effectively use the platform. For additional information, visit the comprehensive FAQ section on PebblePad’s knowledge base at PebblePad Help: FAQs. If you don’t find your question there and require further support, see Getting Help with PebblePad.

What is the difference between PebblePad, Pebble+ and ATLAS?

PebblePad is a Personal Learning and Assessment System comprising of two main components: Pebble+ and ATLAS.

• Pebble+ is your Personal Learning Space where you create and store records of your learning, experiences, and achievements. In Pebble+, you’ll find tools to create rich records of your learning, experiences, and achievements. Pebble+ is where you’ll spend most of your time creating assets, reflecting on your work, and organizing your portfolio.
• ATLAS is the institutional assessment space where you submit work for assessment and receive feedback from instructors. When you need to submit work for assessment, you’ll typically do so through ATLAS. Assets created in Pebble+ can be submitted within ATLAS for viewing by teachers and assessors.

Why would I want to use PebblePad?

PebblePad offers a wide range of functionalities to support your professional and personal learning and development. It allows you to:

• Create digital records of your learning activities, projects, internships, or any other relevant experiences. PebblePad provides tools to help you reflect on these experiences and draw insights from them.
• Collect and organize evidence that demonstrates your skills and knowledge, making it easier to meet accreditation requirements for professional bodies.
• Build and maintain dynamic CVs or resumes. You can easily update your achievements and skills, and create tailored portfolios for potential employers.
• Receive feedback from instructors on your work within the platform.

What is the difference between an Asset and a Resource?

Assets and Resources are two fundamental concepts in PebblePad that serve different purposes:

• Assets are items you create or upload in Pebble+, containing your personal content. These can include documents, reflections, portfolios, or any other work you’ve produced. Assets are stored in your Asset Store and can be edited, shared, or submitted for assessment as needed.
• Resources are tools used to create assets. They are found in the Resource Store and include templates, workbooks, and other pre-designed formats. Resources don’t contain your personal content; rather, they provide a structure or framework for you to fill with your own work. When you use a resource and save your work, it becomes an asset in your Asset Store, while the original resource remains unchanged in the Resource Centre.

What is the difference between a Page and a Portfolio?

Pages and Portfolios are two different types of assets in PebblePad, each serving a distinct purpose in organizing and presenting your work:

• A Page is typically a single document or asset within PebblePad, often used for individual reflections, assignments, or specific pieces of evidence. Pages can contain various types of content such as text, images, videos, or file attachments, and are usually focused on a single topic or learning experience.
• A Portfolio is a collection of multiple pages and assets. It’s used to showcase work over time or for a specific purpose, providing a more comprehensive view of your learning and achievements. Portfolios can include various types of content, including individual pages, files, reflections, and other assets. They are often organized thematically or chronologically to tell a cohesive story of your learning journey. Portfolios are particularly useful for demonstrating growth over time, presenting cumulative work for assessment, or showcasing your skills and experiences to potential employers.

What is the difference between a Template and a Workbook?

Templates and Workbooks are types of Resources in PebblePad. Both Templates and Workbooks become Assets once you start working with them and save your personal content:

• A Template in PebblePad is like a single page empty form. It can contain a combination of content for you to read, watch or listen to, and interactive items for you to add responses to. Templates provide structure for recording information, offering prompts to help you understand the type of information required.
• Workbooks are binders that contain multiple template pages. While a template is single-page, a workbook is multi-page and many of the pages will be made up of templates. Workbooks can also contain holders for Pebble+ presentation Assets like Pages, Activity Logs, Collections, and Blogs. They are often used to facilitate a series of activities or an activity that runs over a longer timeframe, like a work placement.

Is my work in PebblePad private?

By default, everything you create in Pebble+ (your Personal Learning Space) is private. This means that only you can see and access your work unless you specifically choose to share it. You have full control over who can see your assets, for how long, and what they can do with them.

When you submit work to ATLAS (the institutional assessment space), only designated instructors or assessors can view your submitted work.

Is my work in PebblePad autosaved?

No, PebblePad does not have an autosave function. You need to manually save your work regularly, especially before logging out or navigating away.

However, PebblePad does have a recovered work function. If you accidentally close your browser or lose connection without saving, the system may be able to recover your unsaved work. However, this should not be relied upon as a primary method of preserving your work. For more on this feature, refer to Pebble+ Help: Recovered Work or the following video.

What happens to my PebblePad account and assets after I leave York University?

All students are entitled to a free Personal Pebble+ Alumni Account. This allows you to take your PebblePad assets with you when you leave and continue using Pebble+ to support your personal learning and professional development as you move on to the next stage of your career. You will have access to this Personal Account for free for as long as York University licenses PebblePad and for three years after that. After this period, you can choose to retain your Personal Account for a low annual fee. You will receive notification of this if a decision is required. For more on Alumni Accounts, refer to Pebble+ Help: Free Alumni Accounts.