New PebblePad collaboration tool

A regular problem people have come across with PebblePad was when two or more lecturers wanted to work on the same Workbook or other Resource. Unless all parties were working using the same departmental account (which isn't always possible or desirable to do), there was no easy way to do this.

Today (5th December) a new feature has launched in v5 which allows collaborative items - both Resources and Assets - to be shared. To do this share the item in the normal way ('I want to...' > 'Share' > 'With People') and ensure the 'Collaboration' box is ticked (as in the screenshot left). The other user will get a notification it has been shared via email, and will be able to make their own additions and changes. If another user is editing at the time, it will be locked until the other user logs out or times out.

This also solves the problem of when staff members leave and their PebblePad accounts will no longer be accessible - they just need to ensure they share the material with colleagues to collaborate on before they leave (although it may still be advisable to have the material accessible from a departmental account, rather than just individual accounts). It also allows for students to collaborate on Portfolios or other Assets.

This is another much called-for new feature in PebblePad which shows they're listening to feedback, and demonstrates v5's agility in being able to deliver improvements to the system that were never implemented in v3. If you give collaborations a go please get in touch and let us know how you get on.

Pete