From 1 July 2024, the online teaching tool used for course modules and blogging, eFolio, will be deactivated and no longer available to our teaching staff and students.
Please see the table below to understand what alternative platforms you can potentially use, and how to back up your data.
Efolio alternatives by features (how to back up your data)
| Scenario | Alternative platforms to consider | How to back up your data |
| Blogs | ||
| I use the efolio personal blog tool to promote my research/lab/personal brand/course handbooks | You can request a personal or research site blog or website from the Digital User Experience Team. This can use the same theme as your current site, and you can easily import/export XML files between WordPress sites. Please see their guidance on how to request a research project page. You may also consider Microsoft solutions such as Sway which allows the sharing of interactive reports, stories and presentations. You can store information for students on Blackboard, SharePoint or a Class Teams site. Blackboard has various types of course sites where you can store information. Module courses are created as standard, but you can also request custom or programme level courses, and each Faculty has a Faculty Hub site managed by the Student Communications team. | Blog owners can export blog content as XML or PDF file on the WordPress Dashboard. Log into efolio. Select “MY Sites” Select the dashboard of the site and then select “Tools” from the left-hand menu. Select “Export” to export as XML or “PDF Creator” to export a PDF of your site. |
| I use module blogs for sharing teaching content | Please complete the eFolio for teaching feedback form. We recommend migrating your module content to Blackboard Ultra or a Class Teams site. Anyone using efolio for teaching can migrate their 24-25 course to Blackboard Ultra. Simply contact the Education Application Support team to let us know to create an Ultra course for you. Sign up for Blackboard Ultra training and complete the eFolio for teaching feedback form. Contact Education Application Support if you have any questions about using a different plaform for teaching. | |
| I ask students to use efolio blogs as a portfolio/submission tool for teaching | We recommend looking at Blackboard Ultra Discussions and Journals. Anyone using efolio for teaching can migrate their 24-25 course to Blackboard Ultra. Simply contact the Education Application Support team to let us know to create an Ultra course for you. Sign up for Blackboard Ultra training and complete the eFolio for teaching feedback form. | |
| Student Records | ||
| I use efolio to check student details and photos. | Staff can view the student ID card photos and basic information on the Tutor Dashboard. Instructors of Blackboard courses can view student photos and IDs in Blackboard. Additional student information will be added to MyEngagement as part of the ongoing Phase 2 developments. | Student details are available on Tutor Dashboard, Blackboard Photo Roster, MyEngagement or Banner Self-Service. |
| I use efolio to store notes about students and my tutees | Confidential notes on your tutees can be stored in a Word document in your personal OneDrive. This is more secure than using eFolio as you can more directly control the access permissions on your files and folders in your OneDrive. A more centralised student note feature may be a part of MyEngagement Phase 2. | You can copy paste notes out of efolio and download any uploaded documents. Contact Education Application Support for assistance with bulk downloads, or would like guidance on best practice of secure note storage. |
| Medicine Skills & Competencies, and Appraisals | ||
| I use eFolio skills & competencies, and appraisals system to manage medicine student skills sign offs, annual appraisals and CPD records. | You do not need to do anything at the moment, you should continue using eFolio to access student skills, and encourage students to continue uploading their skills, competencies and appraisals. An alternative platform for Medicine will be in place for the next academic year (2024/25). More information on how to access this platform will be shared with the relevant staff and students nearer the time. | You can copy paste notes out of efolio and download any uploaded documents. Contact Education Application Support for assistance with bulk download. |
| Skills and Competencies (Non Medicine) | ||
| I use the skills and competencies feature and I do not work for Faculty of Medicne | Contact Education Application Support if you wish to discuss your requirements for an alternative student skills and competencies tool | Staff can copy paste out the structure of skill sets they wish to migrate to a different platform. Students can copy paste text and download documents their evidence from their skills area. |
| News | ||
| I use efolio to communicate with different student cohorts | Use course announcements or messages to communicate with groups of students in Blackboard. You can create groups in Blackboard to manage communication with different cohorts on large courses. | Relevant text and documents can be copy paste or downloaded from the News area. Please contact Education Application Support if you wish to bulk download news on efolio. |
Efolio Retirement Alternatives by Function
- See Efolio Retirement Alternatives by Function page for inspiration and tools for communicating with students, tools for collaboration and portfolio submission, and different places to find student information.
Efolio Migration Support
Efolio help guides
Further help and FAQs can be found at the link below.