Mahara is a free open source e-portfolio platform developed as part of an open-source project in New Zealand. Mahara means “thinking” or “thought” in the Te Reo Māori language.
The platform offers students the opportunity to create their own e-portfolios from various artifacts (e.g., texts, images, videos, etc.) bundled into pages and collections. The e-portfolios created can be shared with individuals or groups or submitted for assessment. In doing so, students can control what information and content they want to include in their e-portfolio and with whom they would like to share it.
Mahara essentially includes three basic functions:
The platform can be operated via Moodle and be linked there directly. Through the connection to Moodle, the Moodle account can also be used for the Mahara system, making it easier to navigate between Moodle courses and the e-portfolio.
Overview of Mahara structure
