Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Reconnecting with pbworks

Back at work after almost two weeks on Monday.  I am working from one of the CPIT Campus Connect centres, set up mainly for foundation courses in digital literacy. The Campus Connect I am working from is a hive of activity as various staff work on plans to re-start the 2011 academic year.  At this moment in time, no one is able to put a date on when the CPIT Madras Street site will be accessible as it lies within the 'red zone' city cordon put in place immediately after the earthquake / aftershock of 22nd February.

Therefore, CPIT management have been working on re-locating classes either to the CPIT Sullivan Avenue site, the various Campus Connect sites, other teaching institutions (Lincoln University for example) and community halls.  A staged beginning to many programmes begins next week.

For many programmes, flexible and blended delivery learning models will need to be utilised much more so that the physical teaching spaces can be maximised. The Centre for Educational Development (CED) will need to support staff to modify / review / reconfigure existing programmes to allow for the current situation. To this end, I have been working over the last few days to set up a support site with programme design principles based on constructive alignment, with exemplars and templates. Since our Moodle LMS is currently out of action, I have been working on a wiki set up on pbworks . This is the ex- pbwiki I have worked on and I must say the new pbworks is a much better experience. The user interface is user-friendly with a wysiwyg front-end and there is intuitive handling of files, links and pages. The template provided for 'educational users' reflects the focus of pbworks on using it as an LMS or CMS with pages set up for course information, course outlines, timetables etc.

Setting up the wiki has not been a problem. The challenge has been to set it up without access to our usual digital resources, also inaccessible. Our IT people did manage to remove the servers late last week through the cordon and everyone is hopeful access to Moodle and shared files will eventuate by end of this week.

One major item I now have at home is a pack with all the important articles in it - passport, treasured photos, set of bankcards etc. When I evacuated work, I left everything behind, including memory sticks and my external hard drive with the assumption that access to work data should not be a problem. WRONG. So next time round (hopefully not - but to be prepared), I will ensure backup drive is left at home and if possible, to pick up cell phone and memory sticks when evacuating.

4 comments:

chungyw said...

Hi Selena

Found your blog after an email to your office was returned undelivered. Glad to read here that you and your loved ones are ok.

“Reconnecting” is fitting and inspiring. As you re-connect, would like to send along all the very best wishes, positive energy, thoughts and prayers.

Take care
Yin Wah
Singapore

selena said...

Hi Yin Wah,

thanks for good wishes :)

all the best for the week. Selena

Julia Bruce said...

Hi Selena

I am just glad to hear that you are ok. I have been trying to get hold of you via email, but I hear that the system is still down. I hope your family is safe and well.

Julia Bruce

selena said...

Hi Julia,

thank you for your concern :)

I am happy to be kept busy at the moment with work as thing in Christchurch move slowly back to 'normality'.

CPIT email now back (but patchy) and I will touch base with you again in a few days once I have cleared up support work with tutors to re-configure their teaching to fit into the unique circumstances the earthquake have brought about :)

All the best, Selena