What does your role involve?
I'm an eLearning Consultant. I use my knowledge, skills, and experience in education and learning management systems (LMS) to help clients configure, manage, and optimise their Moodle or Tōtara LMS sites. I make sure their sites are in line with best practices and meet their needs.
I have been using Moodle since 2008 when I was a language teacher. Then, I had my own business where I used Moodle to offer exam preparation courses. Currently, alongside my work as an eLearning Consultant, I am working towards my Master of Education at Vic.
On a regular basis as an eLearning Consultant, I provide first-level support such as forgotten passwords and second-level support. Second-level support includes troubleshooting, investigating issues, and finding solutions - for instance, why one user can access something on the site but another user can't.)
What does your typical day look like?
Each day is different, but there is some general consistency for me over a week. On Mondays, we kick-start the week with a team catchup, which includes news, updates, sometimes training, and other items that are important for the team. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days on which I provide client training about LMSs. This could be anything from how to navigate a site to instructional design methodologies to teaching basic HTML. On Wednesdays and Fridays, I am on support, and I provide first-level support for certain client LMS sites.
Tell us about a recent problem you helped solve.
Most recently, I 'translated' paper content into suitable and workable online content. This was quite a big job, as displaying things online is much more different from paper content than many people expect. I also write training materials, making them adaptable and suitable for both online and in-person face-to-face training sessions. I enjoy the creativity and challenge of this, and then using the materials with real people.
What do you enjoy about working at Catalyst?
I have wonderful colleagues who have become friends. I like the FOSS(external link) (free/libre and open source software) principles and I like that we are an Aotearoa New Zealand company. I like working with clients to find solutions, and my favourite thing is when a client has an ‘aha’ moment and they have learned something meaningful and relevant.