<p data-block-key="8hlo7">As leading experts in web content accessibility, it’s not uncommon people ask us “what is WCAG?”. If you found yourself wondering the same question, or wondering how to improve your web content accessibility, this blog post is for you. By the end of this post, you’ll have a good understanding of what it is, the four principles of WCAG, and actionable tips to get started.</p><h2 data-block-key="62trp">What is WCAG?</h2><p data-block-key="beemv">At its core, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is dedicated to inclusivity. Essentially, WCAG is a set of global guidelines for making digital spaces accessible to everyone. Making websites and web content accessible to all ensures everyone can enjoy online knowledge and experiences. Plus, it can help organisations reach a more diverse audience.</p><p data-block-key="1mks9">A common misconception is when accessibility is prioritised, it might compromise design. However, the opposite is true - it enhances user experience (UX). We’ll cover more on this shortly.</p><h2 data-block-key="7dfji"><b>Why does WCAG exist?</b></h2><p data-block-key="dko85"><a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/?mtm_campaign=what-is-wcag&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Web Content Accessibility Guidelines were first released in 1999</a>. Since then, it&#x27;s received a few updates to keep pace with technology and address new challenges.</p><p data-block-key="12ofh">Essentially WCAG serves as a worldwide tool in narrowing the digital gap for people with disabilities. The purpose is to ensure websites and digital platforms accommodate a range of impairments. For example, visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor limitations. When website owners, developers, and content creators meet the guideline standards, they create an inclusive online experience. However, it&#x27;s important to recognise accessibility extends beyond the end-user experience. Additionally, platform backends should ensure they support a diverse workforce.</p><h2 data-block-key="2bugk"><b>Who Does WCAG Apply To?</b></h2><ul><li data-block-key="6qfkc">WCAG applies to <a href="https://accessibility.digital.gov/?mtm_campaign=what-is-wcag&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">everyone who creates and maintains digital content.</a> For example, everyone involved in web development, design, content creation, and business ownership.<br/></li><li data-block-key="f5tfv"><a href="https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/work-programmes/accessibility/index.html?mtm_campaign=what-is-wcag&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">All public sector organisations in New Zealand</a> must show they are improving web accessibility for everyone.<br/></li><li data-block-key="imle">For private sector organisations, the guidelines are not mandated but offered as a best practice. However, improving accessibility makes the overall user experience better for everyone. Also, it helps your organisation reach and attract a wider range of people.<br/></li></ul><p data-block-key="5hc5m">The main point is that accessibility shouldn&#x27;t be done just to check a box or only for business growth. In fact, <a href="https://social.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/Paper%20Accesibilidad%20Universal%20English.pdf?mtm_campaign=what-is-wcag&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">being able to access content regardless of ability level is a human right.</a></p><h2 data-block-key="cm1s2"><b>The Four Principles of WCAG</b></h2><p data-block-key="e383j"><a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-principles/?mtm_campaign=what-is-wcag&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are based on four key principles</a> covering important aspects of digital accessibility. The four principles of WCAG are:</p><ol><li data-block-key="elblh"><b>Perceivable:</b> Information and user interface components must be presented in a way that users can understand. This should cater to different sensory abilities.<br/></li><li data-block-key="1musr"><b>Operable:</b> The user interface and navigation should be easy to use and navigate. This will help people interact with and move around in the digital space.<br/></li><li data-block-key="3ep2e"><b>Understandable:</b> The user interface should be easy to understand, promoting clarity and ease of use.<br/></li><li data-block-key="9u11"><b>Robust:</b> The content needs to work well with different devices and tools that help people. It should also keep up with new technology.<br/></li></ol><h2 data-block-key="5hm76"><b>Which WCAG version is currently in place?</b></h2><p data-block-key="amloh">At the time of writing, WGAC 2.2 is the current version of guidance. However, <a href="https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/wcag3-intro/?mtm_campaign=what-is-wcag&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WCAG 3</a> is in draft stage with goals to:</p><ul><li data-block-key="d5h5k">Make the guidance easier to understand.</li><li data-block-key="ddrn3">Cover more user needs.</li><li data-block-key="16pc6">Address different types of web content, apps, tools and organisations.<br/></li></ul><h2 data-block-key="e5f02"><b>First steps to improving your web content accessibility</b></h2><ol><li data-block-key="espej">Familiarise yourself with the WCAG 2.2 guidelines.<br/></li><li data-block-key="3apj3">Consider <a href="https://www.digital.govt.nz/standards-and-guidance/design-and-ux/accessibility/accessibility-supported-technologies/?mtm_campaign=what-is-wcag&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">how people with different disabilities view web content.</a> For example, people with visual impairments may use a screen reader.<br/></li><li data-block-key="47a3t">Next, set a standard: any new content created should ‘do better’ and support these user groups. Although there may be many challenges to address, there&#x27;s no need to make them worse.<br/></li><li data-block-key="3i2mp">Also, ensure you have accessibility advocates in your arsenal. The advocates could be employees, external experts like our team at Catalyst, charities, or user groups. Leverage their personal experiences or skilled expertise to carve a path forward.<br/></li><li data-block-key="8171d">Completing an audit of your existing web content is a good step too. Think of it as a gap analysis. What criteria do you need to meet? How well does your website and content compare now? Once you have a list of the ‘gaps’, prioritise fixing the issues. Remember, nobody is expecting you to fix things overnight. Improving accessibility is a thoughtful task. How you prioritise depends on your business goals, resources, cost, and timing. You can find more information on how to audit your website against the four principles of WCAG on <a href="https://www.digital.govt.nz/standards-and-guidance/design-and-ux/accessibility/?mtm_campaign=what-is-wcag&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the NZ government website.</a><br/></li><li data-block-key="9cc4b">Your organisation could also attend training sessions to learn more about accessibility, or even have your design and code peer reviewed ahead of going live.<br/></li></ol><h2 data-block-key="1n2g0">Questions about web accessibility?</h2><p data-block-key="1id5m">There’s a lot to consider when it comes to web content accessibility. But, it doesn’t have to be hard or drain your internal resources. We can assist you with a simple web accessibility health check and improve internal capabilities through introductory or custom training courses. Additionally, we can be a trusted partner in fixing your web content.</p><p data-block-key="aj53d"><b>Catalyst’s DIA Marketplace approved accessibility team can support you with:</b></p><ul><li data-block-key="fh43e">Organisation accessibility health checks.</li><li data-block-key="204r8">Website audits against the four principles of WCAG.</li><li data-block-key="63ndb">WCAG training courses.</li><li data-block-key="nomd">Design and code reviews.</li><li data-block-key="c97a2">Accessibility strategy and consulting.</li></ul><h2 data-block-key="4dvdi">Need support with WCAG for industry leading experts?</h2><p data-block-key="9vuj9"><br/><a href="mailto:enquiries@catalyst.net.nz">Contact us for more information or to request a free consultation.</a></p>

lightning graphic next to the blog title heading

<p data-block-key="8297q">As leading experts in web content accessibility, it’s not uncommon people ask us “what is WCAG?”. If you found yourself wondering the same question, or wondering how to improve your web content accessibility, this blog post is for you.</p>

what-is-wcag

<p data-block-key="nbsq3">Learning is a matter of gathering knowledge; wisdom is applying the knowledge. But, there’s a step in-between that needs factoring in, too. That step is reflection and it’s at the centre of teaching and learning. Reflection lets learners connect what, how, and why they learned something. Basically, it helps learners make sense of information in a way that&#x27;s personal to them. Consequently, this also makes the curriculum more meaningful. EPortfolios provide a structure for reflection, but their benefits don’t stop there. In fact, there are many benefits of ePortfolios. We&#x27;ve listed 10 of them below.</p><h2 data-block-key="2abt5">The benefits of ePortfolios</h2><h3 data-block-key="ce4t0"><b>Learner-centred experience</b></h3><p data-block-key="8ai11">EPortfolios empower learners to take control of their educational journey. They can create, collect, curate, converse, and connect better with their learning experiences. Additionally, they can create personalised narratives to reflect their growth and achievements. Ultimately, this fosters a sense of ownership and self-direction.</p><h3 data-block-key="a2a9m"><b>Centralised content management</b></h3><p data-block-key="5h01h">Collecting and curating evidence are not the same. For example, learners may spend time collecting lots of evidence, also called &#x27;artefacts&#x27;. However, they need to spend time selecting, or curating, which items to showcase. This will depend on the goal at hand. For example, applying for a job, demonstrating competency, or displaying coursework. So, a platform with a good content management system makes it easier for learners to find and organise their evidence.</p><h3 data-block-key="15ton"><b>Flexibility in portfolio creation</b></h3><p data-block-key="5quls">Next, good ePortfolio platforms allow learners to showcase their learning in diverse ways. Using <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/what-is-the-mahara-portfolio-platform?mtm_campaign=top-10-benefits-of-eportfolios&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara</a> as an example, learners can:</p><ul><li data-block-key="eroe9">Create a portfolio to document and reflect on their learning.</li><li data-block-key="avlfm">Use a portfolio to fulfil an assessment task.</li><li data-block-key="5e7jp">Communicate with internship mentors and academic advisors on a portfolio dedicated to their work-integrated learning experience.</li><li data-block-key="dp071">Present their best work and achievements in a showcase portfolio they use to apply for a job.</li><li data-block-key="6hbls">Track their professional development and reflect on it in a professional certification portfolio.<br/></li></ul><h3 data-block-key="6d93h"><b>Reflective learning</b></h3><p data-block-key="4ak0h">As we mentioned in the intro to this blog post, a key aspect of learning is the ability to reflect. One of the biggest benefits of ePortfolios is it provides dedicated space for this.</p><p data-block-key="e5h78">ePortfolio features supporting reflection include:</p><ul><li data-block-key="3jh2">Learning journals.</li><li data-block-key="apfkn">Audio and video reflections.</li><li data-block-key="16dcv">The mapping of evidence to competency standards.</li></ul><p data-block-key="66c03">A portfolio with these basic functionalities will undeniably enhance your learner reflection practices.</p><h3 data-block-key="a3c14"><b>Scaffolded portfolio creation</b></h3><p data-block-key="dhqqg">Sometimes, getting used to a new tool or practice whilst also learning new skills can be a challenge. So, offering predefined ePortfolio templates for learners to use, means they can create their portfolios knowing what the minimum requirements are. This scaffolding can be reduced over time as learners become more used to creating their own portfolios.</p><h3 data-block-key="d90ot"><b>Privacy controls</b></h3><p data-block-key="jm2r">Another benefit of ePortfolio platforms is a good selection of privacy controls. For example, keeping portfolios private, inviting others to view them, or sharing portfolios publicly. The learner has the power to decide when and with whom they want to share their work. It empowers learners to share a specific part of their digital identity only when they are ready to do so with the audience that they want.</p><h3 data-block-key="6qv0a"><b>Collaborative learning</b></h3><p data-block-key="6q8qh">Portfolios are personal, but they don’t always need to be solitary projects. In fact, platforms like Mahara support individual and group portfolio creation. Evidencing and reflecting on shared educational experiences is as equally important as individual achievements. EPortfolios created as collaborative projects can also provide professional evidence for teamwork and associated skills.</p><h3 data-block-key="3eiqn"><b>Offline collection capabilities</b></h3><p data-block-key="63f1n">Next, the ability to use an ePortfolio both on and offline can be a huge help to learners. Perhaps they don’t have internet access at home, or they like to reflect on their bus commute home but don’t have mobile data. Regardless of when and where a learner is, an internet connection shouldn’t be a blocker to progress. So, ePortfolios with offline access ensure learners capture what they need when they desire. Then, when they have internet access, they simply synchronise their offline files with their online portfolio space. For Mahara, <a href="https://manual.mahara.org/en/23.04/misc/mobile.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara Mobile</a> offers offline evidence collection.</p><h3 data-block-key="3svra"><b>Freedom to customise</b></h3><p data-block-key="145je">From the URL to <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio?mtm_campaign=top-10-benefits-of-eportfolios&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">theming</a>, language preferences, and available features, customisation is one of the benefits of a portfolio platform that offers flexibility for your organisation. But, it may surprise you to hear not all ePortfolio platforms offer a huge range of customisations. That’s why using an open source <a href="https://mahara.org/?mtm_campaign=top-10-benefits-of-eportfolios&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ePortfolio like Mahara</a> is so beneficial. Due to its open source nature, you can customise and integrate to your heart&#x27;s content. If you’re unfamiliar with open source, don’t worry. There are plenty of community forums and expert support you can tap into.</p><h3 data-block-key="b6298"><b>Community engagement</b></h3><p data-block-key="6kr40">Specifically for organisations using Mahara, the global community they’re welcomed into is an added bonus. The community provides a space for educators to:</p><ul><li data-block-key="dfe66">Interact.</li><li data-block-key="dje1d">Exchange ideas.</li><li data-block-key="flfn4">Share experiences.</li><li data-block-key="48nt9">Contribute to the ongoing development of Mahara.<br/></li></ul><p data-block-key="eqded">Plus, by participating in community events and discussions, educators help shape ePortfolio practice for the future.</p><h2 data-block-key="7l27o">Want to learn more about ePortfolios?</h2><p data-block-key="9qcts">Here are a few helpful links to get you started:</p><p data-block-key="asskl">We created <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/guide-to-eportfolios?mtm_campaign=guide-to-eportfolios&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this guide</a> to ePortfolios to help answer a few common questions about ePortfolios<b>.</b> So if, you’re on the cusp of a new educational tool make sure to check it out.</p><p data-block-key="cc7l5">Or, if you’re ready to try a new ePortfolio platform, <a href="https://demo.mahara.org/?mtm_campaign=top-10-benefits-of-eportfolios&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">try the free demo version of Mahara.</a></p><p data-block-key="d10tk">Still have any questions about ePortfolios? You could also check out the <a href="https://mahara.org/forums" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">community forums</a> for similar questions.</p><p data-block-key="c49d6"></p>

Mahara handrwan lightbulb overlayed on green tone triangles

<p data-block-key="09h2h">EPortfolios provide a structure for reflection, but their benefits don’t stop there. In fact, there are many benefits of ePortfolios. We&#x27;ve listed 10 of them in this blog post.</p>

top-10-benefits-of-eportfolios

<p data-block-key="f7oab">Do you find yourself doing big releases to try and fit in more feature work into your SaaS LMS? Perhaps your developers are working out of office hours to accommodate Moodle being offline? Or do you find bug fixes time-consuming? Did you know Continuous Integration as a Service (CIaaS) can help you overcome these issues? Learn more about what CIaaS is below.</p><h2 data-block-key="53ba2"><b>What is Continuous Integration (CI)?</b></h2><p data-block-key="20ug3">Continuous Integration (CI) is a method in software development that makes testing, building, and deploying easier. CIaaS allows smaller releases, so there are quicker fixes or feature rollouts to your SaaS LMS. Developers get fast feedback on their work from their automated tests which speeds up the development process.</p><p data-block-key="5ouj1"></p><p data-block-key="c3l4q"></p><img alt="A graphic presenting the stages of Continuous Integration as a cycle. Beginning with Git, then Gitlab, then unit test, then staging release, then smokecheck then release." class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="307" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Catalyst_eLearning_CI_Continuous-Integration_D.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="a6fo0"><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></p><h2 data-block-key="ffobs">Why would you use CIaaS?</h2><p data-block-key="4ncua">Going back to those questions we asked at the start of the blog post, if you answered yes to them. CIaaS will help. Because it allows you to make the smaller releases, quicker fixes and faster rollouts your learners aren’t interrupted in class due to ongoing maintenance, as updates only take a matter of seconds.</p><p data-block-key="4jjco">Additionally, partnering with <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?mtm_campaign=moodle-continuous-integration-as-a-service-ci-aas&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst</a> who provides CIaaS means your in-house technical team no longer needs to be on call. So say goodbye to your developers working long nights. Basically, we can allow automatic deployments at any time. This means our developers will complete patches, releases, and maintenance, and be ready to get to the root cause of problems when they creep up. Plus, due to the automated tests in CIaaS, bugs are picked up quicker, so if a bug is found, it’s not released. This means your learners don’t have to work around any bugs that otherwise may have fallen through the cracks. And they don’t need to wait until another big release for the bug to be resolved. Because of the small regular changes to the code, it’s easier for our developers to work on fixing bugs as they don’t need to dig through irrelevant parts of code. With the added benefit of the bug not being live in your SaaS LMS.</p><p data-block-key="6n7e6">CIaaS works across a number of platforms including SaaS LMSs Moodle and <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara?mtm_campaign=moodle-continuous-integration-as-a-service-ci-aas&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tōtara</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/mahara?mtm_campaign=moodle-continuous-integration-as-a-service-ci-aas&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara</a>.</p><h2 data-block-key="ejtbt">Why is a CI system an essential part of SaaS (software as a service)?</h2><p data-block-key="9qk2m">Now, let’s look at why a CI system and SaaS (software as a service) connect with each other. SaaS is a cloud-based subscription that is accessible online without having to download anything. Beginning in 1991, only small start-ups <a href="https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/history-of-saas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">used SaaS</a>. Today, everyone from start-ups to tech giants use SaaS. Plus, a lot of our everyday software is SaaS, including Moodle and Tōtara which are examples of a SaaS LMS.</p><p data-block-key="fm351">So, how does CI link to SaaS? A CI system is an essential part of SaaS software because:</p><ul><li data-block-key="5smm0">It helps developers, security, and operations to be efficient and effective.</li><li data-block-key="6irgo">It decreases manual and time-consuming work.</li></ul><p data-block-key="cnel9">Essentially, a CI system increases productivity and workflows by freeing you up from manual and chunky tasks in your software.</p><h2 data-block-key="blijh"><b>Who hosts your LMS when you use CIaaS?</b></h2><p data-block-key="cckns">The ball is in your court. Whether you’re self hosting your LMS or using a cloud provider CIaaS is equally effective wherever your LMS is hosted. For example, you might host on cloud providers, like <a href="https://catalystcloud.nz/?mtm_campaign=moodle-continuous-integration-as-a-service-ci-aas&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst Cloud</a> or it could be Data Centre, or even on prem.</p><p data-block-key="4gvc7">If you don’t have the in-house expertise to host and maintain your Moodle, we can host your LMS for you.</p><h2 data-block-key="3f7tc">Expert support for your LMS</h2><p data-block-key="bqphd">Catalyst has over 20 years of experience with LMSs, and in 2023, our team earned the Moodle ‘<a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/catalyst-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023?mtm_campaign=moodle-continuous-integration-as-a-service-ci-aas&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Global Partner of the Year</a>’ and ‘LMS Partner of the Year&#x27;. Additionally, we are a Tōtara platinum partner so, you can trust your LMS is in safe hands with our service. We partner with some of the largest and most renowned tertiary institutes globally, so we know how important it is to deliver quality to your LMS updates. <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle-enquiry-form?mtm_campaign=moodle-continuous-integration-as-a-service-ci-aas&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Contact us</a> to learn more about Continuous Integration as a Service and how we can support your LMS today.</p>

Continuous integration as a service (CIaaS)

<p data-block-key="nx59s">Do you find yourself doing big releases to try and fit in more feature work into your SaaS LMS? Perhaps your developers are working out of office hours to accommodate Moodle being offline? Or do you find bug fixes time-consuming? Did you know Continuous Integration as a Service (CIaaS) can help you overcome these issues? Learn more about what CIaaS is below.</p>

continuous-integration-as-a-service-ciaas-for-your-lms

<p data-block-key="k7ab8">Technology in higher education impacts student learning both in classrooms and daily routines. Whether capturing lecture notes on devices or finding inspiration on digital pinboards and social media, tech is everywhere. While it grants access to knowledge consumption, it can also disrupt how learning is tracked and integrated, potentially robbing new insights of depth and significance. Thus, education providers should implement technology to support <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy?mtm_campaign=guide-to-eportfolios-for-higher-education&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pedagogy</a>. Overlooking this adaptation risks missing opportunities to enhance course creation, student support, and long-term success. EPortfolios are a solution to this challenge. They are a pedagogical tool that fosters lifelong learning and creativity. This blog post is your introductory guide to ePortfolios.</p><h2 data-block-key="533ss"><b>Why you should consider an ePortfolio</b></h2><p data-block-key="abipt">For higher education institutions grappling with budget constraints, ePortfolios may seem like another expense. However, they are an investment in both your organisational and learner success.</p><p data-block-key="ir0a">EPortfolios easily align with your institutional goals, fostering long-term learner success by bridging academic coursework and career development. Tailored for success, they track progress, showcase mastery, and evaluate learning outcomes, providing valuable data-driven insights for course design and retention initiatives. Beyond being a digital tool, ePortfolios embody purpose-driven pedagogy, enhancing digital fluency and preparing students for the complexities of the modern world.</p><h2 data-block-key="cg0ba"><b>You already have an LMS, why do you need an ePortfolio?</b></h2><p data-block-key="f1la">While Learning Management Systems (LMS) and ePortfolios may share some surface similarities, they serve distinct purposes with different intentions and outcomes. An LMS primarily revolves around managing the learning that learners need to participate in, with learning designers and educators setting specific tasks. Conversely, ePortfolios are learner-driven, allowing students to choose and share what they want about their learning and use it as a personal space for reflection.</p><p data-block-key="cdgv9">While an ePortfolio and an LMS have different intentions, they do not have to work in silo. In fact, a great ePortfolio should seamlessly integrate with your LMS via LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) or plugins. For example, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/what-is-the-mahara-portfolio-platform?mtm_campaign=guide-to-eportfolios-for-higher-education&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara</a> integrates easily with the <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle LMS</a> via LTI and a purpose-built plugin.</p><h2 data-block-key="fsv2n"><b>What are the benefits of ePortfolios?</b></h2><p data-block-key="acfj8">EPortfolios have a far-reaching impact on learners, and the benefits extend to internal and external stakeholders. Here are some of the best benefits of ePortfolios.</p><h3 data-block-key="13q4c">EPortfolio benefits for learners</h3><ul><li data-block-key="ausm8">EPortfolios are not a digital archive. Instead, they are a living chronicle of learning experiences. They empower students to curate and reflect on their learning.</li><li data-block-key="b0mpj">Complemented by open badges, ePortfolios also democratise the acknowledgement of diverse skills and knowledge.</li><li data-block-key="2kh3t">Engaging with ePortfolios goes beyond capturing academic progress; it becomes a tool for skill development, habit building, and capturing and reflecting on real-world learning experiences.</li><li data-block-key="8rklc">Lastly, ePortfolios excel in showcasing learning pathways, credential stacking, and increasing transferable skills.<br/></li></ul><h3 data-block-key="93e8t">EPortfolio benefits for educators</h3><ul><li data-block-key="de9vn">Educators can leverage the ePortfolio as a powerful pedagogical tool for formal and informal learning scenarios.</li><li data-block-key="21uau">Portfolios embody a reflective pedagogy, supporting learners to become reflective practitioners in their careers.</li><li data-block-key="a7akn">Used for work-integrated learning, educators gain a holistic understanding of their students&#x27; journeys and have the opportunity to provide feedback and support them during their work experiences.<br/></li></ul><h3 data-block-key="a91do">EPortfolio benefits for employers</h3><ul><li data-block-key="aj18u">From an employer&#x27;s perspective, ePortfolios provide valuable insights into applicants&#x27; employability skills and capabilities and their personality, enriching the recruitment processes.</li><li data-block-key="deq02">Increasingly, ePortfolios are used for appraisal and recertification purposes, making it a vehicle to track and reflect on skills and accomplishments on an ongoing basis.</li><li data-block-key="73lu1">As educational programmes increasingly foster work-integrated learning, such as internships and work placements, this ePortfolio type becomes essential for providers to engage with learners. It enables activity logging, reflection, and interaction with workplace mentors, for example through feedback. </li></ul><h2 data-block-key="4en27">The five different types of ePortfolios</h2><h3 data-block-key="d94de"><b>Learning portfolios</b></h3><p data-block-key="e3g09">This type of portfolio monitors ongoing student development by tracking progress over time, emphasising reflection. For example, learners choose whether to document and share insights gained from seminars or illustrate their evolution across consecutive learning experiences. The content added or shared in learning portfolios is guided by the learner&#x27;s desire to shape a digital identity tailored to their learning purposes.</p><h3 data-block-key="fvj5i"><b>Assessment portfolios</b></h3><p data-block-key="8m0a3">This ePortfolio is dedicated to assessment and evaluation purposes for specific activities learners are asked to complete and reflect on, for which they will receive a grade. This type is often most tightly integrated into a class and allows for authentic learning activities.</p><h3 data-block-key="1u9qj"><b>Work-integrated</b> <b>portfolios</b></h3><p data-block-key="apbr0">As educational programmes increasingly foster work-integrated learning, such as internships and work placements, this ePortfolio type becomes essential for providers to engage with learners. It enables activity logging, reflection, and interaction with workplace mentors, for example through feedback. Serving as a dual-purpose portfolio for learners and educators, it fosters continuous communication while learners complete their work-integrated learning activities. So, this can facilitate efficient tracking of student progress, allowing timely support and positive reinforcement. The platform enhances the learning experience by promoting collaboration between students and education providers, ensuring alignment with educational goals, and providing valuable insights for ongoing improvement.</p><h3 data-block-key="6mlim"><b>Showcase portfolio</b></h3><p data-block-key="cceks">A showcase or presentation portfolio allows learners to highlight their best attributes through digital curation. Unlike a traditional curriculum vitae, this portfolio goes beyond merely presenting evidence. Instead, it encourages reflective insights. Here, individuals showcase their skills and a narrative on their learning journey. Thus, it offers employers a deeper view of strengths, learning experiences, growth, and work approach.</p><h3 data-block-key="dqolc"><b>Professional certification portfolio</b></h3><p data-block-key="1414n">Typically aligned with competency frameworks, professional certification was historically a tick-box exercise, stating the progress up to the point of the certification. However, recognising the limited value for professional development, this approach has shifted. Using an ePortfolio instead, evidence and reflective insight are presented that tie achievements and skills better to the work an individual is required to do. The professional certification portfolio allows for conversations around that evidence and reflection, fostering professional development discussions that impact future work.</p><p data-block-key="2a74g">Notably, these five portfolio types can and will overlap. For example, a professional certification portfolio may intersect with an assessment portfolio - hence the importance of selecting a flexible ePortfolio platform with which different types of portfolios can be created effortlessly. This allows learners to use one tool for different purposes, reducing cognitive overhead for learning a new tool for different activities. <a href="https://mahara.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara</a> is a great example of such a portfolio platform that offers this flexibility.</p><p data-block-key="83lm0"></p><img alt="Mahara types of Portfolios" class="richtext-image full-width" height="451" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Mahara_types_of_Portfolios.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="1d3g2"></p><h2 data-block-key="a87va"><b>EPortfolio platform selection criteria</b></h2><p data-block-key="51j9e">As noted above, your ePortfolio platform should be flexible. However, there are additional criteria your platform choice should meet:</p><ol><li data-block-key="cdkck">Compliance needs such as <a href="https://gdpr-info.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GDPR</a> for data privacy and WCAG for accessibility should be met alongside established information security standards to satisfy an organisation&#x27;s requirements.</li><li data-block-key="akg69">Support for LTI to connect to your learning management system.</li><li data-block-key="7pg62"><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio?mtm_campaign=guide-to-eportfolios-for-higher-education&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Full theming capabilities</a> to ensure it reflects your organisation&#x27;s brand so learners see it as integral element of their learning ecosystems.</li><li data-block-key="djs09">The file repository supports multiple file types. For example, PDFs, compressed files, multimedia files, etc.</li><li data-block-key="a0gbl">Progress tracking through competency frameworks or dashboards.</li><li data-block-key="2fsqa">Built-in reporting engine for learning analytics.</li><li data-block-key="bib94">Administrator settings are also key to conveniently change settings without requiring code changes.</li><li data-block-key="e0hig">Scalability to operationally flex with your organisation&#x27;s and learner growth.</li><li data-block-key="s9eg">Self-hosted or managed hosting options in line with your requirements.</li></ol><p data-block-key="c2a0h">There are numerous ePortfolio platforms, but at Catalyst, we believe Mahara is the best ePortfolio solution. Why? Because it ticks all the boxes above and more.</p><p data-block-key="e97mn">Our Catalyst team has been involved with <a href="https://mahara.org/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Mahara project</a> since it started in 2006. We are the core maintainers responsible for security updates, feature releases, and everything in between. We develop the majority of new features and also offer the development of bespoke features to our clients. We are committed to making Mahara a great platform for you in the long term.</p><p data-block-key="23bhp">You can try a basic version of Mahara via this <a href="https://demo.mahara.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">free demo</a><a href="https://demo.mahara.org/?mtm_campaign=guide-to-eportfolios-for-higher-education&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">.</a> However, if you want to enquire about your organisation&#x27;s specific goals and how Mahara could help, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/mahara-enquiry-form?mtm_campaign=guide-to-eportfolios-for-higher-education&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">contact our team</a><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/contact-us?mtm_campaign=guide-to-eportfolios-for-higher-education&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">.</a></p>

Handrawn Mahara lightbulb overlayed on on multicoloured green triangles

<p data-block-key="upwhp">This blog post is your introductory guide to ePortfolios and how they enrich learning through reflection.</p>

guide-to-eportfolios

<p data-block-key="4wmis">Enhancing your online learning courses in Tōtara Learn is easy when you use some of the best LMS plugins. As a Tōtara Platinum Partner, Catalyst provides an exclusive suite of LMS plugins for our clients. Check out some of our favourite Tōtara plugins to customise your learners’ eLearning experience.</p><h2 data-block-key="arco9">The 4 best LMS plugins for Tōtara</h2><h3 data-block-key="a7imb">1. OJT (on job training)</h3><p data-block-key="a4bup"></p><img alt="Screenshot of an example of OJT on the job training layout" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="333" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/ojt_on_the_job_training.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="1gqge"></p><p data-block-key="cjl5o"><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Keeping track of and managing learner progress isn’t just a tickbox exercise. Instead, it’s critical for your learners&#x27; future success. For example, it can help identify skills, competency, and knowledge gaps they need for their role. That means you need to have an established system in place to maintain records and support learner growth.</p><p data-block-key="2eiva">Within Tōtara ‘OJT (on-job training)’ is the best LMS plugin for achieving this. Essentially, it provides digital proof of specific training or skill. The OJT plugin works on a screen to record outcomes and sign-off assessments. Additionally, if you have qualifications requiring annual sign-off, OJT can enable recurring qualifications.</p><h3 data-block-key="1cu5j">2. Multifactor authentication (MFA/2FA)</h3><p data-block-key="353fh">Between 2021-2023 CertNZ recorded an <a href="https://www.cert.govt.nz/about/quarterly-report/quarter-two-cyber-security-insights-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">average</a> of 2,266 cybersecurity incidents and an average direct financial loss of $5 million. Whilst not specifically related to LMS incidents, it’s a stark reminder of the importance of good cybersecurity practices. For example, two factor authentication (2FA) or multifactor authentication (MFA) adds a good layer of security against login attacks.</p><p data-block-key="9vgk">Wondering what plugin option can work best? LMS plugins available from Catalyst include the ‘Multifactor authentication (MFA/2FA)’ plugin, allowing 2FA to be part of the built-in login process. So, if a password is exposed, the offending party can’t login unless they have access to the second factor.</p><h3 data-block-key="ctu86">3. Course/activity completion filters</h3><p data-block-key="8jc6u"></p><img alt="Screenshot of course activity completion filters example" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="333" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/course_activity_completion_filters_.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="7ka54"><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></p><p data-block-key="dncb8">There’s a level of satisfaction and accomplishment when you can see the progress you’re making towards a course. So, we developed the ‘Course/activity completion filters’ plugin for your learners. We’re confident this is one of the best LMS plugins to visually show learner progress as they complete a course.</p><h3 data-block-key="2ai7h">4. Auto-enrolment</h3><p data-block-key="9crbi">It can be confusing as an LMS administrator when learners click on courses they’re not required to complete. This is because learners are automatically enrolled when they browse course pages. Ultimately, this can result in skewed completion stats.</p><p data-block-key="4dgg8">‘Auto-enrolment’ by Catalyst is the best LMS plugin to remedy this issue. Essentially, from using this plugin, learners are only ‘enrolled’ once they interact with specified activities on the course page. Say goodbye to those skewed results and track course completion more effectively with this plugin.</p><h3 data-block-key="872ra">The best LMS plugin to use before Tōtara TXP 18</h3><h3 data-block-key="5nl8b">1. H5P</h3><p data-block-key="dstvu">Easily maintainable content and learner success go hand in hand. However, working with old <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content?mtm_campaign=4-best-totara-plugins-by-catalyst-to-improve-your-lms&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SCORM content</a>, increases your chances of uneditable course content. Instead, using tools like H5P makes it easy to edit content.</p><p data-block-key="cjrp9">H5P is the best LMS plugin for adding the HTML5 Package (H5P) content creation tool. H5P allows you to create and share interactive content in Tōtara, transforming the possibilities of displaying content. Additionally, H5P is available as a plugin for all Tōtara users.</p><p data-block-key="fvl9v"><b>Note, in Tōtara TXP 18 and above, H5P will be integrated with Tōtara core.</b></p><p data-block-key="6611s">Already using the H5P plugin? If so, it’s a good idea to mark which courses currently use H5P. This way, when Tōtara TXP 18 is released, you can easily identify which content is coming from what source. When it is released, resist from prematurely uninstalling the plugin. Doing so will remove all the course content you have created with it. If you need support transitioning to the inbuilt H5P functionality without problems, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara-enquiry-form?mtm_campaign=4-best-totara-plugins-by-catalyst-to-improve-your-lms&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">contact our team</a>.</p><h2 data-block-key="d8ubm">Improve your learning experience in Tōtara</h2><p data-block-key="8mmvj">From using our list of the best LMS plugins for Tōtara, you’re set up for an effective eLearning environment. To learn more about Tōtara, and how Catalyst can customise your LMS, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara-enquiry-form?mtm_campaign=4-best-totara-plugins-by-catalyst-to-improve-your-lms&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">contact us today</a>.</p>

<p data-block-key="iq6p3">Enhancing your online learning courses in Tōtara Learn is easy when you use some of the best LMS plugins. As a Tōtara Platinum Partner, Catalyst provides an exclusive suite of LMS plugins for our clients. Check out some of our favourite Tōtara plugins to customise your learners’ eLearning experience.</p>

4-best-totara-plugins-by-catalyst-to-improve-your-lms

<p data-block-key="5aegn">Are you finding your learners are struggling to complete courses? It could be a sign your learners aren’t engaged with your learning management system (LMS) course content. Is it due to the content lacking relevance? Perhaps the course is out of date. Or, maybe the course is not presented appropriately. Follow our top tips below to successfully manage your LMS content and keep your learners engaged.</p><h2 data-block-key="8gvb6">5 tips for managing LMS content successfully</h2><h3 data-block-key="d8mt4">1. Know the life cycle of your LMS course content</h3><p data-block-key="8vi2k">Outdated content isn’t just a waste of time for learners, it can also be confusing. Additionally, having outdated content can cause a lack of clarity and distrust. It’s essential to have meaningful course content to set your learners up for success.</p><p data-block-key="e2i7u">Furthermore, your course content has likely changed over the years, and learners may be completing different iterations. Maintaining accurate records of course completion isn’t just a <a href="https://www.digital.govt.nz/standards-and-guidance/governance/digital-information-management/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">regulatory requirement</a> it can also highlight gaps in your learner&#x27;s training. So how do you accurately track the life cycle of your course content and ensure compliance?</p><ol><li data-block-key="a2q04">Maintain course integrity by checking when the course content was last updated.</li><li data-block-key="9bfrv">Ask yourself what information is missing and what is no longer relevant.</li><li data-block-key="dh5m2">Next, create a list or report detailing which learners have completed which course version and plan for how you will ensure consistency moving forward.</li><li data-block-key="agvc">Develop a recurring review plan to ensure the content is regularly maintained and meaningful.</li></ol><h3 data-block-key="9jm18"><br/>2. Improve your LMS course content</h3><p data-block-key="6etgq">Now you have a plan in place to review your course content, you need to decide how you’ll update or create new content moving forward. There are three ways you can approach this:</p><h4 data-block-key="4l3h5">Option 1: In-house expertise</h4><p data-block-key="6c564">If you have the in-house expertise, your technical team will be able to create the course content for you and identify any technical or content-based gaps. However, if you don’t have the in-house expertise, don’t let this stop you - team up with an <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/elearning-content-development?mtm_campaign=5-tips-to-successfully-manage-your-lms-content&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">external expert</a> instead.</p><h4 data-block-key="303tk">Option 2: Course content delivered by a LMS partner</h4><p data-block-key="5265e">What if your in-house experts have the knowledge of the course materials, but don’t know how to create the online content itself? In this case, an experienced LMS partner is the solution. Course content creation developed in conjunction with an LMS partner is called a ‘full instructional design experience’. Basically, this is when an Instructional Designer, works with your subject matter experts (SMEs) to develop the course content.</p><p data-block-key="1gscm"><b>A full instructional design experience covers:</b></p><ul><li data-block-key="drp04">An analysis of requirements including assessment and compliance, if relevant.</li><li data-block-key="2bp67">The identification of learning objectives and desired outcomes.</li><li data-block-key="a1md6">Development of a course or multiple courses.</li><li data-block-key="1nguf">Design of training materials suitable for an LMS. For example, teaching manuals and student guides.</li><li data-block-key="7paj">Publication of your courses on your LMS.</li></ul><p data-block-key="eb9ts">Working with a learning management system partner frees up your in-house expertise time. Plus, collaboration strengthens the course content: your SMEs share their knowledge to create meaningful courses, and their time is also freed up.</p><h4 data-block-key="aqr4g">Option 3: Translating content for online learning</h4><p data-block-key="tdi4">How about if you have paper-based courses that now need to be accessible online? Some real experience is needed to translate this effectively. So if you don’t have the in-house expertise to do it, work with an <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/elearning-content-development?mtm_campaign=5-tips-to-successfully-manage-your-lms-content&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experienced eLearning consultant</a>. They are highly skilled and can translate your face-to-face or paper-based course content into purposeful digital LMS content. Additionally, they can create bite-sized courses to provide microlearning for your team’s training.</p><h3 data-block-key="apdgp">3. Identify and review SCORM rot in your course content</h3><p data-block-key="347gn">Since 2001, SCORM has been used for presenting content in a wide range of LMSs. However, as we highlighted in our previous blog post, it’s riddled with problems. To name just one, when SCORM is over five years old it has the danger of being uneditable. As a result, &#x27;SCORM rot&#x27; is created.</p><h4 data-block-key="f0ffi">How to identify SCORM content in your LMS</h4><p data-block-key="b7a9f">Firstly, identify SCORM content by:</p><ul><li data-block-key="eugcl">manually going through source files, or,</li><li data-block-key="b0cgo">requesting a report to determine how old your SCORM is. Our <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara-enquiry-form?mtm_campaign=4-best-totara-plugins-by-catalyst-to-improve-your-lms&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">free SCORM report settings</a> help you identify what content is still editable, and how long for.</li></ul><p data-block-key="41jjt">Next, once you&#x27;ve identified your SCORM rot, you’ll need to define how much it impacts your learners. Ask yourself the following questions:</p><ol><li data-block-key="28o7c">Is the content important?</li><li data-block-key="6g5g1">Does the course form part of key learning?</li><li data-block-key="3m89h">Is it an induction course where company changes are not reflected?</li><li data-block-key="6hkm8">Or, is it compulsory compliance training that needs updating due to legislative changes?</li><li data-block-key="f8t5q">Is the content integrated?</li><li data-block-key="fmpbo">Is this course part of a wider program of learning?</li><li data-block-key="bfvug">Is it part of a certification?</li><li data-block-key="34tn9">Lastly, is it a prerequisite to other learning?</li></ol><p data-block-key="6v41d">After you’ve answered these questions, you’ll need to make a plan of attack for your SCORM rot.</p><h3 data-block-key="bd95o">4. Update SCORM course content</h3><p data-block-key="5gatb">If your course content isn’t easy to update it’s more likely to be pushed to the bottom of your priority list. But the longer you leave SCORM sitting in your LMS, the more the rot is going to spread.</p><p data-block-key="9tka7"><b>To fix SCORM rot in your LMS content you can:</b></p><ol><li data-block-key="arfe6">Republish and modernise old SCORM content with H5P - an open source, easy-to-use <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content#https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/HTML5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HTML5</a> editing tool.</li><li data-block-key="fgmlk">Replace original SCORM files with newer content.</li><li data-block-key="ef062">Contact a <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/elearning-content-development?mtm_campaign=5-tips-to-successfully-manage-your-lms-content&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">trusted LMS partner</a> to find, fix, or update if you need support.<br/></li></ol><h3 data-block-key="4gu8i">5. Enhance engagement with H5P</h3><p data-block-key="bj8r3">20 years after SCORM&#x27;s debut, you’ll be pleased to hear there are more modern authoring tools available. These modern tools are easier to work with and require little technical skills by providing:</p><ul><li data-block-key="243ov">Native mobile application support (mobile-first features).</li><li data-block-key="2ot9c">Responsive design.</li><li data-block-key="dsgfq">Built-in editing tools.</li></ul><p data-block-key="bs9sn">H5P is easy to update and flexible, especially compared to SCORM. With H5P you can continue to deliver meaningful content for your learners without compromising quality. Plus, using H5P makes it easy for you to copy content, make changes, and re-publish as needed.</p><h2 data-block-key="dt0t1">Content development support</h2><p data-block-key="doir7">By following our five tips to successfully manage your LMS content, your learners will have helpful, up-to-date, and meaningful content to support their study. Consequently, this drives success for both your learners and your organisation.</p><p data-block-key="6dj6i">If you need support updating or creating course content, our experts at Catalyst can help.</p><p data-block-key="cgg1a">Check out more information about our <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara-enquiry-form?mtm_campaign=4-best-totara-plugins-by-catalyst-to-improve-your-lms&amp;mtm_source=catalyst&amp;mtm_medium=blog&amp;mtm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">content development services</a>.</p>

5 tips to successfully manage your LMS content

<p data-block-key="le4ki">Are you finding your learners are struggling to complete courses? It could be a sign your learners aren’t engaged with your learning management system (LMS) course content. Is it due to the content lacking relevance? Perhaps the course is out of date. Or, maybe the course is not presented appropriately. Follow our top tips below to successfully manage your LMS content and keep your learners engaged.</p>

5-tips-to-successfully-manage-your-lms-content

<p data-block-key="d4tbf">Koha is a Library Management System used worldwide by approximately 18,000 libraries. Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst are passionate about helping libraries of all sizes get the most out of their Koha, and other collection management systems.</p><p data-block-key="4i7vn">This is the sixth post in the Koha tips and tricks series. In this post, Aleisha Amohia (Rōpū kohinga Technical Lead) covers:</p><ul><li data-block-key="e157a">Using the patron search more effectively.</li><li data-block-key="8mi46">Displaying custom library information from the OPAC holdings display.</li><li data-block-key="8o5d3">Sponsoring fixes and enhancements through Catalyst.</li></ul><p data-block-key="d6m8g"><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/koha-tips-and-tricks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read from the beginning of the tips and tricks series</a>.</p><h2 data-block-key="dep0q">1. Search for patrons with hyphenated names or shared library accounts</h2><p data-block-key="ant3e">If Koha is not returning accurate results when searching for patrons in the staff interface, try tweaking the <i>DefaultPatronSearchMethod</i> system preference. By default, Koha will return patrons where the search field ‘starts with’ your search term. This way, Koha can weed out patrons who don’t match the search criteria very quickly.</p><p data-block-key="b356f">However, this doesn’t work well for hyphenated names and shared library accounts.</p><img alt="The DefaultPatronSearchMethod system preference can be set to ‘starts with’ or ‘contains’" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="348" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/The_DefaultPatronSearchMethod_system_preferenc.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="2pskn">Changing the <i>DefaultPatronSearchMethod</i> system preference to ‘contains’ will enable you to search the whole search field and omit hyphens. For example, a search for “Ryan” will return “Blake and Ryan”, who share a single library card and account. You could also successfully search for “Newton John” instead of the more specific “Newton-John”.</p><p data-block-key="crob"><br/><br/><br/></p><h2 data-block-key="6q5c5">2. Make custom library information accessible from the OPAC holdings display</h2><p data-block-key="feepj">Libraries can now add custom library information to the OPAC holdings display. This feature could be used to share information such as contact details, opening hours, or deals and announcements.</p><img alt="Custom library information is available through the “i” for Information icon" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="348" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Custom_library_information_is_available_throug.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="a5eio">Library information can be written directly in HTML, or with the helpful editor to add simple formatting. This is the same WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor used for the Koha News, HTML customisations, and Pages tools. You can add different information for each library. You can even save translated information for each of your installed languages. When saved, it shows with a little “i” for Information icon next to the library name.<br/><br/><br/><br/></p><img alt="Custom library information is displayed in a pop-up on the catalogue detail page" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="348" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Custom_library_information_is_displayed_in_a_p.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="adi64"><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>To use this feature, go to <i>Koha Administration -&gt; Libraries</i>. When editing a library you can click on the ‘OPAC info’ field, which will take you to the HTML customisations tool. Make sure you select the ‘OpacLibraryInfo’ location from the dropdown.</p><h2 data-block-key="d0ou4">3. Sponsor Catalyst to <b>make small fixes and enhancements</b> in Koha</h2><p data-block-key="c0d68">The Koha development process is robust and assures quality at all stages. The Koha Community works hard to ensure new fixes and enhancements don’t introduce unintended changes elsewhere. As the Koha codebase is constantly evolving and improving, sometimes little things can slip through. Fortunately, libraries can report any concerns to Catalyst and sponsor fixes and enhancements for the whole Koha Community to enjoy.</p><p data-block-key="9nq2k">Recently, South Taranaki District Council sponsored a fix in the Acquisitions module. The fix is visible when adding a new empty record as an an order to a basket. The item types dropdown is now automatically sorted alphabetically by description rather than by code, so it is easier to navigate.</p><p data-block-key="4n5p8">Pymble Ladies’ College noticed that return claims could not consistently be resolved when items were returned. This occurred when the <i>BlockReturnOfLostItems</i> or <i>BlockReturnOfWithdrawnItems</i> system preferences were set to “Block”. Catalyst fixed this so return claims could always be resolved, and lost or withdrawn items would still be blocked from return.</p><p data-block-key="nkq9">Pymble Ladies’ College also sponsored a fix for the display of the return claims table on patron accounts. This bug only existed in Koha 22.11; it was introduced by a newer fix that did not apply cleanly on this version.</p><p data-block-key="9t32f">In 2020, Waikato Institute of Technology wanted to enhance the feature to automatically change the ‘not for loan’ status of an item when returned. This behaviour is controlled by the <i>UpdateNotForLoanStatusOnCheckin</i> system preference. Previously it could only apply blanket changes to all items. For example, a setting of “-1:0” will cause any items set to “Ordered” to be set as available for loan upon return. As of Koha 23.11, libraries will be able to define rules by item type. This means some returned items could have their ‘not for loan’ status maintained, or even set to something else.</p><p data-block-key="69d18">If you notice something in Koha that needs improvement, notify Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst and we can work to stamp out any bugs together.</p><p data-block-key="fuqkn"><i>Stay tuned for more in our &#x27;Koha tips and tricks&#x27; series!</i></p><h2 data-block-key="3iadc">Catalyst Koha</h2><p data-block-key="4qsll">If you have any questions or comments about this News item, or would like some support with your Koha instance, you are welcome to email us at koha-support@catalyst.net.nz.</p><p data-block-key="cd8er"><a href="https://catalyst.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=62457ff5060d15ee3c07d3fc4&amp;id=b73fbdcac8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Subscribe to our newsletter</a>.</p>

Koha tips and tricks edition #6. Koha Library Management System Koha is free and open source, flexible, and easy-to-use.

<p data-block-key="77wjm">This is the sixth post in the Koha tips and tricks series. Read on for the latest Koha tips and tricks by Aleisha Amohia, Rōpū kohinga technical lead.</p>

koha-tips-and-tricks-edition-6

<p data-block-key="ieke1">There has been huge international growth in eLearning and online classrooms post-pandemic. Online platforms such as Moodle LMS (Learning Management System), have had a staggering increase in users. The Moodle app alone went from just over one million users to <a href="https://moodle.com/news/moodle-in-numbers-during-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">over 4 million in a matter of months</a>. Due to this increase in online learning adoption, it’s more important than ever to protect the equally increasing online student data.</p><p data-block-key="5qkas">As an educational provider, ensuring the safety of your students and your student’s data is of utmost importance. Therefore, there can be a lot to consider with the security of hosting and ongoing maintenance of your eLearning platform. That’s why we’ve created this blog post to help you ensure the basic best practices of security and maintenance are covered by your in-house IT expertise. Check out our 10 tips for hosting your Moodle LMS securely.</p><p data-block-key="ca6o6"><i>If you don’t use Moodle, read on anyway as most of our advice is translatable to different platforms.</i></p><h2 data-block-key="1cd43">10 tips for hosting a secure Moodle LMS</h2><h3 data-block-key="4e4dc">1. Test out Moodle LMS on your own device first</h3><p data-block-key="fl0m8">Firstly, <a href="https://download.moodle.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">download and run Moodle LMS</a> on your own device. This way you can test configurations before changes go live on your production site. Having your own instance of Moodle allows you to:</p><ul><li data-block-key="6romu">Test and try out new versions of Moodle.</li><li data-block-key="42dv9">Evaluate changing site-wide functionality.</li><li data-block-key="1b3nj">Try third-party plug-ins.</li></ul><h3 data-block-key="kotj">2. Take the time to learn Moodle before customising roles and role assignments</h3><p data-block-key="fv1t1">Secondly, it&#x27;s a good idea to be familiar with Moodle so you can ensure by the time you customise roles, you&#x27;ve got a good understanding of the privileges a user has access to. This way you can make sure role based users have the appropriate access and don’t pose a data and privacy risk.</p><h3 data-block-key="5f4nr">3. Keep up-to-date with Moodle releases and versions</h3><p data-block-key="t87v">Thirdly, it is essential to keep your Moodle software up to date. Moodle provides updates called ‘releases’ that fix bugs and plugs any security issues found. These are generally monthly and seen as an ‘.’ point increase in the version number. For example, M4.3.1 to M4.3.2. You need to keep up to date with releases to keep your Moodle hosting secure.</p><p data-block-key="51oq4">The same applies to versions, and there are two ‘lanes’ to this. There is an annually released version of Moodle which is supported for 18 months. As well as a long-term support release (LTS) version, which is supported for around three years which almost all Moodle sites are on. Being on an out-support version is a significant security risk. <a href="https://moodledev.io/general/releases" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read more</a> about releases and versions in Moodle.</p><h3 data-block-key="crbrr">4. Plan your backups</h3><p data-block-key="b3g9l">Backups are important in the case of data loss, either malicious or accidental.</p><ul><li data-block-key="40rci">Familiarise yourself with potential data loss and restoration scenarios.</li><li data-block-key="a2u8s">Then put a backup plan in place covering those scenarios.</li><li data-block-key="2l6rc">Activate that plan and make sure all your content is backed up.</li></ul><p data-block-key="9j602">Additionally, if you&#x27;d like to use a plugin to take care of your backups, you can learn more about <a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/report_allbackups?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-tips-for-hosting-your-moodle-lms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&#x27;All backups&#x27;.</a> And, if you&#x27;re interested in getting the most out of Moodle, check out our list of <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-tips-for-hosting-your-moodle-lms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle plugin suggestions</a>.</p><p data-block-key="8vvjq"></p><img alt="Screenshot of All backups report" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="194" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/allbackups-report.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="5hs31"></p><h3 data-block-key="10ois">5. Regularly test your backups</h3><p data-block-key="8t9a6">Now you have a backup plan, put some ongoing governance around it. Regularly test your backups so you don’t lose important information and records.</p><h3 data-block-key="2dv5u"><br/>6. Monitor your Moodle LMS 24/7</h3><p data-block-key="eq1lu">You need to know immediately when Moodle hosting isn’t working and have the capacity to act quickly to fix this. No matter if you just have your Moodle used during business hours or 24/7. You&#x27;ll need monitoring to tell you when the site is offline, and monitoring around the performance of the site.</p><p data-block-key="avdbc">‘Heartbeat check’ is a Catalyst developed plugin that supports the monitoring of Moodle sites by reviewing critical service dependencies. Essentially it checks the health of your Moodle site for you. Once the check has been completed, it provides a link with information on any possible issues.</p><p data-block-key="b5gim"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/tool_heartbeat/2018012300/16046?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-tips-for-hosting-your-moodle-lms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Learn more about Heartbeat check.</a></p><p data-block-key="be1ju"></p><img alt="Screenshot of Heartbeat check in the command line" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="333" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Screenshot_of_Heartbeat_check_in_the_command_l.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="9nqni"></p><p data-block-key="23qqs">Or you could host with Catalyst, we provide a 24/7 follow-the-sun SLA (service-level agreement). This means we provide 24/7 support with fast response times due to having international offices and engineers. Therefore, when there is an incident, we have a prompt and effective resolution time.</p><h3 data-block-key="bd80n"><br/><br/><br/>7. Use Single sign on (SSO) to avoid password fatigue</h3><p data-block-key="aaava">Give your users SSO to increase their productivity by reducing the time they spend on passwords. SSO means they only need to remember one password to access Moodle and other internal systems such as email and calendars. This is a way to proactively manage <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password_fatigue" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">password fatigue</a> as there’s only one password to memorise. Additionally, it can improve security by automatically disabling access to the LMS when their SSO account is disabled.</p><p data-block-key="ecc27"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/auth_saml2?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-tips-for-hosting-your-moodle-lms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">You can try &#x27;SAML2 Single sign on&#x27; as a plugin solution for SSO.</a></p><p data-block-key="2pi3c"></p><img alt="Screenshot of SAML2 Single sign on settings" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="333" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Screenshot_of_SAML2_Single_sign_on_settings.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="1t2hu"><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/></p><h3 data-block-key="fnogi">8. Set password strength requirements</h3><p data-block-key="446im">Following on from above, make sure your students are aware of good password practices. A good standard for password strength requirements is having a password that has at least:</p><ul><li data-block-key="8vqpd">10 characters.</li><li data-block-key="ckjst">One uppercase letter.</li><li data-block-key="4c22">One lowercase letter.</li><li data-block-key="59pj4">One digit.</li><li data-block-key="83b2f">One symbol.</li></ul><h3 data-block-key="4th5u">10. Regularly review your security</h3><p data-block-key="c0pr">Make sure you’re on top of steps 1-9 for your Moodle hosting and you’re keeping the following in mind:</p><ul><li data-block-key="10eq8">What does your site look like to guest users - how much can they can see and access?</li><li data-block-key="fc3r0">How hard are your password requirements and how often are they changed?</li><li data-block-key="aepvv">Do you have any former staff with accounts still with system privileges?</li></ul><h2 data-block-key="cl07c">Secure, safe, and stable hosting<br/></h2><p data-block-key="e4in8">By following our 10 tips for hosting Moodle LMS, you’re set up for a secure, safe, and stable hosting of Moodle. However, if you don’t have a dedicated IT team, or would like your hosting handled by experts, Catalyst can help. As a Platinum Partner, and 2023’s ‘Global Partner of the Year’ and <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/catalyst-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-tips-for-hosting-your-moodle-lms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘LMS Contributor of the Year’</a>, Catalyst are experts in hosting. If you have any questions, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle-enquiry-form?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-tips-for-hosting-your-moodle-lms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">we’re more than happy to help</a>.</p>

10 tips for hosting your Moodle LMS. Tip one, Test out Moodle on your own device first Test changes before they go live into production.

<p data-block-key="gernd">As an educational provider, ensuring the safety of your students and your student’s data is of utmost importance. Therefore, there can be a lot to consider with the security of hosting and ongoing maintenance of your eLearning platform. Read on for our 10 tips for hosting your Moodle LMS securely.</p>

10-tips-for-hosting-your-moodle-lms

<p data-block-key="hrx0a">Catalyst Rōpū kohinga is responsible for caring for collections through technology. The team uses their expertise in open source library management solutions, like Koha, to ensure libraries have the right tools to facilitate connections for decades to come. As standard, the team also adopt a te ao Māori approach to building relationships and collections solutions with the library community.</p><p data-block-key="br9bq">In October 2023, Aleisha Amohia, Technical Lead in Rōpū kohinga, and Chris Cormack, Kaihuawaere Matihiko presented ‘ka mua, ka muri’ at the LIANZA conference. The presentation focused on answering a question they are both passionate about: what harmonies are there between libraries, open source and tikanga Māori? Technology solutions, after all, should work for people, not the other way around.</p><p data-block-key="a9oh0">Check out their insights below.</p><h2 data-block-key="aigj"><b>The synergy between tikanga Māori,</b> open source, and libraries</h2><h3 data-block-key="8gg1l">Te ao Māori and technology solutions</h3><p data-block-key="429v7">Firstly, Chris and Aleisha highlighted how open source is a concept promoting the free exchange of ideas and knowledge sharing. Specifically, in software development, it means:</p><ul><li data-block-key="2l8jg">Making the source code accessible to everyone so, they can see it, adapt it and update it.</li><li data-block-key="2nqo2">Sponsoring and sharing code improvements for others to use.</li></ul><p data-block-key="8uotn">The open source model is founded on the power of community supporting a collective good – a principle also seen in te ao Māori.</p><p data-block-key="1cb79">Technology has the potential to be democratised in open source and this creates a playground for software collaboration and growth.</p><p data-block-key="2lfdh">To bring this to life they used Koha as an example.</p><p data-block-key="8jaau">Koha is just one of the open source library management solutions Rōpū kohinga use to support organisations across the world requiring a collections solution. It’s also the most widely known library solution, currently supporting over 18,000 libraries worldwide – and it started right here in New Zealand. In fact, Chris was one of the original developers. But, Chris and Aleisha highlighted the success of Koha for libraries isn’t solely based on its functionality. Instead, it’s due to the global community supporting it and improving it for others every day. Whether it’s finding and fixing bugs, writing documentation for others to follow, or sponsoring new features and enhancements, it’s about sharing, learning, teaching, and growing - this is open source in action.</p><p data-block-key="71ees"></p><h3 data-block-key="5rts1">Building connections and global support</h3><p data-block-key="474lj">Reflecting on nine years ago, Aleisha shared her first experience on the Koha project as a student at the Catalyst Open Source Academy. Here, she was introduced to a community who supported her in learning how to code and patch within Koha. By the end of the Academy, Aleisha became the 247th developer to have a patch pushed to the Koha project. And, whilst Aleisha’s experience has evolved, her perspective on open source remains the same – she sees many Māori values reflected within the model.</p><p data-block-key="fpon4"><a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/word/10068" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Whanaungatanga</a> is one of these values - the essence of relationships and shared experiences. This forms the foundation of open source projects like Koha where global contributors come together, bringing varied perspectives and knowledge. Therefore, Aleisha sees whanaungatanga reflected in the open source ethos, and acknowledges it allows a project to be sustainable.</p><h3 data-block-key="cnvj3">Respecting, Giving, and Caring</h3><p data-block-key="fpsh8">Next, Aleisha detailed how manaakitanga, defined by respect, generosity, and care, helps shape Rōpū kohinga through:</p><ul><li data-block-key="442pa"><b>Team dynamics:</b> Collaborative decision-making, knowledge sharing, and open communication during the process of contributing to Koha and other open source collection solutions.</li><li data-block-key="9f49h"><b>Library engagement:</b> Libraries sponsoring fixes to the upstream Koha project exemplify manaakitanga. Essentially, they contribute to improvements for the benefit of the global community.</li></ul><p data-block-key="c7i06">Additionally, manaakitanga is also about the items within the collection. It requires creating space to understand the organisation’s values, culture, history, and lineage. In doing so, open source solutions can effectively care for and provide respect for the items long-term.</p><p data-block-key="12as0"></p><h3 data-block-key="fgoeb">Building reputation through community</h3><p data-block-key="29dmn">&#x27;Mana&#x27; is a commonly used te reo term in New Zealand. Typically it’s associated with ‘respect’ or ‘prestige’ (as a loose translation). Chris highlighted a quote by <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/20705620" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Michael P. Shirres</a>, expressing the idea that true personhood is found in unity with one&#x27;s people. This emphasises the depth of connection as the essence of &quot;mana tāngata.&quot;</p><p data-block-key="36ghb">Therefore, mana tāngata offers a unique perspective on reputation – it doesn’t come solely from individual actions but from being part of a community. In the context of open source projects like Koha, the reputation is not merely a personal achievement. Instead, it’s a collective recognition of the community&#x27;s strength and values.</p><h3 data-block-key="ff5v2">Teaching, learning, and celebrating</h3><p data-block-key="9ei4c">Kaiakopono, encapsulates the spirit of teaching, learning, and celebrating - a principle Rōpū kohinga seeks to continually live by. Ultimately this helps to nourish both the library and open source community. To bring this to life, Rōpū kohinga:</p><ul><li data-block-key="4moft">Host development days, hackfests, and peer programming strength sessions.</li><li data-block-key="cv7p0">Share lessons learned and updates with the community through documentation, newsletters, meetings, and more.</li><li data-block-key="eedo6">Celebrate with the community with kai and attend industry events like LIANZA, GLAMR meetups, and KohaCon. They also promote the unsung hero community contributors.</li></ul><p data-block-key="fvdfh">Through kaiakopono, libraries and the open source community, evolve together.</p><p data-block-key="ci5mm"></p><h3 data-block-key="e7bte">Fostering communication and consensus</h3><p data-block-key="6hgq3">Next, Chris and Aleisha discussed some of the ‘challenges’ of open source. For example, open source communities, like Koha, tend to be global. That means effective communication is needed to overcome diverse time zones, backgrounds, and languages. But, by demonstrating kōrerorero and whakaaro whānui can overcome these challenges:</p><ul><li data-block-key="1bh8b"><b>Kōrerorero:</b> the art of collective discussion, empowering the community to address issues, make decisions, and expand ideas.</li><li data-block-key="bupth"><b>Whakaaro whānui:</b> a general consensus, ensuring progress with collective wisdom, incorporating diverse perspectives.</li></ul><p data-block-key="58npt">Together, kōrerorero and whakaaro whānui enable a collaborative open source development process and in turn, create stable, inclusive solutions for library collections.</p><p data-block-key="1ugdp"></p><h3 data-block-key="d57ip">Aroha for the community</h3><p data-block-key="bideg">Lastly, Chris and Aleisha focused on how libraries and open source are both guided by aroha – love and compassion for the community, the project, and the future. Sometimes tech can fail to feel human, but if libraries are by the people and for the people, then why can’t the systems supporting them be that, too? They finished their presentation with a well-known proverb, &quot;He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata&quot; – the most important thing in the world is people.</p><p data-block-key="b53av"><b>Rōpū kohinga are here to help you care for your collections, and create trusted technology solutions to protect your items and taonga for generations to come.</b></p><p data-block-key="23d82"></p><p data-block-key="82gpi"><b>If you would like to learn more about Rōpū kohinga, or get support for your collection,</b> <a href="http://enquiries@catalyst.net.nz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>contact the team.</b></a></p><h2 data-block-key="bhubg">Chris and Aleisha: Ko wai māua, Who are we?</h2><h3 data-block-key="8ldri"></h3><img alt="Aleisha Amohia, Technical Lead, Rōpū kohinga Catalyst" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="500" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/1_x9aGyDb.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="3e0p"></p><h3 data-block-key="fln99">Aleisha Amohia</h3><p data-block-key="8hfbg">Aleisha Amohia is a passionate young advocate for diversity and equity, sparked by her experiences as a young Māori-Asian woman in the technology industry. Aleisha is the Technical Lead in Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst, where she started as an intern in 2014. She has spent her nine years at Catalyst working on the Koha library system and other open source collections technology. She is also a Victoria University of Wellington graduate with a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Management and Information Systems). Aleisha holds a bunch of other roles in the community (and has done for years), with organisations such as the National Council of Women New Zealand, Wellington Alliance Against Sexual Violence, InternetNZ, Victoria University of Wellington Women in Tech, and more.</p><h3 data-block-key="dgg72"></h3><img alt="Chris Cormack, Kaihuawaere Matihiko at Catalyst IT Limited" class="richtext-image right-align-wrap" height="500" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/2_DfEnFV8.width-500.png" width="500"><h3 data-block-key="74fsk">Chris Cormack</h3><p data-block-key="adt80">Chris Cormack (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe) has 24 years’ experience working in the ICT sector, with 21 of those being in the Library ICT sector. He was one of the original developers of the Koha library management system, started in Horowhenua and now used by over 18,000 libraries worldwide. Chris started his professional career working for Te Pūtahi a Toi at Massey University after completing his studies for a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Māori Studies and Mathematics. He programmed the backend of the Toi te Kupu system (a catalogue of resources in te reo Māori and for the teaching of te reo Māori) Chris is now Kaihuawaere Matihiko at Catalyst IT and He Māwhitiwhiti Matihiko ki te kākahu o Hine-Raraunga at Te Kāhui Raraunga</p>

Rōpū kohinga care for collections through technology and see synergies between te ao Māori, open source and libraries

<p data-block-key="6nram">Catalyst Rōpū kohinga is responsible for caring for collections through technology. Check out how the team sees synergies between tikanga Māori, open source, and libraries.</p>

tikanga-maori-open-source-and-libraries

<p data-block-key="os986"></p><p data-block-key="eppd3">Want to learn how to create a course in Moodle? Or, get Moodle support to create engaging courses? This blog post is for you. At Catalyst, we understand the importance of delivering quality content and Moodle courses to meet learners’ needs. That’s why we&#x27;ll guide you through the process of creating a Moodle course and share insights on what good eLearning content should encompass.</p><h2 data-block-key="a12ad">Creating a Moodle Course</h2><p data-block-key="lrsp"><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-to-create-a-course-in-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle</a>, one of the most popular Learning Management Systems (LMS), empowers you to build courses that are prompt, engaging, and easily maintainable. Let&#x27;s begin with a step-by-step guide on how to create a new course.</p><h3 data-block-key="1inei">Method 1: Create a New Empty Course</h3><ol><li data-block-key="600hl">Log in with your administrator account on your Moodle platform.</li><li data-block-key="aanis">Click on &quot;Site administration.&quot;</li><li data-block-key="a72ue">Navigate to the &quot;Courses&quot; tab.</li><li data-block-key="1l049">Select &quot;Add a new course.&quot;</li><li data-block-key="b33cd">Fill in your course details, and don&#x27;t forget to use the handy help icon if you get stuck.</li><li data-block-key="eb527">Save your course by clicking &quot;Save and display.&quot;</li><li data-block-key="6vr7">Now, click &quot;Proceed to course content&quot; to start adding your teaching materials.<br/></li></ol><h3 data-block-key="9qjji">Method 2: Upload an Existing Course</h3><p data-block-key="8d2ug">If you have a course from a different Moodle site that you&#x27;d like to transfer, follow these steps:</p><ol><li data-block-key="9dc85">Ensure the course you want to upload has the file extension .mbz (known as a &quot;course backup&quot;).</li><li data-block-key="6dhsm">Log in with your administrator account on your Moodle platform.</li><li data-block-key="duagk">Click on &quot;Site administration.&quot;</li><li data-block-key="2c7q1">Go to the &quot;Courses&quot; tab.</li><li data-block-key="7jknd">Choose &quot;Restore course.&quot;</li><li data-block-key="33j66">Drag and drop or upload your .mbz file into the &quot;Import a backup file&quot; area.</li><li data-block-key="8o39k">Click &quot;Restore&quot; and, on the following page, scroll down and click &quot;Continue.&quot;</li><li data-block-key="3f9a5">In the &quot;Restore as a new course&quot; section, select the appropriate category or &quot;Miscellaneous,&quot; and press &quot;Continue.&quot;</li><li data-block-key="dnk5a">Click &quot;Next&quot; at the bottom of the next two pages.</li><li data-block-key="528j1">Finally, click &quot;Restore&quot; on the last page, and your course will be displayed for use.<br/></li></ol><p data-block-key="6rsum">If you need extra Moodle support for creating Moodle courses, you can also check out <a href="https://docs.moodle.org/403/en/Main_page?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-to-create-a-course-in-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MoodleDocs</a>, or consider <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/catalyst-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-to-create-a-course-in-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">partnering with a Moodle expert</a>.</p><h2 data-block-key="aj8pc">Crafting Good eLearning Content</h2><p data-block-key="1ajvm">To ensure your Moodle courses are effective and meet the needs of your learners, keep the following principles in mind:</p><h3 data-block-key="9i04n">1. Know your people</h3><p data-block-key="acigg">Take some time to identify yourto audiences. Who are they? What motivates them? Identify what they “need” know and when they need to know it.</p><h3 data-block-key="3rbh">1. Prompt and Precise Learner Journeys</h3><p data-block-key="720eo">Structure your course content logically, following a clear learning path. Ensure learners can easily progress through the material and there are no ambiguities in the journey.</p><h3 data-block-key="ciu29">2. Easy to Find and Consume</h3><p data-block-key="4alk8">Use labels and descriptions effectively to provide context and make it easy for learners to find the course.</p><h3 data-block-key="f9sd5">3. Offer Pre-Assessments</h3><p data-block-key="81a5u">Provide your learners with pre-assessments to gauge their prior knowledge. This allows you to tailor the content to their specific needs, creating a more personalised learning experience.</p><h3 data-block-key="55vc">4. Support Organisational and Individual Goals</h3><p data-block-key="5dlg8">Align your course objectives with both organisational and individual learner goals. Ensure the content addresses the skills and knowledge needed for success.</p><h3 data-block-key="a5aj6">5. Easily Maintainable</h3><p data-block-key="mb1p">Focus on using built-in Moodle tools and H5P for content creation, and <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-to-create-a-course-in-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reduc</a><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-to-create-a-course-in-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">e the need to create</a><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-to-create-a-course-in-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> new</a><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-to-create-a-course-in-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> SCORM content</a>. This will simplify your course maintenance and updates.</p><h3 data-block-key="86s6q">6. Provide Insights and Data-Driven Intelligence</h3><p data-block-key="a7b23">Leverage Moodle&#x27;s reporting and analytics capabilities to gain insights into learner progress and performance. Use this data to refine and improve your courses.</p><h3 data-block-key="729ru">7. Partner with experts if you need support</h3><p data-block-key="3jtof">If you’re at a roadblock with creating or maintaining your Moodle LMS course content, consider partnering with expert help, like Catalyst. Our team:</p><ul><li data-block-key="9b92l">Are Premium Certified Moodle Partners for the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.</li><li data-block-key="embfn">Are one of the biggest contributors to the Moodle project.</li><li data-block-key="4au81">Have 20 years’ experience working with Moodle partners network and continue to win awards for our Moodle expertise, including Global Partner of the Year 2023.</li><li data-block-key="p6me">Can support you to <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/elearning-content-development" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">develop engaging content and courses</a> with a fast turn-around time, whilst ensuring maintainability.<br/></li></ul>

Building a course in Moodle learning management system

<p data-block-key="avb4n">Want to learn how to create your next course in Moodle LMS? Read this step-by-step tutorial and learn what to consider when making good eLearning content.</p>

how-to-create-a-course-in-moodle

<p data-block-key="q1h1d">Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) is flexible and customisable. That means you can personalise your Moodle to better suit your learners&#x27; needs. In this blog post, we are sharing the top five tips for customising your Moodle.</p><h2 data-block-key="7v91t">How to customise Moodle</h2><p data-block-key="f10i7">A common way of using Moodle is showcasing course content through a presentation and a quiz. This is a good base. However, you can also use H5P to customise your course content and increase interactivity for your learners. More on this shortly.</p><p data-block-key="98ipb">Additionally, as standard, <a href="https://docs.moodle.org/403/en/Themes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle has two built-in themes</a> so you can change the look and feel of your site. The themes are a good starting place for a design, such as changing the font.</p><p data-block-key="2sk1v">Essentially, you can customise Moodle for your learners by:</p><ul><li data-block-key="f80ti">Changing how course content is displayed and configured.</li><li data-block-key="9s6t0">Offering different options for how learners can interact with content.</li><li data-block-key="984sm">Matching your brand identity to Moodle themes.</li></ul><p data-block-key="85bbe">To utilise the flexibility of Moodle, we&#x27;ve provided five tips to get you started for customising Moodle.</p><h2 data-block-key="9jaq4">Top 5 tips for customising Moodle</h2><h3 data-block-key="f3qam">1. Leverage good Moodle plugins</h3><p data-block-key="ci20o">Moodle has a vast range of <a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plugins</a> that can add extra functionality to your Moodle which can improve the experience for both educators and learners. Plugins can support you as an educator, helping with:</p><ul><li data-block-key="280t2">Administration.</li><li data-block-key="4kb2r">Assessments.</li><li data-block-key="6fglo">Collaboration.</li><li data-block-key="7jq5p">Communication.</li><li data-block-key="65ip9">Content.</li><li data-block-key="flqef">Interface.</li></ul><p data-block-key="euli7">Moodle plugins can transform the learning experience, leading to increased focus and engagement. You can automate manual tasks such as reminders to complete course content. For example, the ‘Reengagement’ Moodle plugin means you can ensure courses are completed, and improve overall content engagement. Additionally, Reengagement sets up automatic reminder emails to be sent to students after a specific period of time. Because of this, you can better support your student success journey without adding extra to-do’s to your list.</p><p data-block-key="badnp"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/mod_reengagement?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=5-tips-for-customising-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check out the Reengagement plugin.</a></p><p data-block-key="12qfe">We’ve also pulled together a list of <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=5-tips-for-customising-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">10 Moodle plugins</a> you can use as an educator to improve your learners’ experience.</p><h3 data-block-key="cpk9g">2. Match your brand identity to your Moodle</h3><p data-block-key="67ga">You may have branding guidelines to ensure your course materials match your brand identity. This could include such things as brand colours, logos, or a brand font. To change the font in Moodle <a href="https://docs.moodle.org/403/en/How_to_add_custom_fonts_in_a_theme" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">follow these steps.</a></p><p data-block-key="40iih">Or, if you’ve got an in-house technical team, they can develop their <a href="https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Themes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">own theme</a> within Moodle. If you don’t have a brand identity yet, you can work with external developers and designers to create and build one for you. And they’ll even implement it within Moodle for you.</p><h3 data-block-key="dh7a6">3. Create a natural flow for your course structure</h3><p data-block-key="3dsp">To keep your courses easy to follow, it’s a good idea to lay out the content in a logical way. Using a page hierarchy provides your learners with a natural flow of information. To create an accessible hierarchy, ensure that titles and labels have meaningful and descriptive names. For example, this can learners who use <a href="https://govtnz.github.io/web-a11y-guidance/ka/how-disabled-people-use-the-web/at/types-of-at-and-who-uses-them.html#screen-readers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">assistive technology</a>, such as screen readers.</p><h3 data-block-key="6honb">4. Edit and update your interactive H5P content</h3><p data-block-key="7jub3">H5P is a free interactive content creation platform. It allows you to embed simple interactive exercises into Moodle, such as:</p><ul><li data-block-key="fqceo">Quizzes.</li><li data-block-key="5ki0e">Games.</li><li data-block-key="1gd3b">Videos.</li><li data-block-key="dlull">Presentations.</li></ul><p data-block-key="28r3v">By customising your content with H5P and other built in tools, you can increase student engagement as it suits different ways of learning. Additionally, interactive content is a great way for students to revise previous content.</p><p data-block-key="16fps">H5P is user-friendly, requiring no technical skills. It allows you to create, share, and reuse interactive content. Plus, you can customise it by overlaying different types of interactions on a video. For example, images, links, or quizzes.</p><h3 data-block-key="4apud">5. Hide solutions in Moodle results</h3><p data-block-key="dp6cv">You can structure your courses to hide solutions in Moodle results. For example, you can hide specific course content until the learner has completed previous content.</p><h4 data-block-key="ehelv">How to hide solutions in Moodle results</h4><p data-block-key="30dbo">&#x27;Subcourse&#x27; is a Moodle plugin, allowing you to design the course into separate units. Such as another course and pull its grade/completion state into the current course. <a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/mod_subcourse?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=5-tips-for-customising-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Learn more about Subcourse</a> and how you can use it to hide solutions in Moodle.</p><h2 data-block-key="o9o6">Expert Moodle customisation support</h2><p data-block-key="frd1q">As a <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/catalyst-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=5-tips-for-customising-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle Premium Certified Services Partner</a>, Catalyst can help you customise your Moodle LMS. We can tailor your environment to increase student engagement, and work for your business goals. This includes the development of new features, theming and design, and training services. <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle-enquiry-form?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=5-tips-for-customising-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Contact our eLearning experts</a>, to create captivating experiences and inspire your learners.</p><p data-block-key="fco4c">If you’d like to learn more about Moodle, check out <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/what-is-moodle-lms?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=5-tips-for-customising-moodle&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">our blog</a> that covers the basics.</p>

<p data-block-key="1u4fo">Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) is flexible and customisable. That means you can personalise your Moodle to better suit your learners&#x27; needs. In this blog post, we are sharing the top five tips for customising your Moodle.</p>

5-tips-for-customising-moodle

<p data-block-key="uaxjx">An accessible website ensures the same level of access to information for everyone. So there are no barriers to information and services. Accessibility involves a <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wide range of disabilities</a>, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities. Conversely, an inaccessible website is when all the content on a page cannot be accessed by someone with a disability. Unfortunately, many websites are not accessible.  </p><p data-block-key="3kn1k">There are many possible factors for why a website may not be accessible. For example, accessibility wasn’t considered during development, or certain components were missed. Or the website isn’t regularly reviewed and tested and is compliant with older accessibility standards. In this blog, we’ll be covering how to build an accessible website and why accessibility needs to be on your radar.</p><h2 data-block-key="f29ha">Why is an accessible website important?</h2><p data-block-key="4t093">24% of New Zealanders are living with a disability according to the <a href="https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/disability-survey-2013" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2013 disability survey</a>. That’s 1.1 million people who will likely encounter barriers while on an inaccessible website.</p><p data-block-key="c3sac">In 2023, <a href="https://webaim.org/projects/million/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WebAIM</a> recorded their fifth annual report on the accessibility of the top 1,000,000 home pages. According to their findings, there were on average, 50 accessibility errors per homepage. However, they did find small decreases in the number of detected accessibility errors.</p><h3 data-block-key="8t8oq"><b>Web accessibility benefits everyone</b></h3><p data-block-key="8oihe">Web accessibility isn’t just for people living with a disability. There are a range of situations where web accessibility is important. Firstly, if someone only has access to a phone and needs to access a website that is only built for computers, it’s a lot harder to navigate the site. Secondly, if someone has injured their arm, can’t play sound, or it’s too bright for them to see the screen – having an accessible website improves the overall user experience. Additionally, only having access to a slow internet connection can mean you don’t get access to vital information due to slow page loading times.  </p><p data-block-key="bgags">As per New Zealand’s Web Accessibility Laws, all government websites must meet the NZ Government Web Usability Standard 1.3. To support meeting the standards, there is a list of government approved <a href="https://marketplace.govt.nz/about-marketplace/whats-open-on-marketplace/approved-suppliers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">supplier DIA accessibility providers.</a></p><p data-block-key="afhdh">Web accessibility doesn’t have to be hard. There are options to take to make your website more accessible. Either, reviewing the current content, developing a plan and addressing those concerns, and putting regular testing in place. Or you could try switching to a Content Management System (CMS), designed with accessibility in mind, such as <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/silverstripe?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=build-an-accessible-website-with-catalyst-starter&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Silverstripe CMS</a>.  </p><h2 data-block-key="9vclk">Catalyst Starter – a CMS solution built with accessibility in mind</h2><p data-block-key="86v8h">Catalyst Starter is one of the CMSs built with accessibility in mind. Additionally, it works within the Silverstripe CMS and is designed, tested, and compliant with <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AA WCAG guidelines</a>. Plus, it has a full automation test suite for rapid regression tests.   </p><p data-block-key="ac3pi">Catalyst Starter provides:</p><ul><li data-block-key="9u7sa">A pre-built theme in Silverstripe – supplying page layouts,  colour palettes, headers, footers, typography, and more are already built for you.</li><li data-block-key="3c5j9">A common set of accessibility-tested page template components, including commonly requested website features that can be added to pages. Such as accordions, cards, tabs, forms, call to actions, columns, and carousels.</li><li data-block-key="d5ns8">The ability to be personalised to your needs, or built upon if you have bespoke requirements.<br/> </li></ul><p data-block-key="8vml9">Ultimately, you don’t have to jeopardise the look and feel of your website for accessibility. To see how Catalyst Starter can look, check out our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjLDvET4Eqc&amp;utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=build-an-accessible-website-with-catalyst-starter&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">demo video</a>.  </p><h2 data-block-key="pa9p">Start your accessibility journey today</h2><p data-block-key="12pkn">Catalyst specialises in supporting government agencies in meeting their MSD Accessibility Charter requirements. We are one of only a few New Zealand-based companies accredited in the <a href="https://marketplace.govt.nz/about-marketplace/whats-open-on-marketplace/approved-suppliers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">DIA marketplace</a> for Web Accessibility services. Our team of experts offers <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/accessibility-services?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=build-an-accessible-website-with-catalyst-starter&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">accessibility services</a> including audits, training, consulting, and support to help you achieve your accessibility goals.  </p><p data-block-key="cis8l"><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/cms-enquiry-form?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=build-an-accessible-website-with-catalyst-starter&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Contact us</a> today, to discuss how you can use Catalyst Starter, the Silverstripe CMS theme to build an accessible website.</p>

Build an accessible website with Catalyst Starter

<p data-block-key="jl4g5">An accessible website ensures the same level of access to information for everyone. So there are no barriers to information and services. Read on.</p>

build-an-accessible-website-with-catalyst-starter

<p data-block-key="wryvc">An ePortfolio is a great way for learners to reflect on their learning and track progress and evidence towards accreditation. However, if you are using multiple platforms for your learning strategy, for example, a learning management system (LMS) and an ePortfolio, it’s important that they visually align with your brand. Because when your platforms reflect your brand, this creates a deeper sense of trust in your learning ecosystem. For example, entering password credentials into a platform your learners don’t recognise could cause them security concerns. Additionally, it can reinforce your brand as a trusted learning provider for your learners.</p><p data-block-key="1hcme">Therefore, it’s worth researching which platforms can support theming. After all, ePortfolio layout and design goes deeper than what meets the eye.</p><h2 data-block-key="6i65l">ePortfolio design in Mahara</h2><p data-block-key="2og5l">Mahara is an ideal solution for people who need a portfolio platform that fully integrates with their learning platform ecosystem. Below we’ll discuss how graphic design and theming in Mahara can be achieved.</p><h3 data-block-key="421gc">Built-in themes in Mahara</h3><p data-block-key="23p1c">By default, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/what-is-the-mahara-portfolio-platform?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara</a> comes with six themes to choose from. So if you don’t (yet) have to follow a brand identity, you’ve got a good baseline to start from. The themes change the style of the ePortfolio, so you have different colours and fonts to work with.</p><p data-block-key="5arab"></p><img alt="The home page of the Mahara demo site." class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="348" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/7_roaoWy3.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="86qen"></p><h3 data-block-key="44urc">Bespoke design in Mahara</h3><p data-block-key="3f6jc">A familiar design in an ePortfolio like Mahara can be reassuring to learners and professionals. This creates a sense of trust and provides a more cohesive user experience.</p><p data-block-key="nt0f">Mahara uses SCSS, Bootstrap, and Font Awesome to create a cohesive and consistent look across the site. The built-in style guide in Mahara provides a quick overview of what commonly used elements look like in any theme.</p><p data-block-key="69vnq">If you have CSS skills and are interested in making your own theme, you can do so. Step-by-step instructions are <a href="https://mahara.org/subscription?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">available to subscribers</a> within the Mahara code base.</p><p data-block-key="4bhfd">However, if you need support for your ePortfolio design to reflect your brand, you can partner with a skilled designer. At Catalyst, our graphic designers can:</p><ul><li data-block-key="1o6km">Create a bespoke ePortfolio design that matches your brand identity.</li><li data-block-key="aldgf">Or design a brand identity with you.</li></ul><h2 data-block-key="dtn97">Make the most out of Mahara with Catalyst</h2><h3 data-block-key="b6256">Mahara design services</h3><p data-block-key="cs0jm">We can help you customise your Mahara site to match your business needs. Here are a few ways we can help:</p><ul><li data-block-key="3js1p">Firstly, our team will take the time to understand you, your brand, and your design guidelines. Then we’ll bring your brand to life in Mahara.</li><li data-block-key="9cm9q">We always ensure usability and accessibility are embedded in the design process and ePortfolio layout. For example, we review considerations like colour contrast for the visual elements to ensure they meet current accessibility guidelines.</li></ul><p data-block-key="lpdv"><br/>If you’d like to see an example of how Catalyst created and implemented effective branding, check out the presentation <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKriQ16eByA&amp;utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&#x27;Thinking about design&#x27;</a>. Our Catalyst designers also completed <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/our-work/mahara-community-website-design-refresh?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the latest brand refresh of the Mahara community website</a>, which is built using Mahara.</p><p data-block-key="ckbbj"></p><img alt="The home page of the Mahara website. Designed by Catalyst IT designer, Evonne Cheung." class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="348" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Blog_post_header_and_social_media_graphic_size.width-500_FmEHY4n.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="d1959"></p><p data-block-key="e31fs">To the left is a good showcase of what you can do with Mahara. We&#x27;ve added an additional navigation menu and also changed what the layout looks like on the homepage.</p><p data-block-key="bkfh8">Another example of Catalyst design services is showcased in <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/our-work/pharmacy-council?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">our partnership with</a> <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/our-work/pharmacy-council?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pharmacy Council.</a> Using their brand guidelines, we created a bespoke experience through graphic design and custom features. These elements of ePortfolio design improved the overall usability and look and feel of Mahara for the professionals engaging with it.</p><p data-block-key="fljfv">Alternatively, if you don’t have an existing brand identity or you need a refresh for your portfolio site, we can help you with that. For example, we can develop a logo design, create graphics, source images, and build the design for you, such as our graphic design work with <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/design-kopaki-tiaki-hauora-healthcare-portfolio?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kōpaki Tiaki Hauora Healthcare Portfolio</a>. Our graphic design team created the brand identity and applied it to Mahara.</p><p data-block-key="2fkof">Kristina Hoeppner, Mahara Project Lead, says, “Evonne Cheung, one of our graphic designers at Catalyst, was fantastic to work with. We worked together to develop the brand identity of Kōpaki Tiaki Hauora Healthcare Portfolio collaboratively. Whilst keeping our goal in mind, we iterated over early versions of the logo and eventual design. Having the brand identity helped us to create additional visuals for marketing material and presentations, ensuring we represent the service well.”</p><h3 data-block-key="b2jq9">Mahara support services</h3><p data-block-key="6n9r2">Aside from effective design work, we:</p><ul><li data-block-key="acsg5">Provide tailored training and support packages to help you get the most out of Mahara.</li><li data-block-key="2bh58">Build custom features and workflows.</li><li data-block-key="e177b">Integrate your Mahara site with other systems such as <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle</a>, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tōtara</a>, and other LMSs, and your identity management system.</li></ul><p data-block-key="d1q74">Offer 24/7 monitoring and security protocols in place, we offer a safe, stable, and scalable hosting environment.<br/></p><p data-block-key="9a7sd">If you’re interested in making an ePortfolio, have a go on the <a href="https://demo.mahara.org/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara demo site</a><a href="https://demo.mahara.org/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">.</a> Or if you’d like to read more about what Mahara can offer, check out our blog post <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/what-is-the-mahara-portfolio-platform?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&#x27;What is the Mahara portfolio platform</a><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/what-is-the-mahara-portfolio-platform?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">?&#x27;</a>.</p>

Bespoke design in Mahara. Bring your organisation's brand to life in your ePortfolio. Mahara, create, share, engage. Graphic of a lightbulb.

<p data-block-key="oasc3">Mahara is an ideal solution for people who need a portfolio platform that fully integrates with their learning platform ecosystem. Read on as we discuss how graphic design and theming in Mahara can be achieved.</p>

bring-your-organisations-brand-to-life-in-mahara-eportfolio

<p data-block-key="sxgoh">LIANZA has been a conference for great insights about information and how it is managed. To read more about LIANZA, check out Aleisha Amohia’s highlights for <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/lianza-2023-conference-day-one-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">day one</a> and <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/lianza-2023-conference-day-two-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">day two</a> of the conference.</p><p data-block-key="9iheg">Aleisha is the Technical Lead for Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst IT, and is excited to be in Christchurch for the three-day event. This blog is about some of her highlights from day three.</p><h2 data-block-key="214et">LIANZA 2023 day three insights</h2><h3 data-block-key="orum">Tales and tours</h3><p data-block-key="biuct">This was Aleisha’s first time visiting Ōtautahi Christchurch, so she was excited to see the sites. The LIANZA 2023 Conference team organised a range of tours around the city. Aleisha signed up for a walking tour that visited:</p><ul><li data-block-key="ap922">Tūranga Christchurch Central Library.</li><li data-block-key="eqfl5">NZ Law Society Library and Justice Precinct.</li><li data-block-key="utmn">Te Pūkenga Ara Institute of Technology.</li><li data-block-key="45rv3">Robert and Barbara Stewart Library.</li><li data-block-key="f9flu">Archives at Christchurch Art Gallery.</li></ul><img alt="A wall of books and art on the Children’s floor at Tūranga" class="richtext-image full-width" height="600" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/library.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="7lob1"></p><p data-block-key="445ih">Tūranga is a beautifully designed library. The children’s floor (level 1) has something for everyone. Including video games, lego, board games, and jigsaw puzzles. The space is well considered with warm decor, comfortable seating, colourful lights, and easy-to-reach shelving with stacks of titles. Aleisha’s favourite area is the Ngā Pounamu Māori collection on level 2. Although she’d quite happily spend all day in any corner of Tūranga. Especially in the professional recording studio, or playing with the laser cutter!</p><p data-block-key="cood8">Public libraries are very different from special libraries. It was interesting to learn about the collections at the NZ Law Society Library and the Justice Precinct. These collections are only accessed by law professionals and judges, and the librarians are conducting research. They figure out how best to pull together information from legal proceedings and policy documents from around the country.</p><img alt="Aleisha and friends testing the one-button recording studio" class="richtext-image full-width" height="600" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/e4.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="2ujbe"></p><p data-block-key="a8qcv">Ara Institute of Canterbury’s library catered wonderfully to the needs of its learners. It has a 24/7 computer hub, a one-button video recording room, and plenty of group and solo study space. The group spent half the time touring the library, and the other half on an art tour around campus.</p><p data-block-key="e0dpj">The final stop was the Christchurch Art Gallery, where the group received a behind-the-scenes tour of the gallery. It was fascinating to visit the workshop for the art. This is where a team endlessly build custom crates to house the pieces when they are shipped between galleries and shows. As well as learning about the special considerations they must make to ensure the art is protected while travelling. The group then got a sneak peek in the storage room of some pieces that might be in an upcoming show. It felt to the group like they were being let in on a secret. Particularly when he showed the famous Cass painting by Rita Angus, which was unusually not in the main gallery!</p><img alt="Gazing upon artworks in the storage room" class="richtext-image full-width" height="557" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Blog_post_header_and_social_media_graphic_size.width-800_A7kYVox.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="dhpco"></p><p data-block-key="cmen8">The library holds all kinds of items that are related to creators or pieces held by the gallery. There are books specifically about:</p><ul><li data-block-key="2c0i3">A series.</li><li data-block-key="mnk3">Autobiographies about painters.</li><li data-block-key="dqtrs">Fictional books with a painting on the cover that the gallery has in storage.</li></ul><p data-block-key="cpjuo">Finally, the group visited the conservation lab, where the team works to keep the pieces in perfect condition for travel or display. It was enthralling to hear about the challenges they face with different media and materials. As well as the lessons they’ve learned as art has evolved, including digital conservation.</p><h2 data-block-key="erv6k">LIANZA 2023: Final wrap-up</h2><p data-block-key="2hpo0">Aleisha was grateful for the opportunity to travel to Ōtautahi Christchurch and network with librarians and information professionals. It was a great way of connecting their communities to knowledge in a multitude of ways. While the dream is for every library in Aotearoa to adopt the Koha Library Management System, it was great to speak at LIANZA. Aleisha and Chris enjoyed presenting open source library solutions. And hearing how people are creating and innovating in their libraries. Until next time!</p><p data-block-key="ab7cp">Rōpū kohinga are represented at LIANZA to hear about what is important in your organisations so we can better support you with your collections – whether it is a repository, archive, or library.</p><p data-block-key="3k32c"><a href="mailto:koha-support@catalyst.net.nz">Chat with our team</a> if you need support to care for your collections through technology.</p><h3 data-block-key="bthpa">What is LIANZA?</h3><p data-block-key="2tig5">Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa, Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa Conference is one of the largest gatherings for librarians and information professionals in New Zealand. For the first time since 2019, it was kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face).</p><p data-block-key="apu1b">Keep up to date with the latest in LIANZA by heading to their <a href="https://www.lianza.org.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">website</a>.</p>

People gazing upon artworks in the storage room

<p data-block-key="k4znx">Here are the highlights from LIANZA 2023, day three brought to you by Aleisha Amohia, Technical Lead for Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst IT.</p>

lianza-2023-conference-day-three-highlights

<p data-block-key="f81du">Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa, Library and Information Association of       New Zealand Aotearoa Conference is one of the largest gatherings for librarians and information professionals in New Zealand. For the first time since 2019, it was kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face).<br/></p><p data-block-key="a8qcn">Aleisha Amohia is the Technical Lead for Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst IT. Rōpū kohinga care for collections through technology. Libraries will know Aleisha best for her work on Koha Library Management system over the last 9 years. Libraries will also be familiar with Chris Cormack, Catalyst IT Kaihuawaere Matihiko, and one of the original Koha developers, who joined her at LIANZA 2023 Conference for day two. Aleisha is excited to be at Te Pae Convention Centre in Ōtautahi, Christchurch for the three-day event and is sharing some of her highlights from day two.</p><h2 data-block-key="fbift">LIANZA 2023 day two insights</h2><h3 data-block-key="frueu">Keynotes and presentations</h3><h4 data-block-key="acs1f">1. Designing a mātauranga-based framework</h4><p data-block-key="8vfg0">The Christchurch City Libraries team have been investigating how to ‘do better’ for their Māori holdings. One part of this has involved considering the physical location of the collections. For example, whether they’re close to marae, and whether the library has the facilities to adequately display such <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?keywords=taonga" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">taonga</a>.</p><p data-block-key="555u5">Another project has been the classification of these holdings. The Dewey Decimal Classification system (DDC) is designed to categorise, yet te ao Māori is about interconnectedness. That means, the wrong classification system will cause people to lose context. So, they have developed their own framework which sorts texts into rangi, maunga, whenua, and moana categories, revolving around Ngāi Tahu. Their investigation will encourage others to think more deeply about the expression of <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&amp;phrase=&amp;proverb=&amp;loan=&amp;histLoanWords=&amp;keywords=m%C4%81tauranga" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mātauranga</a> Māori in libraries.</p><h4 data-block-key="d3ie">2. Let your values guide how you choose your library system</h4><p data-block-key="isao">Aleisha and Chris Cormack presented ‘ka mua, ka muri’ about tikanga Māori in technology spaces such as <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst</a> or in <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/open-source-technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open source software</a>.</p><p data-block-key="34fki"><a href="http://www.cad.vuw.ac.nz/wiki/images/0/08/TikangaTips.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tikanga</a> such as whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, (connection, care) and <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/word/3437" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mana tāngata</a> all play a role in bringing people into the space. The reason being is because they contribute to the concept that by uplifting others, you uplift yourself. Then the demonstration of kaiakopono, tuakana-teina, and whakanuia (teaching, learning, mentorship, and celebrating) makes people want to stay. They also discussed how kōrerorero (discussions) and whakaaro whānui (broad considerations) might work in these spaces.</p><p data-block-key="69sop"></p><img alt="Chris Cormack and Aleisha Amohia holding their speaker certificates and gifts after presenting" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="666" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/4.width-500.jpg" width="500"><p data-block-key="3ogon"></p><p data-block-key="dgdmv">All of this is about <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?&amp;keywords=aroha" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">aroha</a> and designing a sustainable workplace and software project. However Aleisha and Chris feel strongly that these tikanga are prevalent in libraries too. They finished with reminding the audience that libraries are by the people, for the people, and about the people...and so is open source software.</p><p data-block-key="8giav">With a project like the <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/koha-library-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Koha Library Management System</a>, you can serve your community effectively and not sacrifice your ideals.</p><p data-block-key="72pgi"></p><img alt="Chris Cormack talking about kaiakopono at the lectern" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="666" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/5_n4X26KZ.width-500.jpg" width="500"><p data-block-key="320a4"></p><h4 data-block-key="5291v">3. Technology is an ally, but people are the answer</h4><p data-block-key="bl24e">Dan Te Whenua Walker talked from a tech sector angle, but his key points easily applied to libraries as well. He shared:</p><ul><li data-block-key="9vrt4">Some of the reasons Māori do not consider technology as a career path.</li><li data-block-key="c77kb">How organisations are often trying to commercialise culture to make their space appear safe and welcoming for Māori.</li></ul><p data-block-key="diri">Dan suggested we flip that. He presented the idea of ‘culturalise commerce’ – using the platforms and tools available to us to do good for communities.</p><p data-block-key="1u9ci">Leslie Weir, the leading librarian and archivist for Library and Archives Canada (LAC) shared a similar notion:</p><p data-block-key="4di9o">People remain at the heart of libraries. And, tech solutions should fit those concerns, rather than libraries changing to fit technology.</p><p data-block-key="7j8me"></p><img alt="The view of the LIANZA stage from the audience" class="richtext-image full-width" height="600" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/6.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="d3vta"></p><h3 data-block-key="2i6sc">LIANZA 2023: Wrapping up day two</h3><p data-block-key="11qp8">All the presentations on day two of LIANZA 2023 Conference discussed the wider contexts libraries are operating within. Plus, how we can use the tools and information around us to better serve our communities and purpose.</p><p data-block-key="6tbes">Rōpū kohinga are represented at LIANZA to hear what is important in your organisations so we can better support you with your collections – whether it is an repository, archive or library.</p><p data-block-key="bdhnd"><a href="mailto:koha-support@catalyst.net.nz"><b>Chat to our team</b></a><b> if you need support to care for your collections through technology.</b></p>

Chris Cormack and Aleisha Amohia holding their speaker certificates and gifts after presenting

<p data-block-key="c7el7">Here are the highlights from LIANZA 2023, day two brought to you by Aleisha Amohia, Technical Lead for Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst IT.</p>

lianza-2023-conference-day-two-highlights

<p data-block-key="9uyce">Te Rau Herenga o Aotearoa, Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa Conference is one of the largest gatherings for librarians and information professionals in New Zealand. For the first time since 2019, it was kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face).</p><p data-block-key="cdho1">Aleisha Amohia is the Technical Lead for Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst IT. Rōpū kohinga care for collections through technology. Libraries will know Aleisha best for her work on Koha Library Management system over the last 9 years. Aleisha is excited to be at Te Pae Convention Centre in Ōtautahi, Christchurch for the three-day event and is sharing some of her highlights from day one.</p><h2 data-block-key="28bg5">LIANZA 2023 day one insights</h2><h3 data-block-key="edofg">Keynotes and presentations</h3><h4 data-block-key="duk67">1. Libraries are vital for connecting people to knowledge Richard Misilei, LIANZA President, opened the conference with the statement:</h4><p data-block-key="40aek">“Libraries are not good at tooting our own horn and demonstrating the value we know we provide to communities.”</p><p data-block-key="227ki">The wave of clicks and nods around the room demonstrated the 400 librarians and information professionals in attendance agreed.</p><p data-block-key="7skd9"></p><img alt="Professor Rangi Mātāmua presents his keynote at LIANZA 2023" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="666" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/1.width-500.jpg" width="500"><p data-block-key="dd49m"></p><h4 data-block-key="dcc70">2. Knowledge is worthless if not shared</h4><p data-block-key="a0002">In a following keynote, Professor Rangi Mātāmua, Professor of Mātauranga Māori at Massey University said “knowledge is worthless if not shared.”</p><p data-block-key="fpjom">He added the purpose of libraries and librarians is to broaden understandings of the world. This was a key theme throughout the day one presentations. Essentially, if stories are bridges, windows, and mirrors to culture, identity, history, and communities, then libraries are vital spaces in society. And, librarians are necessary to connect people to knowledge.</p><p data-block-key="23o3d">That means, libraries also have a responsibility to ensure their spaces are safe and accessible. This was further explored in a number of the day one presentations. There were tips shared for protecting the physical space of libraries from the rising number of protesters and challengers of media. For example, books with LGTBQIA+ content, or content about race and ethnicity. LIANZA is publishing a toolkit on their website to provide this support to libraries and schools. Additionally, Trish Hepworth (Australian Library and Information Association) and Louise LaHatte (LIANZA Standing Committee on Freedom of Information) pointed out that while it may be a risk and require extra preparation to hold space for Rainbow events and content in your library, reducing support and visibility of these initiatives by not holding them at all would result in worse outcomes.</p><h4 data-block-key="pebr">3. The whakapapa of information</h4><p data-block-key="5qp2e">A few presentations also discussed the whakapapa of information. They covered how much of today’s attitudes and narratives can draw from:</p><ul><li data-block-key="1p85u">Existing, embedded misinformation or,</li><li data-block-key="d6j5n">deliberately harmful framing.</li></ul><p data-block-key="ahbi4">Dr Hana O’Regan (Ngāi tahu) has worked in the areas of language revitalisation, identity, and cultural development, te reo Māori and education for over 25 years. Dr Regan introduced the concept of ‘coloniality’. Colonialty was described as:</p><p data-block-key="79s6f">“The set of attitudes, values, ways of knowing, and power structures upheld as normative by western colonising societies and serving to rationalise and perpetuate western dominance.”</p><p data-block-key="ekije">The strong message was that Libraries in Aotearoa New Zealand need to acknowledge they are historically colonial institutions.</p><p data-block-key="6k1bu">We need to accept that knowledge is not neutral – it is cultural. It is political. And, it is formed from world views that have not always been unbiased, authentic, fairly concluded or distributed. So, by knowing these things, libraries also have a duty to understand the information they are sharing and be intentional about how they share it. Māia Abraham (Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi, Christchurch City Libraries, and Distinguished Professor) noted libraries should establish what’s in their realm of control. Then, they should ask questions around authentic partnership and intellectual ownership. Particularly when taking responsibility for the distribution and safekeeping of Indigenous information and stories.</p><p data-block-key="5hg12">Another highlight was hearing Dahlia Malaeulu from Mila’s Books sharing the success of the Pasifika Navigators book project. This project is a beautiful, truly authentic, and empowering way to collect stories from young Pasifika people and share them with the world.</p><p data-block-key="fm42p"></p><p data-block-key="cmaca"></p><img alt="LIANZA 2023 panellists discuss the freedom of misinformation – equity or harm" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="666" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/2.width-500.jpg" width="500"><p data-block-key="3739i"></p><h2 data-block-key="3k9k1">Closing with creative writing</h2><p data-block-key="b034">To close the program, award winning author Dr Gigi Fenster led a condensed creative writing workshop to demonstrate how every story is about blood, money, and wants. It also demonstrated how to explore your characters and dig out those concepts to give a more genuine voice to your writing.</p><p data-block-key="f0gcv"></p><p data-block-key="3k0l4"></p><img alt="Aleisha Amohia, Koha Technical Lead at Catalyst IT smiles as she wears her LIANZA nametag" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="666" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/3.width-500.jpg" width="500"><p data-block-key="5t8b6"></p><h2 data-block-key="eta0g">LIANZA 2023: Wrapping up day one</h2><p data-block-key="d10hk">The themes explored on day one at the LIANZA 2023 Conference were intense, interesting, and thought provoking. Aleisha is looking forward to what the next two days have in store.</p><p data-block-key="eeadr">On day two, Aleisha will be joined by Chris Cormack, Catalyst IT Kaihuawaere Matihiko, and one of the original Koha developers. Together they will host a presentation entitled ‘ka mua, ka muri’. Their kōrero (discussion) will explore what tikanga Māori looks like in open source software and the overlaps with libraries, supported by their experiences working with the Koha library system and community.</p><p data-block-key="4o8d2">Check out the full LIANZA 2023 line up of keynote speakers, presentations, and workshops.</p><p data-block-key="d1fbt">Rōpū kohinga are represented at LIANZA to hear about what is important in your organisations so we can better support you with your collections – whether it is a repository, archive, or library.</p><p data-block-key="3hq2p"><a href="mailto:koha-support@catalyst.net.nz">Chat with our team</a> if you need support to care for your collections through technology.</p>

Aleisha Amohia, Koha Technical Lead at Catalyst IT smiles as she wears her LIANZA nametag

<p data-block-key="lbcyo">Here are the highlights from LIANZA 2023, day one, brought to you by Aleisha Amohia, Technical Lead for Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst IT.</p>

lianza-2023-conference-day-one-highlights

<p data-block-key="njrwh">A Content Management System (CMS) is software that allows you to create, manage, and update a website without using any code. Therefore, you don’t need to be a technical person to have a website that looks good and suits your business needs.</p><p data-block-key="ao83m">However, there can be a lot to consider, when trying to choose the right CMS solution. So, we’ve compiled a list of ‘what to look for in a CMS’ to get you started.</p><h2 data-block-key="7tkq3">How do I choose the right CMS solution?</h2><p data-block-key="13go5">The first step in finding the right CMS solution is considering your business goals, your team’s capacity, and user expectations. The next step is knowing what the non-negotiable features are in your ideal CMS solution.</p><p data-block-key="1tds4">Here are five CMS requirements you should also consider:</p><ol><li data-block-key="flen0">Is it easy to use?</li><li data-block-key="bkqch">Is it customisable?</li><li data-block-key="em3lt">Is it secure?</li><li data-block-key="8kkm9">Does it meet accessibility requirements?</li><li data-block-key="ffjac">Is it a good solution for your budget?</li></ol><h2 data-block-key="f0i8b">Catalyst Starter – a CMS solution</h2><p data-block-key="2b6gv">As people spend more time digesting content online, expectations for a good UX design and experience are higher than ever. Equally, businesses need to ensure they are providing relevant and up to date information at the drop of a hat.</p><p data-block-key="3nd2g">That’s why our CMS team created <a href="https://www.design.catalyst.net.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-do-i-choose-the-right-content-management-system-cms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst Starter,</a> which can be deployed with ease on Silverstripe. Catalyst Starter is an intuitive CMS solution addressing the five CMS requirements we noted in the previous section. It is a ready-to-use collection of common web features to create your website. Additionally, Catalyst Starter can transform your vision into a secure website with a clean and modern design whilst <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meeting WCAG accessibility guidelines</a>.</p><p data-block-key="1kmvt"></p><div>
    <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/813473769?app_id=122963" width="426" height="240" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" title="Highlights of the Catalyst Starter"></iframe>
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<p data-block-key="9jsj8"></p><h3 data-block-key="f1q3n">A user-friendly CMS</h3><p data-block-key="aak47">Additionally, Catalyst Starter has the following easy-to-use components:</p><ul><li data-block-key="2rlh3">Presents a baseline framework that is easy to work with</li><li data-block-key="aejjm">Uses a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor for flexible page editing without any code.</li><li data-block-key="e64m9">Provides an easy-to-use interface for updating website content even if you’re not technical.</li><li data-block-key="7oa6">Supplies a common set of accessibility-tested page template components that can be added to pages. Such as accordions, cards, tabs, forms, call to actions, columns, and carousels.</li><li data-block-key="1shft">Easily allows the addition of headings, paragraphs, bullet lists, images, tables, and text styles.</li></ul><h3 data-block-key="6ul4e">An easy to use CMS solution that meets your business goals</h3><p data-block-key="58p9d">Catalyst Starter has helped numerous businesses to utilise a CMS, better enabling them to achieve their business goals. For example, our team supported a company that <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/our-work/silverstarter-igis?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-do-i-choose-the-right-content-management-system-cms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">needed a new CMS and a hosting solution</a>. We were then able to build them a brand new CMS matching their requirements hosted on <a href="https://catalystcloud.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-do-i-choose-the-right-content-management-system-cms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst Cloud</a>.</p><p data-block-key="1n5ut">Another company was <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/our-work/healthify?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-do-i-choose-the-right-content-management-system-cms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sitting on an ageing infrastructure and needed an easier to use CMS for non-technical people</a>. So, we partnered with them to build a new CMS using Catalyst Starter. As the website content needs to be regularly updated, Catalyst Starter was a great solution for easy updates.</p><h2 data-block-key="fpgcr">Is your CMS supporting your business goals?</h2><p data-block-key="falh3">Your CMS should work for you. Not the other way around. So, if you’re ready to evaluate your existing CMS solution, or want to know more about Catalyst Starter, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/cms-enquiry-form?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-do-i-choose-the-right-content-management-system-cms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">contact us</a>.</p><p data-block-key="end84">Our team has over 40 years of shared Silverstripe CMS and framework experience across industries. We can customise Catalyst Starter to suit your branding, create custom features and integrate it with other platforms. Additionally, we can host your CMS on <a href="https://catalystcloud.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-do-i-choose-the-right-content-management-system-cms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst Cloud</a>. This means your data is stored and protected in New Zealand and by NZ laws. Catalyst is also able to host and manage on other popular clouds such as Silverstripe, AWS, and Azure.</p><p data-block-key="4clg1">If you’d like to see how Catalyst Starter can look, have a go on our <a href="https://www.design.catalyst.net.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-do-i-choose-the-right-content-management-system-cms&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">demo site</a>.</p>

Catalyst Starter. Discover how Catalyst Starter kickstarts your journey for a great CMS. Decorative image of a website with the Catalyst bolt on it.

<p data-block-key="okqk1">A Content Management System (CMS) is software that allows you to create, manage and update a website without using any code. Therefore, you don’t need to be a technical person to have a website that looks good and suits your business needs.</p><p data-block-key="d16b2">However, there can be a lot to consider, when trying to choose the right CMS solution. So, we’ve complied a list of ‘what to look for in a CMS’ to get you started.</p>

how-do-i-choose-the-right-content-management-system-cms

<p data-block-key="xmcmv">The Mahara platform is a proven portfolio solution used all over the world. It is an integrated space for students and professionals to curate their educational evidence, competencies, and achievements. Plus, Mahara ePortfolio offers a wealth of features making it a versatile and indispensable tool to document and reflect on learning. So, in this blog post, we’re providing an introduction to Mahara and outlining its key benefits.</p><h2 data-block-key="9dbht">What is Mahara?</h2><p data-block-key="3nteg">Firstly, it’s key to understand that <a href="https://mahara.org/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara is a flexible portfolio solution</a>. It is an online space for learners to create, manage, and showcase portfolios tailored to their specific learning needs and goals. Mahara is an effective solution for:</p><ul><li data-block-key="5j4rt">Students looking to document their learning journey.<br/></li><li data-block-key="kk68">Educators seeking a comprehensive portfolio assessment tool.<br/></li><li data-block-key="58p4l">Professionals aiming to showcase their achievements and prepare for accreditation or certification.<br/></li></ul><h3 data-block-key="410dg">Portfolio creation made easy</h3><p data-block-key="38sik">With Mahara, you can reflect on your learning experiences, upload files, and seamlessly integrate content you created elsewhere on the internet, including from social media sites.</p><p data-block-key="2kehb">The platform offers the flexibility to create various types of portfolios, such as those for learning, presentation, assessment, certification, or group projects. Moreover, you have complete control over who can access your portfolios and provide feedback. Therefore, it is an ideal solution for both individual and collaborative work.</p><h3 data-block-key="7gvi9">Organisational benefits</h3><p data-block-key="7ens8">Organisations find Mahara to be a valuable asset for their learning and teaching strategy. It is an easy-to-use platform to support and showcase learning. Additionally, Mahara can be customised to suit your organisation&#x27;s specific needs and branding requirements. With Mahara, you can create templates for learners and align portfolios with your learning outcomes. Plus, integration with your learning management system (LMS) and other tools is seamless by using the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard. That means you can create a unified learning ecosystem.</p><h2 data-block-key="6pn55">More than &#x27;just a portfolio&#x27;</h2><p data-block-key="8n0dd">Mahara is a feature-rich platform that beyond the basics. It offers a wide array of tools and capabilities, including:</p><h3 data-block-key="ch98">1. Portfolio customisation</h3><p data-block-key="53bus">You have complete control over which items and information within your portfolio are visible to others. Mahara&#x27;s intuitive system allows you to bundle artefacts or learning evidence onto pages. You can create portfolios that consist of one page or organise your learning evidence in collections that consist of multiple pages.</p><h3 data-block-key="ccjic">2. Progress tracking</h3><p data-block-key="8lnsh">Mahara has tools to map learning evidence to competencies and learning outcomes. For example, an administrator can set up competency frameworks that learners can then use to visually map their progress through its completion. Another tool offers a simple visual checklist around the completion of the portfolio. The outcomes tool can be used to collaboratively edit portfolios and closely track the completion of outcomes by a learner.</p><h3 data-block-key="59ril">3. Journals and blogs</h3><p data-block-key="6uc0l">Mahara includes a comprehensive journaling tool. This gives learners the chance to reflect on their learning continually and embed journal posts into their portfolios.</p><h3 data-block-key="3hgdq">4. Résumé builder</h3><p data-block-key="5qrh9">The portfolio platform offers a résumé builder, enabling portfolio authors to create digital résumés showcasing their employment and education histories, certifications, awards, skills, and goals. Then, they can add them to their portfolios with one click,</p><h3 data-block-key="4i0ue">6. Reporting</h3><p data-block-key="b9em9">Mahara comes equipped with a built-in reporting engine that collects valuable data. That means it can help drive learning analytics. Reports are available to track individuals but also to provide data aggregated data across groups of people.</p><img alt="mahara-org-pict2" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="319" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/mahara-org-pict2.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="js96v"></p><h3 data-block-key="d86qi">7. LTI support</h3><p data-block-key="523ub">Mahara offers frictionless integration with Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI). So, it makes it easy to connect with various learning management systems, for example, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle</a>.</p><h3 data-block-key="eqqj0">8. Administration and customisation</h3><p data-block-key="4nr7k">Administrators have the ability to customise Mahara according to their institution&#x27;s needs. Options include translations of the interface, themes, plugins, authentication methods, and even the ability to configure multiple organisations on a single Mahara instance.</p><h3 data-block-key="756gh">9. Privacy and security</h3><p data-block-key="4a79h">Mahara prioritises privacy and security, with features designed to support:</p><ul><li data-block-key="859i8"><a href="https://gdpr.eu/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GDPR compliance.</a><br/></li><li data-block-key="bgptp">Secure session key handling.<br/></li><li data-block-key="7nmpt">Database and input validation to prevent attacks.</li></ul><p data-block-key="1624n">Additionally, account authentication can be linked to external systems, further enhancing security.</p><h3 data-block-key="1ne5">10. Scalability</h3><p data-block-key="76sh">The Mahara platform has been thoughtfully designed to scale, allowing for separate hardware for search, database, file storage, and web servers. This enables load balancing and ensures consistent performance as the system grows.</p><h2 data-block-key="725a7">Is Mahara open source?</h2><p data-block-key="3k39n">Mahara&#x27;s <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/open-source-technology?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open</a> <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/open-source-technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">source</a> nature offers a plethora of advantages to administrators, learning designers, and IT professionals in education and workplaces:</p><ol><li data-block-key="45rth"><b>Flexibility and customisation</b>: Organisations have the freedom to tailor the platform precisely to their needs.</li><li data-block-key="4o83s"><b>Subscription-based model</b>: <a href="https://mahara.org/view/view.php?id=137229&amp;utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara operates on a subscription model</a>, granting organisations and individual contributors access to the latest updates, security patches, and annual upgrades This model offers the flexibility to align your organisation&#x27;s investment needs precisely. There are no vendor lock-in fees, and you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with long-term platform support.</li><li data-block-key="3jabp"><b>Community collaboration</b>: The global Mahara community plays an active role in enhancing the platform. It constantly contributes new feature requests to <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/mahara?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst IT, the core maintainer</a> for global release. This ensures Mahara remains secure, up-to-date, and feature-rich, catering to diverse portfolio requirements.</li><li data-block-key="bknek"><b>Transparency and security</b>: The code is open source and can be inspected, allowing organisations to perform their own code service providers and security reviews, fostering trust in the platform to know what happens with the data that learners enter.</li><li data-block-key="dhm2j"><b>Vendor independence</b>: As an organisation, you are free to select a service providers or self-host your Mahara instance. This freedom gives you greater control over your technology investment, allowing you to choose between fully hosting your platform yourself or outsourcing managed services.</li><li data-block-key="of7h"><b>Innovation and adaptability</b>: Open source empowers rapid adaptation to evolving educational needs and emerging technologies. Mahara stands as a strategic option for those focused on supporting their learners&#x27; immediate goals while remaining agile for future learning economies. Catalyst IT offers full <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/mahara-support-packages?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">training and support packages</a> to help you maximise your use of Mahara to achieve your educational goals.</li><li data-block-key="3o7rl"><b>Ownership of data</b>: Mahara caters to various global and local regulations as standard. It aligns with GDPR requirements, employs secure session key handling, and enforces database and input validation to mitigate security threats. Portfolio authors retain full control over their data. And, for those in New Zealand and some Australian states, <a href="https://catalystcloud.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst Cloud</a> offers an option to host your Mahara instance, ensuring <a href="https://catalystcloud.nz/about/data-sovereignty/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">data sovereignty</a>.<br/></li></ol><h2 data-block-key="b7ti2">Is Mahara right for you?</h2><p data-block-key="2l741"></p><img alt="Mahara_BusinessPartnerBadge" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="300" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Mahara_BusinessPartnerBadge_8Kadvrd.width-500.png" width="300"><p data-block-key="e8o92">Mahara is more than just a portfolio platform—it&#x27;s a comprehensive solution for learners, educators, and professionals. With features like flexible portfolio creation, SmartEvidence, journalling, reporting, and more, it offers a holistic platform for documenting and showcasing learning. Mahara is a reliable choice for educational institutions and organisations worldwide.</p><p data-block-key="65ceu">Specifically for Aotearoa New Zealand, Catalyst IT operates two sites that clients can join for cost sharing:</p><ul><li data-block-key="bki79"><a href="https://healthcareportfolio.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kōpaki Tiaki Hauora Healthcare Portfolio</a> for healthcare services providers<br/></li><li data-block-key="b4jae"><a href="https://myportfolio.school.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MyPortfolio Schools</a> for schools (free) and organisations supporting schools and their work.<br/></li></ul><h2 data-block-key="ee5k5">Want to learn more about Mahara and portfolios?</h2><p data-block-key="5tei2">To explore and learn more about Mahara:</p><ul><li data-block-key="346u2">Visit the <a href="http://mahara.org/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara</a><a href="https://mahara.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> website</a><a href="http://mahara.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">.</a><br/></li><li data-block-key="eqfdd"><a href="https://catalyst.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=62457ff5060d15ee3c07d3fc4&amp;id=1b98c6b581&amp;utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Subscribe to the monthly Mahara newsletter from Catalyst IT</a>.<br/></li><li data-block-key="2r4cd"><a href="https://podcast.mahara.org/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tune in to the ‘Create. Share. Engage.’ podcast</a> to discover interviews with portfolio practitioners, researchers, learning designers, students, and others from around the world.<br/></li></ul><h2 data-block-key="245j6">How Mahara started</h2><p data-block-key="arvq7">First established in mid-2006, the Mahara project started as a collaborative venture funded by <a href="https://www.tec.govt.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Zealand&#x27;s Tertiary Education Commission&#x27;s</a> e-learning Collaborative Development Fund (eCDF) which was a contestable funding pool. <a href="https://www.massey.ac.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Massey University</a> led the project with collaborative partners, <a href="https://www.aut.ac.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Auckland University of Technology</a>, <a href="http://www.openpolytechnic.ac.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand</a>, and <a href="http://www.vuw.ac.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Victoria University of Wellington</a>. Each organisation had representation on the project Steering Group and this team included Richard Wyles from Flexible Learning Network who was leading aligned projects with Moodle on behalf of an Open Polytechnic led consortium, and further open source work with the Fedora repository system. Polytechnic-led In July 2007, Flexible Learning and Catalyst IT started collectively managing and supporting the project with their own time and resources plus further support from <a href="https://www.education.govt.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Zealand’s Ministry of Education</a> for a national ePortfolio service for schools (see <a href="http://www.myportfolio.school.nz/?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=what-is-mahara&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MyPortfolio</a>). A significant redevelopment of the views framework was made possible from Mellon Foundation funds from the Open Polytechnic’s winning a <a href="https://www.mellon.org/grant-details/mellon-award-for-technology-collaboration-7063" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2007 Mellon Award for Technology Collaboration</a>.</p><p data-block-key="eb3k1">Today, Catalyst IT remains the core maintainer for Mahara and has committed to delivering long-term platform success through security and feature releases</p>

<p data-block-key="1bwx6">The Mahara platform is a proven portfolio solution used all over the world. It is an integrated space for students and professionals to curate their educational evidence, competencies, and achievements. Learn more about it.</p>

what-is-the-mahara-portfolio-platform

<p data-block-key="dt36y">It can be hard to know where to start when looking at improving how Moodle works for you. So we’ve compiled a list of our top 10 Moodle plugins to help both students and teachers with their eLearning experience.</p><h2 data-block-key="3vigk">Top 10 Moodle plugins</h2><h3 data-block-key="42ah4">The 5 best LMS plugins to use as an educator</h3><h4 data-block-key="7k3rm">1. Course dedication</h4><p data-block-key="52tut"></p><img alt="A screenshot of &amp;#x27;Course dedication&amp;#x27;s configuration screen&amp;#x27;, where the range of dates and the maximum time between clicks of the session can be selected. Below shows a table that presents a list of students and their course dedication results." class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="333" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/course_dedication.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="9kkhu"></p><p data-block-key="6p5m8">‘Course dedication’ provides an approximation of the amount of time a learner has spent engaging with your course. Additionally, this Moodle plugin has a reports feature. Through using reports, you can filter by the dedication of a student, overall dedication time for a course, and customise your own. Plus, it has been updated by Catalyst to improve performance and provide consistent reporting across all courses.</p><p data-block-key="pogm"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/block_dedication?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read more about the plugin.</a><br/><br/></p><h4 data-block-key="8222c">2. Reengagement</h4><p data-block-key="7j1ud">With the ‘Reengagement’ Moodle plugin you can ensure courses are completed, and improve overall content engagement. Reengagement sets up automatic reminder emails to be sent to students after a specific period of time. Because of this, you can better support your student success journey without adding extra to-do’s to your list.</p><p data-block-key="2psa5"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/mod_reengagement?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check out this plugin.</a></p><h4 data-block-key="dug4i">3. Attendance</h4><img alt="A screenshot of the &amp;#x27;Settings&amp;#x27; page for Attendance. It shows an example of a student with a table showing what courses they attended and their overall attendance grade." class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="333" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/attendance.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="crsle"></p><p data-block-key="329n3">Track the attendance of your students, through the ‘Attendance’ Moodle plugin. Students can self-report to courses and it provides educators with a summary for ease of tracking. Additionally, this is one of the best LMS plugins that includes support for the Moodle mobile app for on-the-go management.</p><p data-block-key="8pl32"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/mod_attendance?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Save yourself the admin task of tracking your students’ attendance.</a></p><h4 data-block-key="f3fhc"></h4><h4 data-block-key="e9ait"><br/><br/></h4><h4 data-block-key="8utbs">4. All backups</h4><p data-block-key="2evv3">Don’t loose important files. ‘All backups’ enables site admins to restore, download or delete backup files - even if they’re in private file areas. In addition, backup files can also take up a lot of space on your site. This report allows you to identify and clean up these files.</p><p data-block-key="bga2h"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/report_allbackups?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Learn more about getting your files backed up.</a></p><h4 data-block-key="e08k5">5. Multiblock</h4><p data-block-key="f7cph"></p><img alt="A screenshot of a &amp;#x27;Dashboard&amp;#x27; in Multiblock, which shows the option of a &amp;#x27;Dropdown&amp;#x27; menu for a calendar." class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="333" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Multiblock.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="afimt"></p><p data-block-key="boska">Change the way information is displayed on a page to make your learning more engaging. Transform a block of text into something more dynamic like a dropdown menu, accordion, tabbed list or vertical tabs, by using &#x27;Multiblock&#x27;.</p><p data-block-key="3legk"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/block_multiblock?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Have a go customising the layout of your eLearning with Multiblock.</a></p><p data-block-key="f50dh"><br/><br/><br/><br/></p><hr/><p data-block-key="515k4"></p><h3 data-block-key="4u3n1">3 best LMS plugins for Moodle to improve your login experience<br/></h3><h4 data-block-key="apk96">1. Multi-factor authentication</h4><img alt="A screenshot of the &amp;#x27;TOTP Factor Setup&amp;#x27; screen where you can save a new device for 2FA. The screenshot shows a QR to scan, where to enter the 6 digit verfication code and how to save changes" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="333" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/2fa.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="1j6rb"></p><p data-block-key="3sqpa">Moodle 4.3 has now included our Multi-factor authentication plugin out of the box. However, for older Moodle sites ‘Multi-factor authentication’ is a great plugin to improve the security of your site. It allows 2FA (two factor authentication) to be built into the login process. So, if a password is exposed they can’t login unless they have access to the second factor.</p><p data-block-key="4v4cc"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/tool_mfa?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Learn more about multi-factor authentication.</a><br/><br/></p><h4 data-block-key="21td6">2. SAML2 Single sign on</h4><p data-block-key="7lfp1">Moodle plugin ‘SAML2 Single sign on’ provides single sign on (SSO) capabilities with many popular identity providers. For example, Microsoft Active Directory, Key Cloak, and Okta.</p><p data-block-key="gocu"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/auth_saml2?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Download SAML2 Single sign on today.</a></p><h4 data-block-key="6diub">3. Login splash page</h4><img alt="A screenshot of the &amp;#x27;login screen&amp;#x27; that shows you can log in to either Google or Special user login, and a link to go to if you don&amp;#x27;t have an account." class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="193" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/loginsplash2.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="einm"></p><p data-block-key="631fl">Many Moodle sites offer multiple methods to authenticate which can confusing. To streamline the login process and guide users through the right method, &#x27;Login splash page&#x27; presents a more intuitive login flow. Therefore, it presents a custom page that guides you through the correct steps to login to Moodle.</p><p data-block-key="dk7v2"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/local_login?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read more about this plugin.</a></p><p data-block-key="37iai"></p><p data-block-key="ff8bo"></p><p data-block-key="8jj7g"></p><hr/><p data-block-key="ai1s6"></p><h3 data-block-key="7f3qu">Top 2 Moodle plugins to use for students</h3><h4 data-block-key="474b0">1. Mahara submissions</h4><p data-block-key="4tpo3"></p><img alt="A screenshot of the &amp;#x27;Submission status&amp;#x27; configuration screen in &amp;#x27;Mahara Submissions&amp;#x27;. It shows the button where you can request an extension." class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="333" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/submission.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="1091l"></p><p data-block-key="6etsc">By using &#x27;Maraha submissions&#x27; you can build up your portfolio within Mahara. Then students can submit their portfolios as an assessment item within Moodle, and their teacher can grade the work.</p><p data-block-key="1jnco"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/assignsubmission_maharaws?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Learn more about Mahara submissions and how they can make assignments easier.</a></p><p data-block-key="advsl"></p><h4 data-block-key="acvnf"><br/><br/></h4><h4 data-block-key="fovhl">2. Automatic extension</h4><p data-block-key="6pnk6">Managing deadlines can be difficult. ‘Automatic extension’ allows students to automatically extend your submission time (once it’s signed off by educators). So when they need extra time for an assignment it’s easy to send an extension request.</p><p data-block-key="aps19"><a href="https://moodle.org/plugins/assignsubmission_automaticextension?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check out Automatic extension.</a></p><p data-block-key="dj6cj"></p><hr/><p data-block-key="9olcb"></p><h3 data-block-key="cha00">Take your learning experience to the next level</h3><p data-block-key="lrn">These plugins can help you shape your eLearning journey to improve your learning and teaching experience. Catalyst are global leaders in <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/catalyst-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle development</a>, maintenance, and more. It’s one of the reasons we were named ‘Global Partner of the Year’ and ‘LMS Contributor of the Year’.</p><p data-block-key="duhhg">If you need support to get the best Moodle plugins, or to improve your eLearning experience, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle-enquiry-form?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">contact us</a>.</p>

Moodle pulgins you need to be using, with the Moodle and Catalyst logos, and a plugin icon. Catalyst, open source experts.

<p data-block-key="5wa0c">It can be hard to know where to start when looking at improving how Moodle works for you. So we’ve compiled a list of our top 10 Moodle plugins to help both students and teachers with their eLearning experience.</p>

10-moodle-plugins-you-need-to-use

<p data-block-key="uqm2a">SCORM stands for &quot;Shareable Content Object Reference Model.&quot; It&#x27;s a technical standard for publishing learning content that is compatible with a wide range of <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Learning Management systems</a> (LMS). However, the SCORM format has become an increasing nuisance for the learning and development industry.</p><p data-block-key="dcgtd">Dan Marsden has been a global SCORM expert for over a decade. He&#x27;s advocating for educators to stop publishing new SCORM content and instead use more modern tools. Because SCORM files can be difficult and expensive to maintain, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/how-to-fix-scorm-rot-in-your-lms-2023?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SCORM rot</a> has become increasingly prevalent.</p><h2 data-block-key="bdu3t">SCORM format: a brief history</h2><p data-block-key="ea4ok">In 2001, SCORM was a great innovation. It provided <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eLearning</a> consultants with the ability to generate content packages that could be installed in any SCORM compliant LMS. This included the development of stand-alone content packages potentially containing a breadth of content. For example:</p><ul><li data-block-key="2e50l">Videos.</li><li data-block-key="70tot">Quizzes.</li><li data-block-key="cf3gl">Basic interactive content.</li><li data-block-key="c1maq"><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/flash-apocalypse-new-moodle-report-plugin-released?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Flash</a>.</li></ul><p data-block-key="6pt29">However, SCORM file packages are published in a &quot;read only&quot; state. That means they can&#x27;t be edited or personalised. So when a SCORM package is created, educators need to:</p><ol><li data-block-key="67ntt">Know where they&#x27;ve stored the original source files.</li><li data-block-key="4ubqc">Retain access to the software used to create the SCORM package.</li></ol><p data-block-key="8abga">Plus, if users can&#x27;t find the original source files for updating content packages, they must rebuild their content from scratch.</p><h2 data-block-key="29qn2">The modern way to create LMS content</h2><p data-block-key="66tjj">Essentially, SCORM is over 20 years old. The eLearning industry and the technologies our learners engage with have evolved since then. For example, Wi-Fi, 5G, and mobile learning with varying device screen sizes. SCORM files were never designed with this in mind.</p><p data-block-key="bkvc">There have been attempts to add support for modern technologies like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experience_API" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">xAPI</a> and responsive design to proprietary SCORM authoring tools. However, SCORM file authoring is no longer necessary to develop rich eLearning content in 2023.</p><h2 data-block-key="8d0c">Creating LMS content using native tools</h2><p data-block-key="70nt9"><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle</a> and <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tōtara</a> are modern Learning Management Systems (LMS) with native mobile application support, responsive design, and built-in editing tools. As an educator, you can login and quickly fix typos or replace an image in the browser yourself. There&#x27;s no need to hunt down the computer housing the authoring tool and the source files; simply update directly within the LMS. In Moodle and Tōtara sites, there are a wide range of rich interactive content authoring tools that are included. To further engage your learners, you have the option to add a variety of third party plugins.</p><h2 data-block-key="6biu9">Creating LMS content in H5P instead of SCORM format</h2><p data-block-key="92v8f">Moodle and Tōtara integrate well with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H5P" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">H5P</a>, an open-source modern and easy-to-use <a href="#https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/HTML5">HTML5</a> editing tool. It allows anyone to create rich interactive content within their web browser. H5P content packages don&#x27;t use a publishing process like SCORM files do. If you have an H5P content package, you have everything you need to display that package to the learner and also update it.</p><h2 data-block-key="9tfdi">Get support with your LMS content development and maintenance</h2><p data-block-key="fc4bt">Our team of experts can help you get the most out of your LMS. For free report settings to identify SCORM content at risk, contact us at enquiries@catalyst.net.nz</p>

"Stop publishing new SCORM content" - Dan Marsden, SCORM expert. Catalyst. Dan is pictured smiling.

<p data-block-key="eetxf">This blog outlines why in 2023 we shouldn&#x27;t be publishing new SCORM content, and how Learning Management System (LMS) content should be created in H5P.</p>

scorm-expert-stop-publishing-new-scorm-content

<h2 data-block-key="ubqjl">What does your role involve?</h2><p data-block-key="9jqsv">I&#x27;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 <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=a-day-in-the-life-of-an-elearning-consultant&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle</a> or <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=a-day-in-the-life-of-an-elearning-consultant&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tōtara</a> LMS sites. I make sure their sites are in line with best practices and meet their needs.</p><p data-block-key="8kulg">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.</p><p data-block-key="ah7nr">On a regular basis as an eLearning Consultant, I provide first level support (e.g. forgotten passwords) and second level support (e.g. troubleshooting, investigating issues, and finding solutions - such as why one user can access something on the site but another user can&#x27;t.)</p><h2 data-block-key="cond1">What does your typical day look like?</h2><p data-block-key="ddph1">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 <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=a-day-in-the-life-of-an-elearning-consultant&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LMSs</a>. 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.</p><h2 data-block-key="cv6mt">Tell us about a recent problem you helped solve.</h2><p data-block-key="6vo0n">Most recently, I &#x27;translated&#x27; 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.</p><h2 data-block-key="5bf16">What do you enjoy about working at Catalyst?</h2><p data-block-key="91dtl">I have wonderful colleagues who have become friends. I like the <a href="https://medium.com/@satishvmadala/what-is-foss-and-its-four-principles-71d153db3f1d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FOSS</a> (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.</p>

A day in the life of an eLearning consultant. A image of peron smiling.

<p data-block-key="muttd">In this edition of &quot;A Day in the Life at Catalyst&quot; we meet Tish Kirkland, eLearning Consultant</p>

a-day-in-the-life-of-an-elearning-consultant

<p data-block-key="08rph">Education has moved beyond traditional classrooms and textbooks. Now more than ever, both students and tertiary educators need to adopt technology to deliver knowledge effectively. Moodle is a great example of how this can be achieved. It is a Learning Management System (LMS) that provides a flexible and practical way for tertiary educators, trainers, and learners to interact with content and resources and drive student success. In this blog, we’re covering the basics of Moodle including its key features, benefits, and its impact on modern education.</p><h2 data-block-key="adurg">What is Moodle?</h2><p data-block-key="3h0e7"><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle</a> is a feature-rich and flexible learning management system that enables a versatile learning platform.</p><p data-block-key="e5fga">Moodle, short for &quot;Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment,&quot; is an open-source learning platform designed to create, deliver, and manage online courses. <a href="https://moodle.com/about/the-moodle-story/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Created by Martin Dougiamas in 2002</a>, Moodle has evolved over the years into an LMS used by millions of educators worldwide.</p><p data-block-key="eqsti">At its core, Moodle provides a secure and customisable online environment where instructors can upload course materials, create quizzes, assignments, and facilitate discussions. Students, in turn, can access these resources, submit assignments, participate in discussions, and track their progress, all through a user-friendly interface.</p><p data-block-key="7p3fl">Moodle has made education more accessible, allowing learners from around the world to access quality resources and instruction regardless of their location. For example, as the pandemic forced Ireland into lockdown, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/our-work/dublin-city-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst and Dublin City University partnered to create an</a> <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/our-work/dublin-city-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">e-assessment solution</a> for 11,820 exams to be delivered via Moodle VLE for over 7,000 unique students/exams.</p><h2 data-block-key="6gt2j">Key Features of Moodle</h2><p data-block-key="qanu">Moodle comes with a range of features you can access. You can opt for a self-hosted or managed hosting environment with a trusted managed service provider like Catalyst.</p><p data-block-key="4t46p"><b>Here’s what makes Moodle a fantastic LMS choice:</b></p><ol><li data-block-key="b48e2"><b>It’s highly adaptable:</b> Moodle is fully-customisable with themes, plugins, and configurations for personalised courses.</li><li data-block-key="6slj6"><b>Content management:</b> Instructors can easily upload and organise learning materials in one central location.</li><li data-block-key="3ude7"><b>Assessment tools:</b> Offers quizzes, assignments, and surveys for efficient grading and instant feedback.</li><li data-block-key="drq7a"><b>Collaborative learning:</b> Moodle supports peer-to-peer discussions through forums, wikis, and chat rooms.</li><li data-block-key="6rhde"><b>Progress tracking:</b> Allows both students and instructors to monitor performance through a user-friendly dashboard.</li><li data-block-key="5ie73"><b>Integration capabilities:</b> Integrates with various external systems and tools to enhance functionality. For example, you can integrate it with <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/mahara" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara</a> and enhance your learner portfolio and reflection objectives.</li><li data-block-key="4n9s4"><b>Multilingual Support:</b> Accessible to global students with multiple language options.</li><li data-block-key="9fqpj"><b>Open source:</b> Because it’s based on <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/open-source-technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open-source</a> software, you’re not locked into vendor or licensing fees and contracts. You can also opt to self-host, or partner with an expert Moodle host like <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst</a>.</li><li data-block-key="16h2t"><b>Scalable and secure:</b> Scales from small classrooms to large institutions and priorities data security.</li><li data-block-key="bqrid"><b>Community-focused:</b> Moodle has been designed with students and educators at its core. The intuitive interface requires minimal training for smooth online learning. Additionally, it offers strong community support for troubleshooting and customisation.</li><li data-block-key="1h08l"><b>Data-driven:</b> Moodle comes with analytics tools to support educators gathering insights into student performance and engagement. And, due to Moodle’s open-source nature, if you have bespoke data collection needs you can create new functionality to capture these too.</li></ol><p data-block-key="14jbh">Moodle has made a significant impact on modern education by providing a platform that adapts to learners and educators. At Catalyst we’re proud to have been part of Moodle’s journey since its earliest days.</p><h2 data-block-key="dfno2">Catalyst is a Moodle partner you can trust</h2><ul><li data-block-key="4cb18">In 2023, <a href="https://moodle.com/news/and-the-award-goes-to-meet-the-winners-of-moodle-certified-partners-awards-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst IT won Moodle Global Partner of the Year, and LMS Contributor of the year</a> at the MoodleMoot in Barcelona.</li><li data-block-key="7u765">Back in 2021, we were honoured as the Global Certified Service Provider of the Year at the Moodle Certified Service Partner Awards.</li><li data-block-key="dnh5p">Our significant contributions to Moodle earned us global recognition in 2019.</li><li data-block-key="bfp7q">Since 2016, Catalyst has consistently ranked as the fourth-largest contributor to the Moodle project, with the distinction of being the largest in Australasia, second only to <a href="https://moodle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle HQ.</a></li><li data-block-key="4aj9j">Since 2003, we&#x27;ve been steadily building our international reputation as specialists in Moodle technical expertise and high-volume, high-availability Moodle hosting and support services.</li></ul><h3 data-block-key="b6689">Moodle managed by Catalyst is:</h3><ul><li data-block-key="42m0g">Secure and protected with our proven expertise.</li><li data-block-key="55olr">Supported 24x7 by 100+ staff in six offices across the world.</li><li data-block-key="6n64h">Fully scalable to your business needs.</li><li data-block-key="1ghn7">Provided with AI and engagement analytics as standard.is</li><li data-block-key="6utep">A perfectly integrated learning environment as standard. Plus it can be enriched even further with solutions like Mahara portfolio which we are also the core maintainers of.</li></ul><p data-block-key="1q1c4">Catalyst is your reliable partner for Moodle support, catering to tertiary education providers worldwide. Here&#x27;s how we can assist you:</p><p data-block-key="rg2g"></p><img alt="Moodle Learning Management System managed by Catalyst IT comes with an industry-leading service wrapper to support organisations achieve student learning goals." class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="205" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Catalyts_IT_Moodle_service_wrapper.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="4a460"></p><ol><li data-block-key="2jqf8"><b>Installation and optimisation:</b> We expertly install and fine-tune your Moodle site for peak performance, ensuring a stable and scalable learning management system.</li><li data-block-key="ent1v"><b>Integration:</b> Seamlessly integrate your Moodle site with student or HR systems and establish single sign-on with platforms like Mahara.</li><li data-block-key="dp95q"><b>Business requirements analysis:</b> Our seasoned business analysts collaborate with you to capture your Moodle goals, offering top-notch analysis and documentation services.</li><li data-block-key="9m3gs"><b>Custom development:</b> If you wish to incorporate new features into Moodle, our trusted Catalyst team, deeply rooted in the Moodle community, can write custom code or assist in feature development.</li><li data-block-key="ecs4g"><b>Managed hosting:</b> We provide fully managed hosting services, ensuring safety and stability for Moodle sites of all sizes with 24/7 monitoring, proactive security, and scheduled backups.</li><li data-block-key="b9p30"><b>Theming and design:</b> Collaborate with our creative team to create a unique site design that aligns with your organisation&#x27;s brand. We can also make your Moodle mobile-friendly.</li><li data-block-key="44q1m"><b>Ongoing support:</b> Tailored support packages are available for addressing technical and administrative issues. Our online work request system simplifies issue reporting, and we can adapt packages to your budget and needs</li><li data-block-key="r4cd"><b>Training services:</b> Leverage our experienced trainers for customised programs that can help your staff maximise Moodle&#x27;s potential for students.</li></ol><p data-block-key="c3vgk">If you need support, or want to get started with Moodle, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle-enquiry-form" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">contact our award-winning team here.</a></p>

Catalyst, award winning Moodle partners provide help to understand the basics of Moodle.

<p data-block-key="eh9lq">Learn the basics of Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) with Catalyst.</p>

what-is-moodle-lms

<h2 data-block-key="usodd">What does your role involve?</h2><p data-block-key="405ks">I work as a full stack developer and in a team that looks after a number of existing web applications for multiple government clients. Working as a full stack developer means that I write code for the front end and back end of an application. Front end is a broad term used in web development that refers to the part of the application that the user interacts with on a browser including the page layouts, styles, and interactive elements. The back end usually refers to the connection between the front end of the application and a database or databases that store large amounts of data which happens via an API.</p><h2 data-block-key="c27sv">What programming language do you use?</h2><p data-block-key="6e8m9">All of our applications use JavaScript in the front end which is the first language I learned at Dev Academy Aotearoa and it’s the coding language I enjoy working in the most. We use a range of other languages and technologies on our applications which have taken me a while to get my head around. But I enjoy having a wide range of tools I can use and understand. I think that is one of the benefits of working at a services company like Catalyst.</p><h2 data-block-key="ah8aa">What are you working on?</h2><p data-block-key="3l4aa">Two of the websites we maintain are called <a href="https://deathdocs.services.govt.nz/welcome" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Death Documents</a> and <a href="https://smartstart.services.govt.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SmartStart</a>. Death Documents is a website that allows Medical professionals to submit death certificates and coroner’s reports online rather than using paper forms. SmartStart has a range of services for new parents including allowing them to register the birth of their new baby online. I think it’s interesting to work on these two applications which cover both ends of a person’s lifespan and aim to make difficult life events a bit easier for those involved.</p><h2 data-block-key="58rv7">What does your typical day look like?</h2><p data-block-key="7vrra">A typical day for me varies quite a lot depending on what applications require work at different times. Often I will work on different things throughout the day from software upgrades to building new features to helping with requests from users to reset their passwords.</p><p data-block-key="3muue">I work in a team that prioritises working in person so I am generally in the Wellington office which I enjoy because it is quite social. We tend to do the Post quiz every morning in the shared kitchen which is a good way to meet people from across the company. Sometimes I will meet with clients and discuss issues in our applications that need to be fixed or help with planning new features.</p>

A day in the life of a developer. A image of peron smiling.

<p data-block-key="hq5m1">In this edition of &quot;A Day in the Life at Catalyst&quot; we meet <b>Zoë Joblin</b>, Developer.</p>

a-day-in-the-life-of-a-developer

<p data-block-key="nwadn">We’re proud to announce Catalyst IT won MoodleMoot 2023&#x27;s ‘Global Partner of the Year’ and ‘LMS Contributor of the Year’. This is the second year Catalyst IT has won Global Partner of the Year.</p><p data-block-key="cbula">MoodleMoot Global 2023 had over 700 attendees, including staff from our offices in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Canada. It was great to connect and catch up with the Moodle Community and <a href="https://moodle.com/news/and-the-award-goes-to-meet-the-winners-of-moodle-certified-partners-awards-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">other award winners</a> who contribute to shaping Moodle.</p><h2 data-block-key="be5i9">What is Moodle?</h2><p data-block-key="507q0"><a href="#https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=catalyst-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023&amp;utm_content=link">Moodle</a> is an open source learning management system (LMS) used all around the world. It is feature-rich and flexible, designed to provide robust and secure personalised learning scenarios for any learning institution or organisation. With Moodle, you can engage your learnings and empower your teachers with:</p><ul><li data-block-key="9rvof">A wide array of built in activity modules including assignments, quizzes, forums, assessment tools, wikis, chats, and glossaries.</li><li data-block-key="3vftu">Add or build your own content using images, multimedia, and external content with resource modules.</li><li data-block-key="fivgn">Customise how things look and feel in a simple, user-friendly, low-tech environment.</li></ul><p data-block-key="au0ut"></p><img alt="An award with Moodle Certified Partners LMS Contributor of the Year 2023 on it.  With the Catalyst logo, that says open source technologists, ontop of an outline a digitial outline of the globe." class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="348" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/2_dv0yESF.width-500.png" width="500"><p data-block-key="n25p"></p><h2 data-block-key="24ccm">What are the Moodle Certified Partner Awards?</h2><p data-block-key="c9dnh">The awards launched in 2019 and recognise the exceptional work of Moodle Certified Partners and <a href="#https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=catalyst-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023&amp;utm_content=link">Moodle</a> Premium Certified Partners. Moodle Partners enable educational institutions and organisations to transform or enhance their eLearning platforms in over 50 countries. Winners are selected from over 100 Moodle Certified Partner contributions.</p><h2 data-block-key="fuc2c">Catalyst IT Moodle services</h2><p data-block-key="aaea5">Catalyst is a <a href="#https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/what-is-moodle-lms?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=catalyst-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023&amp;utm_content=link">Premium Certified Moodle Partner</a> and was an early contributor to the Moodle code base. Since 2016, Catalyst IT has been the fourth biggest contributor to Moodle, and the largest in Australasia behind Moodle HQ. Additionally, Catalyst regularly supports Moodle clients around the globe with resources, expertise, and open source knowledge.</p><p data-block-key="1krul">We ensure Moodle users have a learning environment set up for both students and staff success. Catalyst enriches your LMS experience end to end.</p><img alt="Catalyst IT celebrating at the MoodleMoot Awards. A group of people gather together smiling." class="richtext-image right-align-wrap" height="348" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/3_vcSvugb.width-500.png" width="500"><h3 data-block-key="4htab">Getting started with Moodle</h3><ul><li data-block-key="4kaqj">Consultations and implementation planning, simplifying requirements.</li><li data-block-key="a1g89">Installation and optimisation so Moodle works great for your needs.</li><li data-block-key="3ana6">Business requirement analytics to understand what you want to achieve.</li><li data-block-key="46vim">Custom development of features.</li><li data-block-key="34v2r">Integration of Moodle with other systems, like <a href="#https://www.catalyst.net.nz/mahara?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=catalyst-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023&amp;utm_content=link">Mahara</a>.</li><li data-block-key="53kcs">Providing safe and secure hosting (including cloud).</li><li data-block-key="am8jv">Theming and design to match your organisation’s brand and identity.</li></ul><h3 data-block-key="10kjm">Maintaining Moodle</h3><ul><li data-block-key="902ht">Ongoing maintenance, updates, patching and CI (continuous integration) as a service.</li><li data-block-key="8of13">24/7 support for technical and administration issues.</li><li data-block-key="5hhls">Bespoke training services for administrators and teaching staff.</li><li data-block-key="encq6">Security vetting and endorsement.</li></ul><p data-block-key="1al5s">At Catalyst, we’re proud to be able to offer a full service wrapper that offers end to end management of your Moodle instance. Within our wider company of 400 staff, we have over 100 staff specifically supporting our clients. We also provide full hosting benefits, so your Moodle instance is secure, scalable, and standardised.</p><p data-block-key="4q8q5">Catalyst has a wealth of experience in working with a range of sectors. This includes education providers, government, health, not-for-profit, and commercial sectors. <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/our-work/dublin-city-university?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=catalyst%20-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check out how Catalyst migrated Dublin City University to the cloud</a> and enabled students to take their exams online.</p><p data-block-key="72juh">To get started with or maximise your existing Moodle instance, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle-enquiry-form?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=catalyst%20-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">contact our award winning team today</a>.</p><img alt="Catalyst IT: Moodle Premium Certified Partners: Global Partner of the Year 2023” Catalyst IT: Moodle Premium Certified Partners LMS Contributor of the Year 2023” inside of award banners" class="richtext-image full-width" height="400" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Untitled_design1.width-800.png" width="600"><p data-block-key="6onb4"></p>

An award with Moodle Certified Partners Moodle Global Partner of the Year 2023 on it.  With the Catalyst logo, that says open source technologists, ontop of an outline a digitial outline of the globe.

<p data-block-key="eaay9">We’re proud to announce Catalyst IT won MoodleMoot 2023&#x27;s ‘Global Partner of the Year’ and ‘LMS Contributor of the Year’. This is the second year Catalyst IT has won Global Partner of the Year.</p>

catalyst-it-moodle-global-partner-of-the-year-2023

<p data-block-key="zhn1z">Not all careers have a straight line, sometimes, they’re <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_ellis_and_helen_tupper_the_best_career_path_isn_t_always_a_straight_line?language=en]" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">squiggly</a>. </p><p data-block-key="7954b">From Zookeeper to <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-a-zookeeper-became-an-elearning-consultant-at-catalyst&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eLearning consultant</a>, check out Alex Virtue’s career journey that led her to Catalyst.</p><h2 data-block-key="buddj">Early career</h2><p data-block-key="fdumm">Alex’s love of animals turned into an apprenticeship at Tierpark Berlin, which developed into a ten-year stay. Working in the largest zoo in Europe, made it hard for her to choose a favourite animal. But Alex had a soft spot for the zebu, the holy cow of India. Zebu, if you’re unfamiliar, is a breed of Asian cattle with a hump.  </p><p data-block-key="8he67">“The most adorable moments as zookeepers was raising baby animals,” she says. “Sometimes the zebu mothers wouldn’t look after the babies well so we got to look after them, giraffes too. I loved working with those because they are just too cute.”</p><h3 data-block-key="5bnk1">Finding a passion for learning</h3><p data-block-key="frh6l">Zoos have evolved into more educational spaces these days. From teaching visitors to learn about their ways of life in the wild, to supporting conservation efforts. Tierpark Berlin now works alongside the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) to reintroduce bison to their natural habitat in the Caucasus.</p><p data-block-key="81d6t">“It’s always been an interesting aspect of looking after the animals,” Alex says. “Knowing about their biotopes [habitats] and where they live, and giving them an interesting environment so they don’t get bored. Depending on what type of animal they are, sometimes socialising different species to mimic what they see in nature.”</p><p data-block-key="dacto"></p><img alt="Alex feeding a giraffe at Tierpark Berlin" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="888" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Giraffe_feeding_2.width-500.jpg" width="500"><p data-block-key="b7tin"></p><h2 data-block-key="7agtr">The start of a squiggly career </h2><p data-block-key="8eedn">As fun as zookeeping was, it was also a physical and demanding manual labour job. Wanting new experiences, Alex added a new curve to her career. That’s when she and her husband moved to Ireland where she worked in hospitality and tourism.  </p><p data-block-key="ccrvl">After a few years in Ireland, they moved back to her husband’s home, New Zealand. For six years, Alex worked as a travel agent. Then she became a product owner at a German inbound tour operator, creating journeys for tourists travelling around New Zealand. But working in the tourism industry wasn’t quite the right fit for her. After her second child, Alex explored other opportunities for the next stage of her career.  </p><p data-block-key="d1o19"></p><h2 data-block-key="2p9t4">Introduction to learning management systems</h2><p data-block-key="4ke9g">This move introduced Alex to Catalyst, as well as to <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-a-zookeeper-became-an-elearning-consultant-at-catalyst&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">learning management systems</a> (LMS). As an administrator at the Ministry of Primary Industries, in the MPI learning and development team, she was introduced to <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/what-is-totara-lms-learning-management-system?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-a-zookeeper-became-an-elearning-consultant-at-catalyst&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tōtara LMS</a>. Alex eventually became the site administrator for MPI’s Tōtara instance, which Catalyst was the provider for.  </p><h3 data-block-key="6f7er">Connecting with Catalyst</h3><p data-block-key="56v1q">“From the start, I really admired Catalyst’s work ethic and their way of doing things and supporting the system,” says Alex.  </p><p data-block-key="n9jv">“As well as supporting me as a site administrator and creating customisations and workflows for us as we required them. So my experience was always really positive in terms of the service we received from Catalyst.”</p><p data-block-key="6qdmk">This partnership planted the seed for Alex that she’d like her future job to be at Catalyst.</p><p data-block-key="7oq82">“We had another company provider and I got to compare, and the other company didn’t come close to the professionalism and knowledge Catalyst has,” she says.</p><h2 data-block-key="4c1o7">Creating a career at Catalyst</h2><p data-block-key="78sls">Later, the seed germinated as a role opened up at Catalyst and Alex became a consultant in the <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/what-is-totara-lms-learning-management-system?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-a-zookeeper-became-an-elearning-consultant-at-catalyst&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eLearning team</a>. These days you’ll find her in her element working on Tōtara and <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-a-zookeeper-became-an-elearning-consultant-at-catalyst&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle</a> projects providing:</p><ul><li data-block-key="9ilu">upgrades,<br/> </li><li data-block-key="4sbi8">migrations,<br/> </li><li data-block-key="68r5v">customisations,<br/> </li><li data-block-key="b9vl">first and second-level support for users.   <br/> </li></ul><p data-block-key="cngvl">“I enjoy the aspect of working with a multitude of clients, and I’ve gained a lot of additional knowledge about the product and the system. Everyone has been welcoming and friendly and made me feel at home straight away.”</p><p data-block-key="7ko2p">As for her love of animals? “We have a little zoo at home,” Alex says. “Not a proper zoo, but a dog and a cat.”</p><p data-block-key="4mu57">Today, Alex is part of the eLearning team at Catalyst, who are a Platinum Partner for <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/what-is-totara-lms-learning-management-system?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-a-zookeeper-became-an-elearning-consultant-at-catalyst&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tōtara</a> and a Platinum Partner for <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-a-zookeeper-became-an-elearning-consultant-at-catalyst&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle</a>. We recently won the Moodle Global Partner of the Year 2023 for the second time.  </p><p data-block-key="crgvh"></p><hr/><p data-block-key="9h0pn"></p><p data-block-key="cll23">If you’re on your own squiggly career journey and are interested in a future career in tech, check out our <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/careers?utm_source=catalyst&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=how-a-zookeeper-became-an-elearning-consultant-at-catalyst&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">current vacancies</a>.</p>

Alex Virtue, zookeeper stands next to giraffes infront of a tree.

<p data-block-key="tddce">Learn how Alex Virtue&#x27;s early career as a zookeeper led her to her current job as an eLearning consultant. </p>

how-a-zookeeper-became-an-elearning-consultant-at-catalyst

<p data-block-key="9xel9">There is a growing demand for open source technology and technologists across the public and private sectors - both in Aotearoa New Zealand, and internationally. To respond to the market demand, Catalyst hosts and participates in various initiatives. For example, our <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/academy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst Open Source Academy</a> which has been running since 2011.</p><p data-block-key="3psp9">Our team is also keen advocates of visiting schools and providing perspective and representation that might inspire the next generation. Most recently, Bill Viggers, a teacher at Wellington High School, contacted Catalyst and asked us for support to create a small programme of visits to inspire the Year 9 Digital Technologies students about IT careers. Catalyst were proud to support the initiative and arranged enough speakers to visit each class at least once in the final week of Term 3, 2023. Women from Catalyst IT and the wider Wellington tech community attended to discuss their tech journeys and careers.</p><p data-block-key="9fpfi"></p><img alt="Adriana Milne, Catalyst IT presents discussion to Wellington HIgh School students on IT career options" class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="888" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Adriana_Milne.width-500.jpg" width="500"><p data-block-key="6f94q"></p><p data-block-key="27k81">The speakers came from all corners of the tech sector, ranging from software developers, data engineers, security experts, and technical leads, to consultants, project leads, delivery leads, and teachers. The goal was to demonstrate the diversity of careers in tech, and, to also demonstrate the diversity of backgrounds and experiences. It was also an opportune moment to remove preconceptions and highlight the need, and support, for gender equality in the industry. Our team was delighted the discussions resonated with teachers and students alike.</p><p data-block-key="945oi">“What a difference it makes to our young students to have women working in real IT jobs come in to talk with them about their careers.&quot; says Bill. &quot;It certainly helps them realise that there are people who are not just pākehā males working in the field”.</p><p data-block-key="daeu1">Ngā mihi nui to the women who spoke with the students and shared their experiences and journeys.</p><p data-block-key="6cuj9"><br/>At Catalyst, we are hopeful these sessions might have inspired at least one young person per class to consider a tech career or study option.<br/><br/> Written by Aleisha Amohia, Koha Technical Lead</p><p data-block-key="cdjaa"></p>

Adriana Milne from Catalyst IT, and other women in tech, visit Wellington HIgh School

<p data-block-key="k2lh6">In September 2023, women from Catalyst and the wider Wellington tech community were invited to visit</p><p data-block-key="63ajt">with Year 9 Digital Technologies classes and speak about their tech journeys and careers.</p>

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<p data-block-key="8zo6n">Back in 2001 the SCORM standard played an important role in the rapid adoption of Learning Management Systems. By using SCORM your learning materials could be published just once and be hosted on many different LMS platforms. Today, we see large libraries of live courses published as SCORM that have outlived the authoring tools used to create and maintain them. We’re calling this ‘SCORM Rot’.</p><p data-block-key="at8i3">“Why is engagement on my LMS lower than it should be?”</p><p data-block-key="b6uh0">“Why do I have such a large collection of old and uneditable courses in my LMS?”</p><p data-block-key="ddc8v">The root cause is often SCORM Rot – where your courses published in SCORM are initially difficult to maintain and after a few years this becomes impossible. In this blog, we’ll explain how to find your SCORM files and how to fix SCORM Rot in your LMS.</p><h2 data-block-key="di87h">SCORM: before the rot</h2><p data-block-key="jvnb">SCORM stands for &quot;Sharable Content Object Reference Model.&quot; It’s a technical specification for publishing learning content online independent of LMS platform.</p><p data-block-key="5rpak">In 2001 LMS were new and had limited course authoring and assessment options. Essentially, you needed SCORM:</p><ol><li data-block-key="cmfdf">To have learning that played on different web browsers, where content branched based on learner responses.</li><li data-block-key="ahn8s">To incorporate images and video.</li><li data-block-key="a6f6d">To have drag-and-drop assessment questions.</li></ol><p data-block-key="8saul">The downside is this was via separate authoring tools, each with their own steep learning curve to use them. Plus, you needed a separate set of files stored independently of your LMS. The output was an uneditable SCORM module to host in your LMS.</p><p data-block-key="6hr88">As any LMS Site Administrator knows, the administrative burden of actually updating a SCORM is so much that no one really bothers. Inevitably, this undermines running regular review cycles of live courses, and keeping your learning up to date.</p><p data-block-key="ag49c"></p><p data-block-key="cl039"><b>Is there still a place for SCORM?</b></p><p data-block-key="bfk0b">Yes, but it should be considered a ‘niche technology’ for delivering learning content.</p><p data-block-key="b8ej6">One area where it is still useful, but perhaps not for long, is enabling offline consumption of courseware. Here a SCORM module is downloaded inside the LMS mobile app and can be accessed even if the device is not connected to the internet. The learning outcome is uploaded to the LMS when the learner is next online. Its worth noting that it is unlikely any of your existing SCORMs are usable on a small screen device.</p><p data-block-key="381a5">SCORM can also be useful if you need to share your course with another organisation. Again, this is only in the short-term as almost all modern learning management systems support the LTI standard where a course can be published between LMSs directly.</p><p data-block-key="6jc9o">LTI also addresses a key SCORM rot problem: when the original course is updated all the other sites that access it via LTI instantly use the updated version.</p><h2 data-block-key="cpvg">How To Fix SCORM Rot</h2><p data-block-key="6md1f"><b>Firstly, determine if you actually have a SCORM rot problem:</b></p><ul><li data-block-key="137do">As a general rule SCORMs that are over 5 years old (so published before 2019) are at risk of not being editable. We can help here, drop us a line and we’ll share the Report settings to determine the ages of your SCORM content in your site.</li><li data-block-key="erqq2">Even if you have newer SCORM files – are you able to find the original source files needed to update the SCORM and do you have the necessary software to do this?</li></ul><p data-block-key="ficc"><b>Next, triage your old SCORMs – deprecate, re-publish, archive:</b></p><ul><li data-block-key="bf22v">Some old courses need to remain live – even if out of date. We would recommend marking these as ‘Deprecated’ and advising learners before they open the SCORM that its not being maintained. You can also point them towards more current learning materials. This way the learner can make their own judgement if the course is right for them. It also means when they access an old SCORM file it doesn’t undermine the credibility of the whole site.</li><li data-block-key="87oe9">Re-publish. Generally old SCORMs are not salvageable, but often can be simply re-created with built-in LMS tools and H5P. In the process you can modernise them and move them into a maintainable state. We can help here, with support, training and even undertaking the work.</li><li data-block-key="cr7e8">Some old courses have completed their purpose and should be archived.<br/></li></ul><p data-block-key="8uaaa"><b>Then, move away from SCORM:</b></p><ul><li data-block-key="d8opv">Let your procurement team and those implementing business change know SCORM is no longer preferred.</li><li data-block-key="546st">Start building courses in maintainable formats – the aim is to have your learning content directly editable in your LMS by any system-user with appropriate permissions. At Catalyst, we advocate the <a href="https://totara.help/17/docs/course-activity-types" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">built-</a><a href="https://totara.help/15/docs/course-activity-types" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in</a><a href="https://totara.help/15/docs/course-activity-types" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> LMS tools</a> and <a href="https://h5p.org/content-types-and-applications" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">H5P</a>.</li><li data-block-key="7eakv">If you must use external tools to author learning content, try and limit their use to specific learning activities not otherwise possible. A good example is video – linking to YouTube/Vimeo gives you video and audio optimised to the user’s device and bandwidth, along with captions and translations. Embedding the full video inside a SCORM often means compromise – lower quality video for those with fast internet and buffering or failure to play for those with slower internet connections.</li><li data-block-key="5re1q">Implement a course review and update cycle... and stick to it!<br/></li></ul><p data-block-key="59mlu">Lastly, have you thought about letting your organisation’s Subject Matter Experts build their own learning content and share it through the LMS?</p><p data-block-key="bmb84"><a href="https://www.totara.com/resources/totara-engage" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Tōtara</i></a> <a href="https://www.totara.com/resources/totara-engage" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>E</i></a><a href="https://www.totara.com/resources/totara-engage" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>ngage</i></a> enables your staff to create and share learning resources, including through MS Teams, and includes a <a href="https://totara.help/docs/how-does-the-recommendations-engine-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recommendations engine</a>, which uses machine learning to recommend aligned learning content to your users.</p><p data-block-key="3hddp"></p><p data-block-key="5h89v"><b>Stop the SCORM rot</b></p><p data-block-key="ai8h3">Catalyst have a simple solution to quickly identify SCORM Rot in your LMS. Simply drop us an email at enquiries@catalyst.net.nz if you would like us to send you the report settings for free.</p><p data-block-key="69k7j">We can also support you to:</p><ul><li data-block-key="ch5kp">Migrate away from SCORM to inbuilt LMS tools and H5P.</li><li data-block-key="8nkj1">Implement a course review and update cycle.</li><li data-block-key="8sl1b">Re-build and update old courses, or build brand new ones.<br/></li></ul><p data-block-key="cg4g6">Remember, SCORM Rot gets worse the longer you leave it. <b>The time to act is now.</b></p>

Bugs and decay cause SCORM rot in learning management systems.

<p data-block-key="6w25z">This blog outlines what SCORM rot is and how to fix it in your Learning Management System (LMS).</p>

how-to-fix-scorm-rot-in-your-lms-2023

<p data-block-key="db6r8">Tools in the education and professional growth industry are continually growing. And, rightly so. After all, growth is the goal of education. So, as the learning community needs change, the tools have to keep up at a minimum and stay a step ahead at best. Learning Management System’s (LMS) in particular play an important role in learner’s development. And organisations like yours, committed to a development strategy deserve a solution that helps you achieve your goals. Totara’s Talent Experience Platform consisting of Totara Learn, Totara Perform and and Tōtara Engage and meet your current and future needs. This Totara ecosystem is also widely adopted across more than 19 million users because of its commitment to stay ahead of the learning community needs. So, in this blog, we’re getting back to basics and exploring: what is Tōtara? Where did it start? And where is it heading?</p><h2 data-block-key="bh355">What Is Tōtara LMS?</h2><p data-block-key="89gho"><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tōtara</a> was founded in New Zealand in 2010 with a goal to transform learning management systems. Built on open-source software and the foundation of <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/moodle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moodle&#x27;s LMS</a>, it provides flexible customisation for organisations professional development. All the way from on-boarding, to certification, peer-to-peer learning, to compliance, and even performance management.</p><p data-block-key="3ja32">Totara Learn provides a functionally rich eLearning platform which can be implemented quickly and on Catalyst Cloud as a SaaS solution. Tōtara is supported by Totara HQ, Tōtara Partners like <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Catalyst</a>, and a strong global community continually helping the platform to grow through users and features.</p><p data-block-key="alcdj">Tōtara allows learning providers to adapt the platform exactly as they need to help get the best out of their learners journey. Since day one, our dedicated Catalyst Tōtara team have helped pioneer custom solutions and integrations for organisations globally. Today, Tōtara stands as a testament to its evolution with over 19 million users worldwide.</p><p data-block-key="9d48g">As Tōtara grew with the learning community’s needs at its core, so too did its offerings. Now organisations have more tailor-made options than ever with the Totara Talent Experience Platform consisting of Totara Learn, Totara Perform and and Tōtara Engage. These are designed to cater to specific aspects of organisational learning and development. Here&#x27;s a breakdown of what they have to offer;</p><h3 data-block-key="7apuv"><b>Tōtara Learn</b></h3><p data-block-key="a2tui">Tōtara Learn is a learning management system designed to manage, deliver, and track eLearning content and courses. It serves as a central hub for training and development and is suitable for organisations aiming to deliver structured and formal training programs. For example, compliance training, on-boarding, certifications, and skill development.</p><h4 data-block-key="3huvg"><b>Tōtara Learn Features:</b></h4><ul><li data-block-key="nj44"><b>Course management -</b> Courses are key for learning delivery, featuring activities and resources. Configure criteria for activities and courses, enrol learners and organise courses into categories for better access.<br/></li><li data-block-key="asbcj"><b>Personalised learning plans -</b> Learners and managers collaborate, designing plans with courses, competencies, objectives, and programs. Admins establish templates, assigned to learners with content aligning with their goals.<br/></li><li data-block-key="45t09"><b>Programs and certifications -</b> Arrange courses in a specific order for enrolled learners. And, leverage features that support certifications requiring periodic re-completion. Optionally, set up a distinct recertification pathway to avoid redoing initial course work.<br/></li><li data-block-key="7rgje"><b>Content marketplaces -</b> Expand your Totara Learn instance with external content. Default options include GO1 and LinkedIn Learning. You can also create custom marketplaces to offer additional content sources.<br/></li></ul><h3 data-block-key="avgac"><b>Totara Engage</b></h3><p data-block-key="69cpd">Tōtara Engage is a Learning Experience Platform (LXP), focused on informal and social learning. It&#x27;s tailored towards organisations nurturing continuous learning, peer knowledge exchange, and self-directed exploration.</p><h4 data-block-key="52tj3"><b>Tōtara Engage Features:</b></h4><ol><li data-block-key="k9ec"><b>Content Curation -</b> Empower users to curate and generate content, from videos to surveys. Sharing relevant information becomes seamless and efficient.<br/></li><li data-block-key="9t7ai"><b>Social Learning -</b> Encourage teamwork through private or public workspaces, offering real-time discussions and information exchange in a single location.<br/></li><li data-block-key="9v7qj"><b>User-Generated Content -</b> Users create public or private playlists, curating content for themselves or as experts to share with others.<br/></li><li data-block-key="dc26e"><b>Personalized recommendations -</b> Personalized content recommendations via the &quot;Recommended for You&quot; block enrich the learning experience.<br/></li><li data-block-key="e46vg"><b>Integrations -</b> Tōtara Engage also integrates with Microsoft Teams, enabling learning within the flow of work, meeting users where they are.<br/></li></ol><h3 data-block-key="7mjmn"><b>Totara Perform</b></h3><p data-block-key="3idms">Tōtara Perform is a Performance Management System (PMS), supporting traditional and continuous performance management processes.</p><h4 data-block-key="9ti9d">Tōtara Perform Features:</h4><ol><li data-block-key="chv17">Supports with flexibility the annual performance appraisal cycle.<br/></li><li data-block-key="fmdok">Supports continuous performance management processes – often based on employee start date.<br/></li><li data-block-key="aeic9">Ties in direct support from people leaders through Check-ins<br/></li><li data-block-key="a930n">Collects performance insight and evidence through open 360 degree feedback<br/></li><li data-block-key="6mjsf">Enhances the connection to both learning and recognition of skills through Competencies.<br/></li></ol><h2 data-block-key="5i56">The Tōtara Ecosystem</h2><p data-block-key="25g8k">Whilst Tōtara offers tailored offerings by mixing Learn, Engage &amp; Perform, at it’s core, the proposition remains the same. It&#x27;s a powerful platform designed to address diverse learning needs.</p><h3 data-block-key="e44n7"><b>Top 10 Benefits Of Tōtara LMS:</b></h3><ol><li data-block-key="4dk01"><b>Customisation:</b> Tailor the platform exactly to your needs, branding, and learning objectives. Additionally, you can also refine learning paths for strategic alignment.<br/></li><li data-block-key="amv7n"><b>Adaptive Learning:</b> Deliver personalised content and experiences catering to individual learning styles and abilities.<br/></li><li data-block-key="rsbq"><b>Performance Enhancement:</b> Integrate performance management tools to monitor and enhance student, or employee performance, within the same platform.<br/></li><li data-block-key="7qasv"><b>Streamlined Compliance:</b> Tōtara ensures regulatory adherence with comprehensive tracking and reporting tools.<br/></li><li data-block-key="ed10f"><b>Collaboration Tools:</b> Includes discussion forums, chat features, and collaborative projects. This fosters interaction and engagement among learners, and ultimately a sense of community.<br/></li><li data-block-key="bvoao"><b>Mobile Accessibility:</b> With a mobile-responsive design, Tōtara backs learning-on-the-go. It also means learners can access content and engage in learning activities across their preferred device.<br/></li><li data-block-key="8l225"><b>Rich Content Diversity:</b> Tōtara supports various content formats including videos, documents, quizzes, and interactive elements. This helps you enrich learning experiences.<br/></li><li data-block-key="6mp50"><b>Seamless Integration:</b> Integrates with other systems and tools, like Moodle, if needed to create a cohesive learning ecosystem and user experience.<br/></li><li data-block-key="9k02e"><b>Data-Driven Insights:</b> With data analytics and reporting features, it provides insights into learner progress and engagement. Ultimately better enabling informed decision-making.<br/></li><li data-block-key="856ne"><b>Cultivating Lifelong Learning:</b> Tōtara promotes continuous learning by offering resources, skill-building modules, and avenues for learners to engage beyond formal courses.<br/></li></ol><p data-block-key="7ctu9">Tōtara is a tool to help you nurture the growth and success of your students or employees.</p><h2 data-block-key="e6jor">Getting Tōŧara Fit To Your Business Needs</h2><p data-block-key="2jgnu">At Catalyst, we are Platinum Certified Partners for Tōtara. And, we have dedicated Tōtara LMS teams based in New Zealand, the UK and Australia. We’ve been collaborating with businesses like yours for over 20 years to match, design and develop eLearning solutions fit for your strategy. As open-source experts, we can also support you with the ongoing maintenance and build features into your LMS that work exactly as you need.</p><p data-block-key="3ktqc"><a href="mailto:enquiries@catalyst.net.nz">If you’re ready to discuss how you can maximise your eLearning strategy, contact us.</a></p>

Blue background image with a white lightning bolt and text what is Totara LMS with supporting copy learn the basics of the Totara Learning Management ecosystem with Catalyst. Includes Catalyst and Totara logos.

<p data-block-key="orxsf">Learn the basics of the Tōtara Learning Management ecosystem with this blog from Catalyst.</p>

what-is-totara-lms-learning-management-system

<p data-block-key="b37wy">This year, our Catalyst Koha team had the pleasure of meeting the wider Koha community and sharing the knowledge at KohaCon 2023. From guest speakers, to networking opportunities and even a chance to learn about the local Helsinki culture, there was a lot to enjoy.</p><p data-block-key="b79i">So, we’re wrapping up the full coverage of the event and getting you excited to be involved in KohaCon 2024.</p><h2 data-block-key="uko2">KohaCon 2023 Highlights: Wrapped Up</h2><p data-block-key="be9c0"><b>Day one:</b></p><p data-block-key="8lq9g">Day one saw engaging discussions on open-source library solutions, the evolution of metadata standards, and the role of AI in reshaping patron experiences.</p><p data-block-key="445rn">Additionally, the National Library of Finland, where the event was hosted, shared their own experience of using Koha – and it was jaw-dropping. They have one of the largest known Koha collections in the world, and they’ve found a pretty clever way of using Koha to keep their ship in shape. We’ve detailed more about it in the full day one highlights. <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/kohacon-2023-day-one-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read all about it here.</a></p><p data-block-key="9rj67"><b>Day two:</b></p><p data-block-key="42sqh">Day two went deeper into the heart of Koha&#x27;s impact on libraries worldwide. Presentations explored the power of community collaboration in refining the Koha library management system. Discussions covered topics ranging from enhancing user interfaces to innovative approaches for resource sharing among libraries. Guest speakers also shared information on how to report bugs in BugZilla, plus some of the background development processes involved with it.</p><p data-block-key="d9f9e">Alex Buckley, our Catalyst Koha Developer, also gave a fantastic presentation on his top training tips for Koha. <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/kohacon-2023-day-two-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read more on that here.</a></p><p data-block-key="7uth4"><b>Day three:</b></p><p data-block-key="al9i1">The concluding day of the conference proved to be truly inspirational. We learned about the role of digital libraries for the future, online privacy,and the preservation of cultural heritage. Notably, Chris Cormack, Koha founder and a member of our Catalyst Koha team, detailed how Koha champions the safeguarding indigenous data sovereignty.</p><p data-block-key="6km11">There were also helpful demonstrations on how to manage pages in Koha, HTML customisation ideas and feature releases. <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/kohacon-2023-day-three-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check out the full day three highlights in more depth here.</a></p><p data-block-key="dpol6"><b>Rating KohaCon 2023</b></p><p data-block-key="ber93">If you missed out on attending KohaCon this year, or you want to re-indulge in the learnings, you can catch all of the presentation recordings and questions on the Youtube <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa9kvrI3VLf7ZvLvJk9EtlnF2OVETvddm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PerlKohaCon 2023 playlist.</a></p><p data-block-key="ku4s">The conference consisted of three-days worth of presentations, and a two-day long hackfest and bug squashing sessions. For Alex Buckley, our Koha Developer, it was his first international conference. Here’s what he had to say about his overall experience at KohaCon 2023:</p><p data-block-key="2j5b1">“<i>The Koha community is like a family. Having the opportunity to meet, for the first-time in person,</i> <i>community members I have been working with remotely for 6.5 years has been a game-changer, as well as making lots of new Koha friends. I’m convinced that sharing ideas about possible improvements to Koha, and learning how libraries are using it, really helps us all make Koha an even better system!”</i></p><p data-block-key="8n6f9">We highly recommend KohaCon as a place to connect with the Koha community and can’t wait to see what’s lined up for 2024.</p><h2 data-block-key="4afli">Get Support For Koha In Your Library</h2><p data-block-key="5nisq">If you need support with Koha, our dedicated Catalyst Koha team can help. We support libraries world-wide to get the best out of (and troubleshoot) their Koha instance.</p><p data-block-key="4lt2s">So, whether you need some expert developers for a new idea, a bit of Koha training, or an extra pair of hands to maintain your Koha LMS, you can <a href="mailto:enquiries@catalyst.net.nz">connect with us here.</a></p><h2 data-block-key="6l79n">What Is Koha?</h2><p data-block-key="89a9r">If you’re in need of a new library management system, and haven’t used Koha before, this section is for you.</p><p data-block-key="12k1s">Koha is an open-source library management system, aiding libraries in automating tasks. It encompasses cataloging, circulation, acquisitions, and serials management. Additionally, it features an online catalog for patrons, generates reports, and offers customization options.</p><p data-block-key="106hf">It’s important to note that Koha is not a product. It’s a project built on open source software and continually growing through libraries all over the world submitting what changes they want to see included. Then, a global community of Koha developers support designing, testing and implementing the code needed to include the changes. Once the code is approved, any other library wishing to add that new functionality has the ability to do so (or not to). That’s the beauty of open-source solutions like Koha.</p><p data-block-key="f9jj9">And, because Koha is open source:</p><ul><li data-block-key="f8cf3">It’s completely free for libraries to use – there are no licensing fees.<br/></li><li data-block-key="5kf04">It can be built and customised exactly as libraries need it.</li></ul><p data-block-key="fpdg8">With a supportive global community, it&#x27;s adaptable, multilingual, and encourages integration.</p><p data-block-key="7rsfs"><b>To date, there are over 66 million library users using Koha, globally – it’s the most widely used library management system in the world.</b></p><p data-block-key="5bif8">Community is core to Koha. It’s one of the reasons KohaCon takes place annually.</p><h2 data-block-key="5r8fg">What Is KohaCon?</h2><p data-block-key="3gm4t">One of the great things about any open source project is that it’s built on the ethos of collaboration. KohaCon is the epitome of this. KohaCon is the chance for the global community of Koha users to get together and:</p><ul><li data-block-key="49r4e">Share experiences.<br/></li><li data-block-key="2qfaq">Discuss developments.<br/></li><li data-block-key="70dhn">Contribute to the future direction of the Koha project.</li></ul><p data-block-key="8kpc1">And anyone already involved or interested in using Koha can attend - from librarians to developers, and other stakeholders.</p><p data-block-key="92lrl">The conference typically features presentations, workshops, discussions, and networking opportunities related to Koha and open-source library technologies. Additionally, the KohaCon organisers are committed to helping attendees from all over the globe to learn about the event host city. That means attendees at this years conference also got to indulge in the local architecture, sightseeing, and boat trips.</p><p data-block-key="aju2">In 2023, KohaCon was held in Helsinki and was attended by people all over the world from the Koha community.</p><p data-block-key="a3pk5"></p>

Image with a green background and Koha logo with three people in Koha capes from the Catalyst Koha team

<p data-block-key="rxsyy">Here is the full wrap up of KohaCon 2023, brought to you from our Catalyst Koha team attending the event in Helsinki.</p>

wrapping-up-kohacon-2023

<p data-block-key="kvccs">Alex Buckley, Catalyst Koha Developer, is back to bring you a final update of day three - the last day of talks - at <a href="https://perlkohacon.fi/?utm_source=catalystnz&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=kohacon-2023-day-two-highlights&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KohaCon 2023</a> held in Helsinki. Missed the highlights from day two? <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/kohacon-2023-day-two-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">C</a><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/kohacon-2023-day-two-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">heck it out here.</a></p><h2 data-block-key="f94f9">KohaCon 2023: Day Three Highlights</h2><h3 data-block-key="ch2ku"><b>1.Manage pages in Koha OPAC - Gladys Cathelain - BibLibre</b></h3><p data-block-key="6h0s4">BibLibre is a French Koha support vendor. Gladys explained how BibLibre discovered libraries can add custom content to their OPAC’s using HTML customisations and the Pages tool. The combination of HTML customisations and the Pages tool empowers libraries to craft tailored experiences, share crucial information, and present resources efficiently – without running another website.</p><p data-block-key="e8mkq">Gladys kindly gave a shout-out to Aleisha Amohia, the Catalyst Koha Technical Lead. The reason was that Aleisha, with sponsorship from Region Halland, Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand and Horowhenua District Libraries, wrote the Pages tool.</p><p data-block-key="7qd1s"></p><img alt="Gladys Cathelain (BibLibre) giving a shoutout to our team for upstreaming the Pages feature" class="richtext-image left" height="375" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Gladys_Cathelain_BibLibre_giving_a_shoutout_to.width-500.jpg" width="500"><p data-block-key="57mot"></p><h3 data-block-key="3745s">Koha HTML:</h3><p data-block-key="205u7">The Tools module in the Koha staff client enables libraries to enhance the OPAC by adding custom content to specific regions, like the OpacMainUserBlock on the home page. Additionally, the module includes the Pages tool, allowing librarians to create new editable pages for the OPAC and staff client. Links to these pages can be seamlessly integrated into HTML customisations, offering patrons direct navigation.</p><p data-block-key="bggeh">The Pages tool is particularly useful for creating dedicated pages, facilitating the transfer of custom content from OPAC HTML customisations to organised, separate pages. This streamlines the OPAC home page, providing a cleaner user experience while ensuring easy access to personalised content.</p><h4 data-block-key="f8a5e">Koha HTML customisation ideas:</h4><ul><li data-block-key="d9g9l"><b>OpacCustomSearch system preference</b>: Libraries favoring a discovery layer over the Koha OPAC search can use the OpacCustomSearch system preference. By embedding HTML code into this preference, the default search box transforms into a tailored search box that leads to the chosen discovery layer. Patrons retain access the Koha account management features while seamlessly transitioning to the preferred discovery interface for searching. This approach optimizes user experience by merging the strengths of both systems.<br/></li><li data-block-key="24i4l"><b>OpacLibraryInfo system preference:</b> Libraries can showcase third-party service opening hours through the OpacLibraryInfo system preference. By incorporating a widget—a tool for presenting external HTML code—libraries can effectively present accurate opening times. This information becomes visible in the OPAC, enabling patrons to access essential service details. Then that content will be displayed on the OPAC.<br/></li><li data-block-key="2vpaj"><b>OpacMoreSearches system preferences:</b> This can be useful to increase the number of links visible beneath the OPAC search box. Many libraries utilise this preference to include links to custom content webpages generated using the Pages tool, as described earlier. This enhances accessibility of tailored information and optimises the userexperience by providing direct access to pertinent resources from the OPAC search interface.<br/></li></ul><h3 data-block-key="dkfrt">The Koha Pages Tool:</h3><p data-block-key="59rtk">This feature facilitates the creation of custom content pages not only in the staff client but also in the OPAC. Examples include dedicated pages for accessing library documentation or displaying librarians&#x27; work schedules. This tool maximises communication and accessibility by tailoring information to users across different languages and interfaces.</p><p data-block-key="fs9ej">Because Koha has always been a translatable software, the Pages tool is set up so libraries can translate content for each language used within their Koha instance.</p><p data-block-key="87b5p">It was wonderful to see libraries picking up this feature and running with it, so soon after release last November. Thank you Gladys!</p><p data-block-key="fmd1i">For those looking for some “how to” instructions for setting up Pages, try this <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/koha-cms-add-content-pages" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blogpost</a>.</p><h2 data-block-key="ahumq">2. Koha Cypress: Automated Screenshots For The Manual, Jonathan Druart</h2><p data-block-key="15uu5">Documentation plays an important role in software projects. That’s why the Koha community produces an updated manual with each 6-monthly major release. The manual incorporates around 1635 screenshots from Koha user interfaces (UI). When significant UI changes occur, such as the case with <a href="https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=30952" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bug 30952</a>, updating numerous screenshots becomes essential. A dedicated team of volunteers oversees the Koha manual publication and maintenance.</p><p data-block-key="4pknc">Jonathan&#x27;s presentation highlighted the potential of Cypress, a tool capable of automating screenshot capture for the manual. The Koha community could leverage Cypress to achieve two main objectives:</p><ol><li data-block-key="37sh7"><b>Regression Tests:</b> By scripting an inspection of web page elements, tests can identify missing elements, indicating potential bugs that need investigation. This technique enhances quality assurance by alerting the community to deviations from expected UI elements.<br/></li><li data-block-key="fu2eg"><b>Automated Screenshots:</b> Cypress can simulate user inputs, interacting with the browser to capture screenshots of specified elements on a page. This streamlines the process of generating updated screenshots for the manual, particularly useful when UI changes necessitate multiple updates.<br/></li></ol><p data-block-key="e4u24">Cypress offers the Koha community efficient solutions for both quality assurance and streamlined documentation maintenance, contributing to a more robust and user-friendly software experience.</p><h3 data-block-key="fkuqu">Jonathan proposed a possible approach for implementing Cypress:</h3><ol><li data-block-key="15ecv">List screenshots that need to be taken (dev).<br/></li><li data-block-key="bl02n">Group by how difficult to capture using Cypress (anyone).<br/></li><li data-block-key="2c32d">Add info on does the screenshot take the page, and element/ID.<br/></li></ol><p data-block-key="f3imm">You can track how this important automation work is progressing on <a href="https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=34076" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bug 34076</a> .</p><h2 data-block-key="436so">3. Making The Most Of Koha Features To Protect Citizens, Aude Charillon – PTFS Europe</h2><p data-block-key="evkgv">As we all know, user privacy is an important concern. Aude from PTFS Europe delivered an insightful talk emphasising the Koha system preferences for:</p><ul><li data-block-key="bmbqg">Safeguarding user privacy.<br/></li><li data-block-key="c46u3">Providing transparency regarding stored user data.<br/></li></ul><p data-block-key="6mpcp">Aude&#x27;s presentation discussed how libraries are accountable for collected patron data. Koha tools facilitate responsible data management, cultivating a culture of data stewardship that ensures user privacy, and compliance with best practices.</p><p data-block-key="bnin5"></p><img alt="Aude Charillon (PTFS Europe) speaking on how retaining patron data that is no longer used is not something libraries should be doing due to their responsibilities towards their patron’s privacy" class="richtext-image right" height="375" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Aude_Charillon_PTFS_Europe_speaking_on_how_ret.width-500.jpg" width="500"><p data-block-key="egehg"></p><p data-block-key="d67pa">Here are a few steps your library may find beneficial to follow:</p><ol><li data-block-key="6s3am"><b>Review Collected Personal Data:</b> Assess the personal data collected and make fields optional or hidden in the borrower editor form if unnecessary for your library&#x27;s operation.<br/></li><li data-block-key="eh1b9"><b>Implement AnonymousPatron Preference:</b> Decouple historical circulation data from borrower information by configuring the AnonymousPatron preference. Automate data anonymisation by setting up the batch_anonymise.pl cronjob, which replaces the borrower information with a &#x27;fake&#x27; anonymous patron&#x27;s identifier after a set period.<br/></li><li data-block-key="3dv2c"><b>Consider Pseudonymization:</b> If libraries enable the Pseudonymization preference Koha will retain historical circulation history data for reporting purposes, while detaching it from data specific patrons. This replaces borrowernumbers with hashed values, permitting reporting on patron activity without direct identification.<br/></li><li data-block-key="deo0e"><b>Strengthen Password Practices:</b> Enable password-related system preferences like FailedLoginAttempts, NotifyPasswordChange, minPasswordLength, and RequireStrongPassword. These practices enforce stronger password security, inform users of changes to their accounts, and encourage prompt response if unauthorised changes occur.<br/></li></ol><h3 data-block-key="btg9g">Community Driving Further Security and Privacy Improvements In Koha</h3><p data-block-key="moat">Aude finished with a suggestion for enhancement the Koha community could support: the introduction of varying anonymisation periods for distinct borrower categories.</p><p data-block-key="fon9l">This feature would allow libraries to maintain circulation history for specific patron types for longer durations as required. For instance, maintaining the circulation history is more critical for housebound patrons, for whom the libraries make a reading selection, and can do a better job of that by checking the item hasn’t been selected before. Aude hopes to see this features supported for a future release of Koha.</p><p data-block-key="87or">You can join Aude on the discussion about this enhancement on <a href="https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=34534" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bug 34534.</a></p><h2 data-block-key="7g5lk">4. Five Years And One Feature Later, Alex Buckley – Catalyst IT</h2><p data-block-key="a7ouq">Then, I had the pleasure of presenting my second conference talk. It covered the journey of integrating the recalls feature into Koha. This was a process spanning over five years, which was led by Aleisha. We expressed our gratitude for the community&#x27;s collaborative efforts and contributions during this period, and shared the challenges we encountered.</p><p data-block-key="8142k">For those interested in how to use the recalls feature, <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/how-to-do-recalls-with-koha" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this blogpost</a> will give you a start.</p><p data-block-key="8bkko">While I am here, thank you so much to everyone who had kind feedback for me, especially Arthur Suzuki from BibLibre who recommend my <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/kohacon-2023-day-two-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Day 2</a> talk &#x27;Tip Top Training Tips&#x27; during his lightning talk. The exchange of ideas and support within the community throughout Kohacon made the experience truly rewarding.</p><h2 data-block-key="a8346"><b>5. Libraries And Indigenous Data Sovereignty, Chris Cormack – Catalyst IT</b></h2><p data-block-key="6rkcg">Chris Cormack gave a talk on Indigenous data sovereignty for libraries from a Māori perspective. His presentation underlined the critical impact of data storage location on its usage. Storing Māori data within Aotearoa New Zealand subjects it to local law, while overseas storage is governed by foreign regulations. This usage has tangible consequences, particularly for indigenous communities facing discrimination through data misuse.</p><p data-block-key="83j25">For example:</p><ul><li data-block-key="12gsd">New Zealand&#x27;s data on higher Māori incarceration rates perpetuates discriminatory legal systems.<br/></li><li data-block-key="d57av">Predictive models for &quot;potential criminal behavior&quot; could misuse library data, revealing resources accessed.<br/></li><li data-block-key="6vso1">In repressive regimes, LGBTQIA+ resource history might lead to arrests.<br/> Hence, data storage significantly affects patron welfare, making it a paramount consideration for libraries.<br/></li></ul><p data-block-key="8l8o0">So Chris asked libraries to consider the following questions:</p><ul><li data-block-key="17loq">Do we know where our data is stored?<br/></li><li data-block-key="d5s1f">Can we get all of it out at any time?<br/></li><li data-block-key="gs01">Can we identify indigenous data?<br/></li><li data-block-key="cop7b">Sometimes are we not collecting enough data or the right data?<br/></li><li data-block-key="9n487">What access do we provide for indigenous people to get their data?<br/></li><li data-block-key="ag43t">Should we be holding this data?</li></ul><p data-block-key="bhofh">Koha does quite well on a couple of these questions, we do we know where data is stored and we can get data out easily. But improvements are necessary and libraries should also consider if they should collect, aggregate and use data about patrons.</p><p data-block-key="8rb54"></p><img alt="Chris Cormack (Catalyst IT) posing questions for libraries to consider around the storage of data about indigenous library patrons." class="richtext-image full-width" height="600" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Chris_Cormack_Catalyst_IT_posing_questions_for.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="55lb9"></p><h2 data-block-key="7cuje">6. Wrapping Up KohaCon Talks 2023</h2><p data-block-key="4nf9k">As the third day of the conference concluded, the presentations wrapped up, paving the way for the upcoming two days of the hackathon. During the hackathon, members of both the Koha and Perl communities unite to work on Koha bugs and new features for Koha. It is also a time when new contributors are guided through their first contributions to Koha.</p><p data-block-key="8seho">Before the day ended, I called upon the Koha community to maintain their impressive record of supporting the high-school students who participate in Koha development. The community have been wonderfully supportive over the years by tagging bugs for academy students to fix, and working on testing and sign-offs so the students patchesee their patches make it in to Koha during intensive academy period.</p><p data-block-key="1q4de">Lastly, the community received an official invitation to the next Kohacon, scheduled to coincide with the Perl conference in Montreal next September. The event will be hosted by InLibro, a prominent Canadian Koha support vendor. The anticipation for the next KohaCon was palpable, and the community is eagerly looking forward to returning next year .</p><p data-block-key="4ip3k">We can’t wait for next KohaCon 2024!</p><p data-block-key="a65ah"></p><p data-block-key="5hsnf"></p><img alt="Formal invitation to KohaCon24 in Montreal, Canada in September next year by InLibro, at the closing of the talks for KohaCon23" class="richtext-image full-width" height="600" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Formal_invitation_to_KohaCon24_in_Montreal_Can.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="cma9k"></p><p data-block-key="ar7lq"></p>

<p data-block-key="3a7b0">Here are the highlights from KohaCon 2023, day three, brought to you from our team attending the event in Helsinki.</p>

kohacon-2023-day-three-highlights

<p data-block-key="2vp2n">Alex Buckley, Catalyst Koha Developer, is back to bring you the latest updates from day two <a href="https://perlkohacon.fi/?utm_source=catalystnz&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=kohacon-2023-day-two-highlights&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KohaCon 2023</a> held in Helsinki. Missed the highlights from day one? <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/kohacon-2023-day-one-highlights?utm_source=catalystnz&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=kohacon-2023-day-two-highlights&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check them out here.</a></p><p data-block-key="7gsr2"></p><h2 data-block-key="7rgsj">KohaCon 2023: Day Two Highlights</h2><h3 data-block-key="dj5nc">1. The Daily (Coffee) Grind</h3><p data-block-key="5el2d">Attending KohaCon yesterday, with my colleague Chris Cormack was fantastic. I woke up ready for day two feeling inspired and started with a morning networking session. Over coffee, I met some of the other great Koha community members I have worked with remotely for years. I also managed to meet others from the Perl community and even some Koha end-users. Meeting such a broad range of people with an interest in Koha is one of my favourite things about KohaCon.</p><p data-block-key="fh3v0">From there, we moved into some of the sessions for day two. Here were my highlights for the day...</p><h3 data-block-key="2jsq5"><b>2. Katrin Fischer - How To Kill A</b> <b>Bug</b></h3><p data-block-key="5454b">Katrin continued her mission inspiring new people to contribute to Koha. Yesterday she detailed the various ways non-technical people could contribute to Koha. Today she provided an example of how someone would actually resolve a problem (bug) in Koha by writing a code fix.</p><p data-block-key="duntl">Katrin demonstrated that code fixes don’t require coding knowledge. In fact, for this example, she wrote a fix for a typo in the database files that Koha uses for generating Koha notices. Essentially changing the incorrect wording ‘thankyou’ to ‘thank you’. Simple enough that anyone non-technical could make the change.</p><p data-block-key="32pi7">She explained to get her fix added to the Koha codebase she would need to:</p><ul><li data-block-key="1k47r">Create a bug report in BugZilla.<br/></li><li data-block-key="639c6">Attach the new code fix to it.<br/></li><li data-block-key="12bbc">Change the status of the bug report to ‘Needs sign off’.</li></ul><p data-block-key="ebk9a">Next, two other people from the Koha community (they cannot be from within your organisation) must test your fix. This is to ensure it meets the Koha coding guidelines prior to sign off. Once this is completed, it can be merged into the Koha codebase by the community appointed release maintainer.</p><p data-block-key="908vt">This process of getting your code fix added to the Koha codebase is called upstreaming.</p><p data-block-key="u4r0">Katrin also reminded the community that a helpful title and bug description should be included in the bug report. And, in my experience as a Koha Developer, these definitely maximise your chance for getting your code change upstreamed.</p><p data-block-key="b3pek">It was really nice seeing a number of librarians and Perl (but not yet Koha) developers attend Katrin’s talk. Hopefully there will be some inspired newbies ready to make their first Koha contribution soon.</p><h3 data-block-key="emgpt"><b>3. Tarja Mäkinen - Holdings – why items are not enough</b></h3><p data-block-key="l96c">I always find it fascinating to hear the different ways libraries use Koha. Particularly given I come to Koha from a technical, versus a library background. And this talk by Tarja who works at the National Library of Finland definitely delivered on that.</p><p data-block-key="3dicc">Firstly, Tarja explained how the National Library of Finland chose storage for holdings records during their Voyager to Koha migration.</p><p data-block-key="4pin6">Typically in Koha there are two types of catalogue record:</p><ul><li data-block-key="2c3po">Bibliographic records which store key information about a title. For example, the name, author, publication date, ISBN, ISSN, and so on.<br/></li><li data-block-key="c9ded">Item records which store information about each copy of the bibliographic record the library catalogue holds. Often these are data values including:<br/><ul><li data-block-key="d5p0c">The usual home library of the item.<br/></li><li data-block-key="e0o0b">Where is the item currently located (holding branch).<br/></li><li data-block-key="1fa3l">Barcode.<br/></li><li data-block-key="c3era">Call number.<br/></li><li data-block-key="d4t19">Replacement cost of the item.</li></ul></li></ul><p data-block-key="66vrd">However, Tarja highlighted that Koha item records have data fields focussed around circulation details, not the comprehensive collection descriptions that holding records require. For example, there is no appropriate field in Koha item records for storing conservation information about items. This information is especially important for libraries with old and rare collections to track and manage.</p><p data-block-key="7an9v">Tarja explained how the National Library of Finland chose to use the 8XX MARC data fields for storing their holdings information. However, she suggested some improvements to Koha that would better support holdings records for other libraries in the future. One suggestion was implementing a better connection to the bibliographic record making it easier for libraries to define the information needed to be in the holding record.</p><p data-block-key="36smn"></p><img alt="" class="richtext-image full-width" height="600" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Tarja_Makinen_suggesting_improvements_to_Koha_.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="c8ugt"></p><h3 data-block-key="copd7"><b>4.</b> <b>Alex Buckley - Tip Top Training Tips</b></h3><p data-block-key="ct0l9">I was also delighted to be able to present ‘Tip Top Training Tips’ - the first of my two KohaCon talks. I covered the tips and tricks I’ve learnt coming from a developer background to training librarians on how to use Koha both at in-person and on remote training sessions.</p><p data-block-key="e18j2">One of the messages of my talk was that the flow of knowledge at a Koha training session is not just from the trainer to trainee. But, also visa versa. As a trainer you learn so much from your trainees about how they use their Koha instance. And also about real-life applications for new feature requests they would like added to Koha.</p><p data-block-key="e9oor">It was such a treat presenting the talk in person. I loved interacting with the audience through the Q&amp;A session, the excellent questions and lovely feedback about my session at morning tea.</p><p data-block-key="8n9qh"></p><h3 data-block-key="46fc"><b>5. Helsinki harbour sea cruise</b></h3><p data-block-key="4ht31">The day finished with a gorgeous sea cruise for 1.5 hours in Helsinki harbour. A small cruise ship carrying the conference attendees weaved it’s way through the beautiful forested, rocky islets.</p><p data-block-key="2t6bv">We were, again, incredibly lucky with the weather having blue sky and moderate temperatures for this sunset cruise. The end to another great conference day. We’re looking forward to day three.</p><p data-block-key="b9l6k"></p><p data-block-key="9huoj"></p><img alt="Chris Cormack and Alex Buckley on their way to the Helsinki harbour sea cruise with the white and green doomed Helsinki Cathedral in the background" class="richtext-image full-width" height="600" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/KohaCon_Day_2_Helsinki.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="1iut4"></p><img alt="One of the rocky, forested islands in the Helsinki harbour taken from the sea cruise taken by the Kohacon attendees" class="richtext-image full-width" height="600" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/Helsinki_harbour.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="b0uu"></p>

Catalyst Koha team attend KohaCon Day Two 2023 in Helsinki

<p data-block-key="6d4zr">Here are the highlights from KohaCon 2023, day two, brought to you from our team attending the event in Helsinki.</p>

kohacon-2023-day-two-highlights

<p data-block-key="gyllx">This year, <a href="https://perlkohacon.fi/?utm_source=catalystnz&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=kohacon-2023-day-one-highlights&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">KohaCon</a> is being hosted in Helsinki, Finland. And, the event is off to a great start! KohaCon 2023 is a combined showcase of <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/koha-library-management?utm_source=catakystnz&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=kohacon-2023-day-one-highlights&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Koha</a> and <a href="https://www.perl.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Perl</a>. The reason being that Koha is primarily written in the Perl programming language. Additionally, Koha is now one of the world’s largest Perl systems. Our expert Catalyst Koha team are joining this year and sharing the highlights each day. So, if you didn’t manage to make it to Helsinki, keep tuned for daily coverage from our team Chris Cormack and Alex Buckley.</p><h2 data-block-key="3utmj">Meet Alex and Chris</h2><p data-block-key="97blm">Chris Cormack and I, Alex Buckley, have been supporting our partner libraries to get the most out of Koha for a number of years. In fact, whilst my role is a Developer in the Catalyst Koha team, Chris is one of the original developers of the Koha project. And, one of the things we enjoy the most is seeing how Koha has evolved, and is still evolving for libraries globally. It’s equally fantastic to meet Koha users and our clients at the conference.</p><p data-block-key="50m2p">And, given the conference is in Helsinki....I obviously had to squeezer in a bit of sight-seeing ahead of the event. So, after arriving mid-day on Sunday I went on a 5-hour bike, BBQ and sauna tour. Helsinki really is a beautiful, very green and definitely a park-filled city.</p><p data-block-key="3avj7"></p><img alt="Old buildings in Helsinki" class="richtext-image full-width" height="600" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/KohaCon_2023_Helsinki_Houses.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="ffu8c"></p><p data-block-key="10vvr"></p><p data-block-key="dkoes">Some highlights from today that stand out to me are:</p><h2 data-block-key="a7ndf">KohaCon 2023: Day One Highlights</h2><p data-block-key="7ig62">Here are my highlights from KohaCon 2023, day one:</p><h3 data-block-key="1o2qm">1. Katrin Fischer - Gifting Back</h3><p data-block-key="8hbqf">Katrin Fischer, long standing QA manager for Koha, hosted a talk detailing ‘how to bring your Koha to Koha’. In other words, how anyone, not just developers, can give back to the Koha community. After all, Koha means a reciprocal gift in Te Reo Māori.</p><p data-block-key="94r5e">Katrin discussed how gifting can be done via working through:</p><ul><li data-block-key="e2bi4">Koha documentation: For example, writing and reviewing content for the Koha manual, or fixing typos and grammar.<br/></li><li data-block-key="e3egd">Translations: A big job given the size of Koha! But, as Katrin said as you do your bit in translating, it also becomes easier for everyone after you.</li></ul><p data-block-key="a73ne">A real stand-out from this talk was that Katrin could only recommend being part of the community: You give something back. and the community gives you something much more in return. So true.</p><p data-block-key="bv3lj">Katrin also reminded the attendees to be unafraid of using <a href="https://koha-community.org/tag/bugzilla/?utm_source=catakystnz&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=kohacon-2023-day-one-highlights&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bugzilla</a>, the Koha bug tracking platform. Essentially, Bugzilla is a system where anyone can:</p><ul><li data-block-key="6n21e">Create an account.<br/></li><li data-block-key="9n2uq">File bug reports (a page describing a problem that needs fixing, or requesting a new feature).<br/></li><li data-block-key="d5uja">Submit code.</li></ul><p data-block-key="a5eva">But, there might be hesitation for users – “what if someone has already submitted the bug?” But, basically, nothing can go wrong. For example, if you do report a bug that is already logged, a member of the friendly Koha community will let you know. Then, you would be able to switch to using the existing bug report instead.</p><h3 data-block-key="3h9su">2. National Library Of Finland Take The Koha Stage</h3><p data-block-key="a3jq0">The second highlight for me were the two talks from staff at <a href="https://www.kansalliskirjasto.fi/en?utm_source=catakystnz&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=kohacon-2023-day-one-highlights&amp;utm_content=link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Library of Finland</a>. Sometimes, there is a false misconception that Koha isn’t suitable for a large library. So, these two talks set the record straight.</p><p data-block-key="ajeaj">Inkeri Hakulinen, Information Specialist at the National Library of Finland, covered how the National Library has one of the largest known Koha collections. <b>It includes a staggering 3.78 million bibliographic records, 2.3 million holdings records, and 2.3 million item records!</b></p><p data-block-key="1ihal">And, even though they are held in one physical building they use Koha in a unique way. Essentially they create different library branches for each room in the library. In contrast, it’s more typical for Koha libraries to create a different branch for each separate physical building in their library. For example a different branch for each town or suburb.</p><p data-block-key="67umq">But, the rationale for separate branches for each room was to enable easier rule definition for managing how resources within those rooms would be made available - a super innovative approach.</p><p data-block-key="5utc6"></p><img alt="Inkeri Hakulinen from the National Library of Finland speaking on the huge Koha database that their Koha instance has." class="richtext-image full-width" height="600" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/KohaCon_2023_National_Library_of_FInland.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="5l78l"></p><p data-block-key="7mg45">The day concluded with a reception at the main hall of National Library of Finland - a beautiful 1830’s library with very nice Finnish accordion music and singing. Plus, I got to the chance to meet other members in the Koha community that I have communicated with over email and chat for years. Stay tuned for the highlights from day two!</p>

Catalyst Koha team attend KohaCon 2023 in Helsinki

<p data-block-key="gudfa">Here are the highlights from KohaCon 2023, day one, brought to you from our team attending the event in Helsinki.</p>

kohacon-2023-day-one-highlights

<p data-block-key="fmnr8">Wainui Witika-Park, a developer in the Catalyst Koha team, recently spent a week in China touring a range of businesses and making connections. The trip was organised by the North Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (CAPE) which is a government funded entity that aims to bridge the gap between New Zealanders and the North Asia area, particularly in terms of trade and business opportunities. The trip Wainui took part in was specifically for technology.</p><p data-block-key="a0bas">Wainui was contacted by Lee Timutimu from Te Matarau (Māori Tech Association) who recommended she apply for the trip. From first hearing about it, to applying, to being accepted, all happened in the space of a week. “I was quite nervous to travel overseas because of my low vision,” Wainui says. “I&#x27;ve only been to Australia to see my Dad and so I initially asked if I could take a support person with me on the trip.” However, due to the rapid pace in which the trip was being organised and the additional complication of visas, Wainui decided not to take a support person with her, and just went for it.</p><p data-block-key="e5jop">“Going by myself was a really, really cool experience, and I&#x27;m very glad that I did do it by myself. I was supported by Rachel [Kingi, from CAPE], who came as a cultural safety person for us on the trip, and I was supported by the rest of the group and I think my independence and my outlook on it is a lot better. I learned how to be by myself a little bit, even though it was quick and I can take those independent skills and incorporate that back into my daily life.”</p><p data-block-key="m279"></p><img alt="Wainui standing next to a sign for Cyberport Center of Global FinTech Innovation." class="richtext-image full-width" height="1067" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/cyberport.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="5hr3h"></p><p data-block-key="4em59">The Tech Study Tour was a week long in total and included time spent in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Nansha and Guangzhou. The group was made up of people who work in or are associated with the tech industry. Wainui was the only developer; she says many of them were CEOs or had their own start-up companies. “It was quite cool to have such a diverse range of people to talk to about things,” she says. “I really learnt a lot from the cohort itself.” One of her main takeaways from the trip was the career aspect of it; developing skills and making connections.</p><p data-block-key="bog51">“We got told &#x27;take your expectations and your biases away first and just see what it&#x27;s like&#x27;. I don&#x27;t think I had a full cultural experience,” Wainui says. “I didn&#x27;t see really any poverty or anything and everything was really clean, it was the very cherry coated version of it, which I&#x27;m very aware of. That culture and experience, to try and do shopping and things with the language barrier, which I&#x27;ve never experienced before, was really, really cool.” The language barrier meant that one of the main reasons they were there, the ARVR Fair, was hard to engage with.</p><p data-block-key="4tfa7"></p><img alt="Wainui stands in front of a large sign at the ARVR fair in China." class="richtext-image full-width" height="1067" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/arvrfair.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="ftgvk"></p><p data-block-key="3ngsg">One of the things Wainui learned was about opportunities to take a technology business over to that part of the world. “I&#x27;ve learned about how Hong Kong is a bridging country between the rest of the world and China, as it was a British colony. So they have a lot of laws that are more similar to the outside world and so things can go and get set up in Hong Kong and then easily shift to China from there.”</p><p data-block-key="b58i6">“That&#x27;s something I had never had any idea or understanding about as I have not generally been interested in business before. But talking to people who have lived experience and who have a passion for these things is making me think about it in a different light. Also thinking about the why behind your business. A lot of them are to make money, but there are other opportunities out there that can make an impact.”</p><p data-block-key="eol0a">The group visited a range of different tech businesses in each location. In Hong Kong they saw how cheaply you can set up a company in Hong Kong and China by renting a desk in a co-working space, such as Cyberport, Bee Plus, and Innovation Bay, which meant businesses had a physical office location with a low entry cost.</p><p data-block-key="4iq9v">One of the businesses that sparked Wainui’s interest was iFlyTek in Guangzhou, which has technology that instantaneously translates from one language to another. Their main product translates from English to Chinese and vice versa, with various different options between speech and text.</p><p data-block-key="7s8td"></p><img alt="A group of 9 smiling people are standing by a sign for iFLYTEK." class="richtext-image full-width" height="599" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/iflytek.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="94lj2"></p><p data-block-key="favjs">The Baidu Apollo Park was another highlight; they have autonomous driver-less vehicles that are already deployed on the roads in Guangzhou, and are being tested around Beijing. Different technologies are combined, including radar, lidar, and image recognition to drive the cars autonomously, as well as implementing Internet of Things devices. “So they&#x27;re using sensors on the roads, they&#x27;re using cameras on the roads, everything&#x27;s just deployed into the car as well as on the roads to make an as seamless as possible autonomous experience,” says Wainui. “This works well because they work with the Chinese government to be allowed to monitor these things.”</p><p data-block-key="cu07n"></p><img alt="A group of people standing outside the Baidu Apollo park in China." class="richtext-image full-width" height="599" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/baidu.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="1isnq"></p><p data-block-key="eu1vl">A visit to the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise offices in Guangzhou led to meeting user experience designer Peter Reid, who works with accessibility, in particular accessibility for intellectually disabled people. “He was such a pleasure to meet and probably one of the biggest highlights of my trip,” Wainui says. “He said that he came particularly because he saw that I was interested in accessibility and and we had a lovely korero where one of our other cohort members said that she has a daughter who is non verbal and really appreciates the work that people such as Peter and myself are advocating and doing and that was really, really humbling. Awesome just to know that all my forcing people to think about accessibility is actually helping people.”</p><p data-block-key="61u7h"></p><img alt="A group of people standing and sitting in front of a red wall with art on it at the NZTE office in Guangzhou." class="richtext-image full-width" height="600" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/NZTEguangzhou.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="43fr4"></p><p data-block-key="8tps5">“One other highlight of my trip was going to Chali. It&#x27;s a tea factory and so it was a little bit less tech based, but it was still very cool because we saw some incredible machinery that helps them to produce their products and some of them have strengths in some areas and weaknesses in some areas. So they use a combination of different machinery and humans to create and package up the products. We also saw people that were studying their masters in tea and I think this was a really cool place to go because it touched on some historical culture of China as tea as comes from China and the British stole it from them. It was lovely experience. Got to do some tea sampling, buy some gifts for back home, and it was just a really cute thing to add in.”</p><p data-block-key="2t91s">“They also had a tea library where they used a cataloguing system which was very exciting for me as I work on <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/koha-library-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Koha</a> which is a library system!”</p><p data-block-key="8lc5q"></p><img alt="A group of people are sitting and standing in front of a row of boxes at the Chali tea factory." class="richtext-image full-width" height="599" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/chali.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="76p1v"></p>

A group of people standing outside the BeePlus building.

<p data-block-key="1rgdt">Wainui Witika-Park, a developer in the Catalyst Koha team, recently spent a week in China touring a range of businesses and making connections.</p>

technology-and-connections-week-in-china

<p data-block-key="gqi87"><i>In this edition of &quot;A Day in the Life at Catalyst&quot; we meet</i> <b>Haajar Pengelly</b><i>, Delivery Lead</i></p><h2 data-block-key="e6cae">What does your role involve?</h2><p data-block-key="7303k">As a Delivery Lead, my goal is to deliver my clients’ requirements on time and within budget.  </p><p data-block-key="58he0">The only constant is change! Whether it is doing regular maintenance or a major transformational project, private or public sector, Python or Java based applications, I support a range of clients across different types of systems - what remains the same though is that they are mission critical systems to our clients and to New Zealanders.  </p><p data-block-key="4d0p2">I work closely with our internal team and clients to keep systems operating at their optimal level, supported and secure. Having this assurance provides our clients with a great base to  think about the type of transformational improvements they want to make. I then manage these as projects and work to deliver them on time, within budget and up to the high standards that our clients expect from us. It is a never ending cycle – we just want to make these systems better and better!</p><h2 data-block-key="5m8k2">What does your typical day look like?</h2><p data-block-key="bjg11">I am an early bird and I start by doing a mental scan of all my clients and what will be top of mind today.  </p><p data-block-key="6mf20">Mornings are usually filled with stand ups with the different teams that I work with - so that everyone knows the priorities for the day.  </p><p data-block-key="7kc9j">As a Project Manager by trade, my schedules, budgets, risk and action registers are my bread and butter – so it is important that I spend time to keep them current. They are how I track what’s going on, whether things are going according to plan or if there is an indication that a risk is about to be realised.  </p><p data-block-key="fe7ej">I hold regular catch ups with clients throughout the day too so that they know what’s going on, and how we are tracking against our timeline and budget.  </p><p data-block-key="bj7un"></p><img alt="Haajar Pengelly sitting in front of a computer with the Catalyst logo" class="richtext-image full-width" height="1066" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/HaajarPengelly_blogphoto.width-800.jpg" width="800"><p data-block-key="4m1rb"></p><h2 data-block-key="3i6pd">Tell us about a recent problem you helped solve?</h2><p data-block-key="d6suf">We all know that sometimes there are just not enough time in the day to do the things we want – the same with our clients as well. I recently helped a client to prioritise their workstreams and then streamlined our delivery approach so that we can help them meet their milestones within a very tight timeframe. There was a bit of wrangling at our end to be honest but everyone stepped up – it is just what we do here at Catalyst and we do it well!   </p><h2 data-block-key="edjhl">What do you enjoy about working at Catalyst?</h2><p data-block-key="54icc">I am very lucky to work with so many talented people here at Catalyst – Business Analysts, Developers, Testers and System Administrators to name just a few - who are crucial members of Catalyst without whom I won’t be able to do my job.  </p><p data-block-key="e8iil">Catalyst is a very social company as well. I was very excited to experience my first Catathon in late July where everyone got together to learn from each other – I have never experienced such an event in any of my other jobs – how lucky am I!</p>

A headshot of a person with long dark hair sitting in front of a computer. Text reads 'a day in the life of a delivery lead'.

<p data-block-key="6vamn">In this edition of &quot;A Day in the Life at Catalyst&quot; we meet <b>Haajar Pengelly</b>, Delivery Lead</p>

day-in-the-life-delivery-lead

<p data-block-key="z3o7l"><b>June saw an eager team of Catalystas “fight discrimination with perspiration” for the Burnett Foundation’s annual Sweat With Pride fundraiser.</b></p><p data-block-key="uemg">With input from various staff members and some eager volunteers, a Catalyst workplace team was registered to sweat 21 minutes a day in support of the Burnett Foundation Aotearoa (formerly the NZ AIDS Foundation), Rainbow Youth, OutLine, and Tīwhanawhana. Why 21 minutes? That’s the minimum amount of activity we need for happy and healthy bodies and minds. It sounds easy, but currently 50% of Kiwis aren’t meeting this goal.</p><p data-block-key="62q4s"></p><img alt="A list of names of people from Catalyst with the amount they fundraised and the number of minutes they spent exercising." class="richtext-image full-width" height="820" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/sweatybetties.width-800.png" width="733"><p data-block-key="8u4ji"></p><p data-block-key="14d16">Our team of Sweaty Betties supported each other throughout the month, and kept motivated with daily photo challenges and weekly group events including:</p><ul><li data-block-key="5ibos">a dance party in the Catalyst HQ cafeteria<br/></li><li data-block-key="d9la7">a scavenger hunt<br/></li><li data-block-key="fg3bf">yoga<br/></li><li data-block-key="6qi34">frisbee in Civic Square<br/></li><li data-block-key="4g1t0">and finally a waterfront walk followed by lunch at Rosie’s Cantina<br/></li></ul><p data-block-key="1jr40">Thanks to our amazing friends and workmates, and some dollar-matching support days from BNZ and Spark Health, we raised over $5,300 for projects that provide essential physical, mental and sexual health services for Rainbow* New Zealanders and sweated for a combined total of 16,500 minutes!</p><p data-block-key="8vl8">In fact, Team Catalyst worked so hard we finished up <b>#18</b> on the leaderboard of a hundred-plus workplaces registered with SWP23! This was a fantastic result for us, in a Top 20 made up of large nation-wide organisations and international high-profile high-flyers.</p><p data-block-key="8gt40">In true creative Cata-style, Koha developer and leading Sweaty Betty, Aleisha Amohia used the combined photos from our daily photo challenge to create a rainbow visual summary of our efforts:</p><p data-block-key="1aknr"></p><img alt="The word Catalyst is spelled out in block letters using photos which form a rainbow collage." class="richtext-image full-width" height="119" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/sweat_with_pride_catalyst1.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="2la6e"></p><p data-block-key="7u3ph">By the end of June, Aotearoa’s nearly-450 Sweaty Betties had been active for nearly 1,900,000 minutes and raised over $600,000. It was a fantastic time, a lot of fun, and we’re all very proud of the support Catalyst received.</p><p data-block-key="b32ln">Supporting our Rainbow community is a year-long effort at Catalyst, but we’re looking forward jumping back in to Sweat With Pride 2024. Our thanks to all our donors, friends, family, and fellow Catalystas who supported us this year!<br/></p><p data-block-key="e4e6g"><i>* ‘Rainbow’ is a term that can be used to describe the many variations of sexual attraction and sex/gender identity, including intersex, transgender, genderqueer, asexual, takatāpui, fa’afafine, lesbian, bisexual and gay people that make up our community. We know that ‘Rainbow’ is not the preferred term for everybody.</i></p><p data-block-key="8loks"><b>Sweat With Pride:</b> <a href="https://sweatwithpride.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>https://sweatwithpride.com</b></a></p><p data-block-key="78smk">The Burnett Foundation: <a href="https://www.burnettfoundation.org.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.burnettfoundation.org.nz</a> <i>(contains R18 &amp; graphic health content)</i></p><p data-block-key="aee36">Rainbow Youth: <a href="http://ry.org.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://ry.org.nz/</a></p><p data-block-key="5tfle">Outline: <a href="https://outline.org.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://outline.org.nz/</a></p><p data-block-key="527ik">Tīwhanawhana: <a href="http://www.tiwhanawhana.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.tiwhanawhana.com/</a></p>

The word Catalyst is spelled out in block letters using photos which form a rainbow collage.

<p data-block-key="kbgc6">June saw an eager team of Catalystas “fight discrimination with perspiration” for the Burnett Foundation’s annual Sweat With Pride fundraiser.</p>

catalystas-fight-discrimination-with-perspiration

<h3 data-block-key="pwsv4"><i>In this edition of &quot;A Day in the Life at Catalyst&quot; we meet</i> <b><i>Evonne Cheung</i></b><i>, Senior Visual Designer.</i></h3><p data-block-key="57p8t"></p><img alt="An illustration of a faceless person with long dark hair wearing a red hoodie with a small unicorn on their shoulder" class="richtext-image left" height="251" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/evonne_cheung.width-500.png" width="251"><p data-block-key="3mjjo"></p><h2 data-block-key="ah86t">What does your role involve?</h2><p data-block-key="4bbea">I’m a Senior Visual Designer at Catalyst. My job is to create visually appealing and engaging designs that communicate messages, enhance user experience, and support branding. The value that a good design can add to an experience is often seen only when the design doesn’t exist, when you have to fight through information on a page to get to what you need, and when visual flow is illogical and things are screaming at you visually when they shouldn’t be. Designers take the frustration out of systems by organising the presentation of that information so that you see what we want you to see, using subtle visual cues to guide your eyes without you being aware of it. There’s always a purpose to what we design, right down to the white space on a page.</p><h2 data-block-key="82r25">What does your typical day look like?</h2><p data-block-key="2vda1">Variety is the spice of life, and as a designer I get to contribute to a lot of different projects within the company across various mediums. One minute I could be designing a logo for a brand, or creating marketing material for them in print and screen; next minute I could be working with BA/UX to create wireframes and designs for a website. My background is in animation and multimedia so I really enjoy when I get to stretch that muscle combining my creative illustration and composition skills with logical technical thinking. Most of my day is slogging away in front of a giant fancy pants monitor, where I can be heard but not seen (’cause of giant monitor), grunting and making weird animal noises while using graphic and layout software trying to action what I see in my head onto the screen.</p><p data-block-key="4rhth"><b>Details of a specific task</b></p><p data-block-key="28pcn">I’m blessed in the sense that I’m a unicorn in the design world where I am a fully fledged designer who can also do front end development. Often designers can create wonderful designs but the form overpowers the function when they lack the understanding of how things will be built. It’s about knowing how I can push my designs to still be functional without losing creative flare. You don’t want designs just to be ‘colouring in’; it serves no purpose, and design should always be purposeful and aid the function of the thing you’ve designed for. Otherwise it’s art and caters to your own personal preferences.</p><p data-block-key="5hjh7">I get to build some of the things that I design, specifically in Mahara, a project that I’ve worked on since the beginning. I created the brand from ground up, working with the team to fine tune the interface and create extension material for the community. It’s lovely to be able to follow a project through and be involved every step of the way, really building the brand personality up and have that time to see the design mature and change. Also Kristina Hoeppner, who leads the Mahara project, bless her, gives me a lot of creative freedom to really utilise all my creative skills in different ways: we’ve designed characters, merchandise, and even Lego mini-figures for the community!</p><p data-block-key="793f9"></p><img alt="A hand holding a stylus is drawing some cartoon line drawings of people." class="richtext-image full-width" height="494" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/evonne_drawing.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="7opeo"></p><h2 data-block-key="ds9oo">Tell us about a recent problem you helped solve</h2><p data-block-key="e1d54">Design can be very subjective; people can have a dislike towards something for no other reason than “because I don’t like it,” and that can create a problem where we’re chasing personal preferences.</p><p data-block-key="9t8ll">The way I approach any project to avoid this happening is to first establish the design objective, or what I call the 3W’s:</p><ul><li data-block-key="25u2d">What (What are we doing, what is the deliverable at the end of this)<br/></li><li data-block-key="88dqg">Who (Who are we doing it for, establish the brand personality and describe the intended audience)<br/></li><li data-block-key="de011">and Why (Why are we doing this, is there an existing issue we’re trying to resolve).<br/></li></ul><p data-block-key="88tvm">Whenever I hit a blocker I will come back to these 3Ws to check that I am on course with my design. When you have something to measure the success of a project by, you avoid things falling into the personal preference category, and you can justify design choices by the objectives we need to meet. Clients need to be guided through this design journey. I’ve had a client come completely unprepared to a design briefing, and that’s okay because it’s hard to know what you want unless you understand what the issues are with your existing design. That’s when I have to guide them with specific direction reducing questions, or by showing them examples so they have something visual to talk to, to try and really define the creative area that I can work within. An open brief is the worst brief: you want boundaries, you want to know where the limits are. As designers we have to infer the information we get from our clients; a lot of it can be non-verbal and we learn to read between the lines.</p><h2 data-block-key="bpp4b">What is it like working for Catalyst?</h2><p data-block-key="8961i">I’ve been working at Catalyst for coming up 17 years, that in itself should be a testimony to what working for the company is like. When I started, we could fit the whole company into a meeting room, and the percentage of people named ‘Andrew’ outnumbered the percentage of females in the company. Now, we have multiple branches across the globe and 300+ employees, so the company culture has definitely evolved, but the main thing that has stuck over the years is that Catalyst takes care of each other. It’s hard to find a company of this size that still displays passion for what they do, like Catalyst does. Even though Catalyst is predominantly a software development company, they appreciate the expertise visual designers can bring to their projects and understand that design is an essential part of any project, and the value we can bring to projects from the perspective of user engagement and brand establishment for the clients.</p><p data-block-key="fmgre">I remember not long after I started at Catalyst, one of the directors asked me how I thought <i>they</i> were doing. It wasn’t just about my performance; they see their performance as an employer as something they need to check up on. That’s very refreshing, to know that we are valued as people and that we’re working together towards a common goal. Our managing director, Don Christie, often uses this Māori proverb: <b>He aha te mea nui? Māku e kii atu, he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.</b> (Translation: What is the most important thing in the world? Well, let me tell you, it is people, it is people, it is people.) I think that sums this company up quite well, it is all about the people. The people make the culture. It’s not something that can be generated through social events or company benefits, people naturally gravitate towards like-minded people, people who help each other be the best that they can be.</p>

A black background with the words 'a day in the life' in white and an illustration of a faceless person with long dark hair wearing a red hoodie with a unicorn on their shoulder.

<p data-block-key="teskv">In this edition of &quot;A Day in the Life at Catalyst&quot; we meet <b>Evonne Cheung</b>, Senior Visual Designer.</p>

day-in-the-life-senior-visual-designer

<p data-block-key="cnaz6">The Catalyst Koha team is delighted to join the Koha community in celebrating the release of Koha 23.05. This release contains 26 new features, 145 enhancements and 701 bug and security fixes.</p><p data-block-key="3rk42">Every six months the Koha community does a major release, such as Koha 23.05. Major releases are when most new features and enhancements are added to Koha, so it’s always interesting to see what’s going to be available to libraries in their next upgrade.</p><p data-block-key="3nd17">The Catalyst Koha team has highlighted some of the new functionality and fixes available to libraries upon upgrading to Koha 23.05.</p><p data-block-key="d262u">For the full Koha release notes see <a href="https://koha-community.org/koha-23-05-released/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://koha-community.org/koha-23-05-released/</a></p><p data-block-key="43oia">If you would like to check out the new version as you read along, see <a href="https://demo.mykoha.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://demo.mykoha.co.nz/</a></p><h2 data-block-key="7g7qk">Acquisitions</h2><h3 data-block-key="5u31f">Receiving multiple order lines at once [<a href="http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=8179" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">8179</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="2n45r">When receiving basket orders from vendors, Koha libraries now have the ability to select and process multiple at once.</p><p data-block-key="539nd">Selected orders can be browsed using the added &#x27;Next order&#x27; and &#x27;Previous order&#x27; buttons.</p><p data-block-key="98f22"></p><img alt="‘Previous order’ and ‘Next order’ buttons show in the bottom-right of the screen when editing received orders" class="richtext-image full-width" height="345" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="80c2p">After editing each order, without reloading the page or having to search for them again, a convenient &#x27;Confirm&#x27; button allows us to receive all orders at once.</p><p data-block-key="8i2p4">This opens the door for new enhancements like adding default actions on all selected orders and more.</p><h3 data-block-key="8itup">Revert suggestion status to ‘Accepted’ when orders made from a suggestion are cancelled [<a href="http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=33098" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">33098</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="cahu2">This enhancement was sponsored by Waikato Institute of Technology. When a library user makes a suggestion for the library to purchase, the status of the suggestion may be changed to ‘ORDERED’ once an order is placed for that item.</p><p data-block-key="3jrsf">With this enhancement, cancelling an order will automatically change the status of the suggestion back to ‘ACCEPTED’ from ‘ORDERED’.</p><p data-block-key="bhrri"></p><img alt="Suggestions with a status of ORDERED are reverted to ACCEPTED if the associated order is cancelled, as shown in the suggestions management interface." class="richtext-image full-width" height="192" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha2_kjbGj9O.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="am2fh"></p><h2 data-block-key="76ead">Cataloguing</h2><h3 data-block-key="mv5u">Add a simple way to add ‘Harmful content warnings’ to catalogue records [<a href="http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=31123" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">31123</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="7ipq4">This new feature allows librarians to pick a note field to use to store &#x27;Content warnings&#x27; about bibliographic records.</p><p data-block-key="151lm">The feature depends on the new `ContentWarningField` system preference to be set to a MARC field. For Koha libraries using MARC21, it is recommended to use a 59x field.</p><p data-block-key="rssq"></p><img alt="MARC fields configured to hold content warnings will display on the record in both the OPAC and staff interface." class="richtext-image full-width" height="326" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha3_ok69rk6.width-800.png" width="800"><h3 data-block-key="60oi2">Strip leading/trailing whitespace characters from input fields when cataloguing [<a href="http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=30358" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">30358</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="8mdc5">This is a feature that may be of interest to those who use Koha with a special interest in cataloguing. Sponsored by Educational Services Australia SCIS, this feature adds a new system preference `StripWhitespaceChars` which, when enabled, will strip leading and trailing whitespace characters from all fields when cataloguing both bibliographic records and authority records. Whitespace characters that will be stripped are spaces, newlines, carriage returns, and tabs</p><p data-block-key="2l4vo"></p><img alt="This feature depends on a new StripWhitespaceChars system preference, which is disabled by default." class="richtext-image full-width" height="231" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha4_sR8y69H.width-800.png" width="800"><h3 data-block-key="dhse8">Ability to change authority type while editing record [<a href="http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=30930" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">30930</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="elfph">This feature, sponsored by Educational Services Australia SCIS, provides the ability to easily change the MARC authority type used while editing an authority record. This means you can easily switch the framework being used, including tags, default values, mandatory fields, and more.</p><p data-block-key="71t1d"></p><img alt="The authority type can be changed from within the Settings menu while editing an authority record." class="richtext-image full-width" height="430" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha5_9gmCPQY.width-800.png" width="565"><h2 data-block-key="c9e4g">Lists</h2><h3 data-block-key="c4gk3">Add permission and setting for public lists to allow staff with permission to edit contents [<a href="http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=30418" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">30418</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="3luba">Many Koha libraries were experiencing a problem when staff in control of public lists moved on from the library, and they could no longer make changes to the list. Koha now has an option to allow changes to lists from ‘permitted staff only’.</p><p data-block-key="3t9f6"></p><img alt="Lists can now allow changes from permitted staff." class="richtext-image full-width" height="474" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha6_9vX5a3G.width-800.png" width="642"><p data-block-key="djl22">A permitted staff member requires the ‘catalogue’ permission enabled and the new ‘edit_public_list_contents’ sub-permission enabled. With both of these permissions they will be able to edit all lists that allow changes from ‘permitted staff only’.</p><p data-block-key="3p3rr"></p><img alt="The ‘catalogue’ permission is required to log into the staff interface, and the ‘edit_public_list_contents’ sub-permission is required to make changes to staff-permitted lists." class="richtext-image full-width" height="213" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha7_vxuSSc9.width-800.png" width="800"><h2 data-block-key="2qj2m">Notices</h2><h3 data-block-key="50eus">Move emails for sending cart and list contents into notices tool [<a href="http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=3150" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">3150</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="34n3s">This enhancement creates notices using Template Toolkit syntax for sending emails containing cart (named CART) and list (named LIST) contents. This provides libraries more flexibility around what the emails contain and means they can be more translatable.</p><p data-block-key="4hb4t"></p><img alt="The CART notice is now available to customise under Tools -&gt; Notices and slips." class="richtext-image full-width" height="442" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha8_5N9Dfmc.width-800.png" width="800"><h2 data-block-key="9dvor">OPAC</h2><h3 data-block-key="36uiq">Add ‘Report a concern’ feature for patrons to report concerns about catalog records [<a href="https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=31028" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">31028</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="djjs6">This brings a new catalogue concerns feature to the OPAC and staff interface, allowing non-cataloguers to report issues with catalogue records from the record details pages.</p><p data-block-key="4eq1i">Reported concerns will be visible in the dashboard on the staff interface and available from the cataloguing home page.</p><p data-block-key="2k7if">The feature can be independently enabled for OPAC and staff interface using the `OpacCatalogConcerns` and `CatalogConcerns` system preferences.</p><p data-block-key="90ijb"></p><img alt="If the OpacCatalogConcerns system preference is enabled, a button will show on a record detail page to ‘Report a concern’." class="richtext-image full-width" height="198" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha9_xqaaliQ.width-800.png" width="546"><p data-block-key="21c0m"></p><img alt="Staff members can view and manage pending concerns via the staff interface." class="richtext-image full-width" height="268" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha10.width-800.png" width="800"><h3 data-block-key="60egn">Show patron’s ‘savings’ on the OPAC [<a href="https://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=31051" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">31051</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="bov1i">This is an exciting new feature, sponsored by Horowhenua Libraries Trust, that allows library users to see how much money they have saved by using the library instead of purchasing new books.</p><p data-block-key="thkm">This feature can be enabled using the OPACShowSavings system preference, which sets where on the OPAC a user may be shown their savings.</p><p data-block-key="4h2og"></p><img alt="Select where on the OPAC a user may be shown their savings with the OPACShowSavings system preference." class="richtext-image full-width" height="236" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha11.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="em8u5"></p><img alt="Savings may be shown in the OPACUserSummary." class="richtext-image full-width" height="278" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha12.width-800.png" width="530"><p data-block-key="6ih76"></p><img alt="Savings may be shown on the user’s summary page." class="richtext-image full-width" height="233" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha13.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="cj6qm"></p><img alt="Savings may be shown on the user’s circulation history page." class="richtext-image full-width" height="147" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha14.width-800.png" width="800"><h3 data-block-key="8us8l">Patrons should be able to delete their patron messages [<a href="http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=12029" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">12029</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="59fhc">This enhancement adds the ability for users to dismiss an OPAC message, marking it as read to remove it from their summary page.</p><p data-block-key="b3so9"></p><img alt="Users can ‘dismiss’ messages to remove them from their summary page." class="richtext-image full-width" height="297" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha15.width-800.png" width="800"><h2 data-block-key="6q959">Reports</h2><h3 data-block-key="v8ae">Add auto-completion to our SQL reports editor [<a href="http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=32613" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">32613</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="6r61u">Auto-complete is now available when writing reports using SQL. This makes accessing the database values easier, therefore simplifying the report writing process.</p><p data-block-key="csc3i"></p><img alt="In order to achieve auto-complete for columns when writing SQL reports, prepend the column name with the table name, followed by a period. For example: &amp;#x27;borrowers.surname&amp;#x27;" class="richtext-image full-width" height="373" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha16.width-800.png" width="653"><h3 data-block-key="3rfji">Tools</h3><h3 data-block-key="d0lb">More visibly highlight records that cannot be batch deleted/modified [<a href="http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=31611" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">31611</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="ddhii">When batch deleting or modifying, sometimes items or records will not qualify for deletion or modification. For example, items that are currently issued to a user will not be safe to delete.</p><p data-block-key="7obj1">With this enhancement sponsored by Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Koha libraries can easily see which items are not going to be deleted. Hovering over the ‘X’ in the highlighted row will provide details about why it will not be deleted.</p><p data-block-key="4i9vk"></p><img alt="Items that are not safe to delete are clearly highlighted with an ‘X’ holding more details about why it cannot be deleted." class="richtext-image full-width" height="250" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha17.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="29hov"></p><h2 data-block-key="bdopa">Command-line utilities</h2><h3 data-block-key="app18">Specify action of action_logs entries to purge [<a href="http://bugs.koha-community.org/bugzilla3/show_bug.cgi?id=32686" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">32686</a>]</h3><p data-block-key="agcaf">Koha comes with a script that can be run daily to ‘cleanup the database’. It can clear out logged in sessions, sent messages, and old action logs, for example. Many libraries use specific action logs in their daily operations and do not want to clear them out, but may be happy to delete other logs.</p><p data-block-key="gb3i">With this enhancement sponsored by Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Koha administrators can now configure the <i>cleanup_database.pl</i> script to purge logs based on the action, allowing libraries to be more intentional about which logs they store.</p><p data-block-key="ea4ma">For example, libraries may be interested in user modification logs but not need to store logs about when a user is added to their system. Koha administrators can now implement this for the cleanup script.</p><p data-block-key="3eomh"><i>./cleanup_database.pl --logs 365 --log-module=MEMBERS --log-action=CREATE --confirm</i></p><p data-block-key="buou3">Read more about the 872 features, enhancements, and security and bug fixes of the 23.05 Release on the <a href="https://koha-community.org/koha-23-05-released/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Koha Community website</a>.</p><p data-block-key="5elu5"><i>Written by Wainui Witika-Park, Catalyst Koha Developer and Aleisha Amohia, Catalyst Koha Technical Lead.</i></p><h3 data-block-key="flq3i">Catalyst Koha</h3><p data-block-key="9pt51">If you have any questions or comments about this News item, or would like some support with your Koha instance, you are welcome to email us at <a href="mailto:koha-support@catalyst.net.nz">koha-support@catalyst.net.nz</a> (New Zealand) or <a href="mailto:koha-support@catalyst-au.net">koha-support@catalyst-au.net</a> (Australia).</p><p data-block-key="3mli0"><a href="https://twitter.com/catalystkoha" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Follow Catalyst Koha on Twitter</a>!</p><p data-block-key="55h7h"><a href="https://catalyst.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=62457ff5060d15ee3c07d3fc4&amp;id=b73fbdcac8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Subscribe to our newsletter</a></p>

‘Previous order’ and ‘Next order’ buttons show in the bottom-right of the screen when editing received orders

<p data-block-key="n1j1d">The Catalyst Koha team is delighted to join the Koha community in celebrating the release of Koha 23.05. This release contains 26 new features, 145 enhancements and 701 bug and security fixes.</p>

koha-release-2305

<p data-block-key="tdan5"><i>In the first of our &quot;A Day in the Life at Catalyst&quot; series, we hear from</i> <b><i>Connor Adamson</i></b><i>, a Python Developer in our Bespoke team.</i></p><img alt="Connor Adamson has short dark hair and is wearing glasses and a suit and smiling." class="richtext-image left" height="666" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/connor.width-500.jpg" width="500"><h2 data-block-key="bdb01"><b>What does your role involve?</b></h2><p data-block-key="78dcr">In the Bespoke team here at Catalyst we focus on unique projects catered to clients rather than providing an existing product. We therefore work closely with clients throughout the development process to establish requirements, test, and iterate on the prototypes using their feedback to ultimately provide a solution that meets their needs and is robust. Even though I am a developer, the nature of our work means I have visibility of the many different areas of the project, not just the source code. I find this interesting because I am able to learn secondary skills that help me become a better developer. The skills I have learned from my Project Manager for example help me better understand the client’s perspective on things and I am able to adjust my mindset to help the client achieve their goals.</p><h2 data-block-key="8ncos"><b>What does your typical day look like?</b></h2><p data-block-key="2amdh">I start my day by catching up on emails or messages from other developers. Once my inbox is tidy and everything is squared away I normally continue working on a feature for a client. What I’m doing depends on where I’m at in the development process. I could have just started and need to estimate how long a feature will take and break it down into key tasks. I could be in the middle of developing the feature and writing the code, tweaking the code based on client feedback, or writing release notes in preparation for a release later in the day, it all depends.</p><p data-block-key="age3">After a couple of hours I like to stretch my legs and go down to Level 3 with the Tech Lead and Project Manager for a coffee and to do the daily quiz in The Post. Level 3 is the common area in our Wellington office, where people often go when they want to step away from their desk so there is always someone interesting to talk to and the conversations are always varied. One day you could talk with someone about 3D printing, the next a particularly difficult problem they are trying to solve, the next their cat. It’s varied but never boring (unless you’re not a cat person).</p><p data-block-key="ft5sb">In the afternoon I will normally catch up with the project Tech Lead regarding the feature I am working on. This is a chance for me to get feedback on how I have implemented something or an aspect I am unsure on. Likewise it is a chance for the Tech Lead to ask me any questions they have. This normally clears a few roadblocks and it’s full steam ahead with feature development. If feature development can’t continue for whatever reason then I will normally spend my time learning about a new framework or contributing to open source projects.</p><h2 data-block-key="2fcp4"><b>Tell us about a recent problem you helped solve?</b></h2><p data-block-key="fpldk">One of the projects I was recently on involved expanding a project that was previously managed by an internal development team under the client. The main challenge on this project was the documentation, it was perfect for the internal team as they knew the background but posed quite a challenge for the team here at Catalyst. I spent quite a lot of time reading the documentation, making connections and forming a picture of what the current project did and where the client wanted to go. The next step was sharing my understanding with the rest of the team. It’s one thing to understand something yourself but trying to convey that same information to others can be challenging because everybody has a different thought process and some information is always lost in translation. This was another exercise about shifting my mindset. I had to understand what someone’s current understanding was and what I had said that led them to that conclusion before I could try and correct it. Sometimes my point of view was wrong and they helped me understand what the situation was.</p><p data-block-key="92jol">Once everybody was on the same page it was time to start development. This was rewarding because we had done the leg work to get on the same page and when someone asked a question during code review we had that shared understanding to fall back on and we could refer back to the documentation which we understood now.</p><h2 data-block-key="fhmbt"><b>What do you enjoy about working at Catalyst?</b></h2><p data-block-key="8jm8g">Catalyst is a very open and supportive place to work. I believe it is the diversity amongst the people who work here which makes conversations on Level 3 so interesting. If you have a question about something, chances are you can put a question in one of the chat channels and someone will have an answer.</p><p data-block-key="ehrdl">Various events are hosted as well, from board games to yoga to kapa haka, there is bound to be something that interests you. People are free to participate as much or as little as they like, Catalyst understands that at the end of the day attending events might simply not be your thing.</p><p data-block-key="12ct7">There are two events that come to mind for me personally. In May 2023 I spoke at the monthly Pizza Thursday Talks about my experiences drawing art. Pizza Thursday is hosted every month and people are free to do a 10-15 minute presentation on whatever they like. I chose to do a Pizza Thursday Talk because I wanted to push myself to overcome my fear of public speaking, plus I thought the progress I was documenting after each session was interesting and thought others might think so too.</p><p data-block-key="7kde1">The second highlight is hosting a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with a few co-workers every second Friday. I’ve enjoyed this because is a very social event where everybody is collaborating on a shared narrative and I as the Dungeon Master have to navigate the flow of events and keep the story going. At the end of the day I’m there to tell stories and have a laugh at the end of the work week, it’s a really nice transition to the weekend.</p><p data-block-key="o2or">I was new to Python when I first started so there was a bit of a learning curve. Catalyst had a lot of resources I could use to get up to speed. The Tech Lead took their time to explain the project to me and made sure I understood how something worked before moving on. I’m glad they didn’t hand me a 150 page technical document and tell me to read it and come back with any questions. There is also a Python Channel where I could ask questions and someone would answer when they had a moment, even if they weren’t part of my team.</p><p data-block-key="cqt3">I&#x27;ve worked at Catalyst for awhile now and I still have fortnightly catchups with my manager. We sit down and discuss how things are going on the current project, what skills I am interested in developing and where I would like to be in a year’s time. I appreciate these meetings because it allows my manager and I to be on the same page with where things are at. If I’m stressed about a particular issue on a project we can talk through the situation and find a way to manage it.</p><p data-block-key="59fu7">I have learned a lot working at Catalyst and will continue to do so as time goes on. I’m incredibly grateful for the support that people have shown me since I started and I hope to show that same support to people joining the company in the future.</p>

A graphic with a headshot of Connor Adamson who has short dark hair and glasses and is wearing a suit and smiling, with the text "a day in the life"

<p data-block-key="yu9d3">In the first of our &quot;A Day in the Life at Catalyst&quot; series, we hear from <b>Connor Adamson</b>, a Python Developer in our Bespoke team.</p>

day-in-the-life-bespoke-python-developer

<p data-block-key="ge72h"></p><div>
    <iframe width="200" height="113" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IGeaftdN8aM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen title="Mahara 23.04: Outcomes portfolios"></iframe>
</div>
<p data-block-key="17uck"></p><p data-block-key="9bq9d">The Catalyst team released <a href="https://mahara.org/interaction/forum/topic.php?id=9296" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mahara 23.04</a> at the end of April 2023. This release of the open source portfolio platform comes with two major changes and numerous usability improvements.</p><p data-block-key="3gp77">Together with Wiltshire College and University Centre in the UK, Catalyst developed the outcomes portfolio suite of features. It makes it possible for colleges working with education, health, and care plans (EHCP) to use a more structured portfolio approach for students with special education needs. A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5lMRzj-BrI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">detailed walk through</a> shows how to set up outcomes portfolios and use them.</p><p data-block-key="27m0f">Carleton University in Canada funded the work to change the submission workflow in Mahara. Copies of portfolios instead of original portfolios are submitted, giving students more flexibility to continue to develop  their portfolios while the copies are being assessed. This process helps in particular organisations connecting Mahara to a learning management system other than Moodle via LTI Advantage.</p><p data-block-key="c0qh9">Catalyst has been the primary development company of Mahara since 2006. Together with clients and community contributors, new features are added to the software to enable a diverse range of organisations to use electronic portfolios from school to the workplace.</p><p data-block-key="3138p">Watch the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50_p0vJb6do" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">feature release video</a> for a quick overview of highlighted new features and get in touch with us if you&#x27;d like to discuss how portfolios can fit into your organisation&#x27;s learning ecosystem and see Mahara in action.</p><p data-block-key="d20dl">If you&#x27;d like to stay up to date on all things Mahara and portfolios, <a href="https://eepurl.com/h_r2Rb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">subscribe to our monthly Mahara newsletter</a> that is published every first Wednesday of the month.</p>

A green graphic with the outline of a tree and the text Mahara 23.04

<p data-block-key="j3cep">The Catalyst team released <a href="https://mahara.org/interaction/forum/topic.php?id=9296">Mahara 23.04</a> at the end of April 2023. This release of the open source portfolio platform comes with two major changes and numerous usability improvements.</p>

mahara-2304-outcomes-portfolio-submission-assessment

<p data-block-key="0u02l"><i>By Danyon Sewell and Aleisha Amohia, Catalyst Koha developers</i></p><p data-block-key="7putd">Libraries are making it easier for users to log in to Koha by implementing single sign-on (SSO). Single sign-on is a method of external authentication that enables users to log in to multiple applications with one set of credentials. This means users could conveniently and securely go through one login portal to access their intranet, email, and other systems, as well as their Koha library system.  </p><p data-block-key="df9ja">There are different protocols (agreed set of rules) for implementing SSO. This blog post will cover several authentication options that Koha offers to allow users to log in.  </p><h2 data-block-key="4nmvh">Local login</h2><p data-block-key="djs2s">The basic method of authentication offered by Koha is local login. </p><p data-block-key="9nd3u"></p><img alt="Local login indicated by the yellow box on the Catalyst demo site" class="richtext-image full-width" height="374" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha-1.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="9l7h4">All Koha accounts can have their own username and password defined within Koha. Local login still works even if additionally implementing SSO. This can be useful when there are library users from outside of your organisation, or IT vendors, who need access to Koha and do not have SSO accounts.  </p><p data-block-key="asg5"></p><img alt="Setting local login credentials in the staff interface" class="richtext-image full-width" height="272" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha-2.width-800.png" width="385"><p data-block-key="e1qo3">However it does mean that users could continue to access Koha using local login credentials even after they leave your organisation and their SSO account is removed, so you should ensure they do not have local login credentials in order to prevent this from occurring.</p><h2 data-block-key="cs6sj">OAuth 2.0 and OIDC</h2><p data-block-key="bbfg2">OpenID Connect (OIDC) is a simple identity layer built on top of the OAuth 2.0 protocol. The OIDC layer verifies the identity of the user, and the OAuth protocol authorises their access to Koha.</p><p data-block-key="5sr9q">Koha 22.11 introduced a feature that makes it easier than ever to implement SSO using the OAuth and OIDC. Library IT departments can configure much of the SSO setup themselves via the Koha staff interface.  </p><p data-block-key="9e7v0">Configuration of SSO with OAuth and OIDC can be found in the Koha Administration module of Koha, under ‘Identity providers’. Once configured, the library must ask their Koha vendor to restart services for the changes to take effect.</p><p data-block-key="9vnhu"></p><img alt="Sample configuration for an identity provider" class="richtext-image full-width" height="796" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha-3.width-800.png" width="648"><p data-block-key="etil">With this feature, it is now possible to integrate with multiple identity providers simultaneously. This means library IT departments can now easily allow both users within their organisation and users from external vendors to be able to SSO authenticate to Koha. They would simply need to add multiple entries in the &#x27;Identity providers&#x27; page for each domain and then ask their Koha vendor to restart services.</p><p data-block-key="22hqv"></p><img alt="Multiple identity providers shown on the OPAC to select the best option for login" class="richtext-image full-width" height="598" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha-4.width-800.png" width="795"><p data-block-key="d2b60">When multiple identity providers are configured, these can show as different login portal options for the user to select.</p><p data-block-key="8jdg3">Similarly, multiple email domains can be supplied under a singular identity provider configuration, in case external vendors are included under the same SSO application.</p><p data-block-key="bkj2v"></p><img alt="Configuration for multiple email domains authenticating through the same identity provider" class="richtext-image full-width" height="164" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha-5.width-800.png" width="800"><h2 data-block-key="3frka">SAML</h2><p data-block-key="dnnl1">Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) is a protocol that allows the exchange of authentication data between a Koha provider and identity providers such as Azure AD or Google. Koha has a built-in integration with Shibboleth, which is an SSO system based on SAML.</p><p data-block-key="40crn">Shibboleth requires the Koha provider and identity provider to swap metadata. This is the handshake which allows the two parties to establish a ‘trust relationship’.</p><p data-block-key="cj1sf"></p><img alt="Option to log in with Shibboleth or local login" class="richtext-image full-width" height="391" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha-6.width-800.png" width="333"><p data-block-key="fkrur">When Shibboleth is enabled, by default users will see both the option to log in with Shibboleth and the option to log in with local login. Local login can be hidden or bypassed easily using Koha system preferences.  </p><p data-block-key="8ogn9">When logging in via Shibboleth, users will be redirected to the login portal for their identity provider. If the login is successful through the portal, Koha will look for a matching user in the database to authenticate to Koha and redirect back to the library.  </p><p data-block-key="a25nj">If user provisioning is configured and a matching user is not found in the Koha database, their account will be automatically created after they authenticate through the portal, and they’ll be successfully logged into Koha.</p><h2 data-block-key="9ufi7">LDAP</h2><p data-block-key="bedfm">Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is a protocol that allows vendors to look up information about users or devices within a network. Organisations would set up an LDAP server (or directory) which contains information about their users.</p><p data-block-key="9jg6r"></p><img alt="Sample LDAP configuration for Koha" class="richtext-image full-width" height="464" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha-7.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="9bi6r">When LDAP is enabled, users would log into Koha using the local login form. Koha then uses their credentials to search for and match a user in the LDAP directory, or the Koha database as a fallback. LDAP also provides the ability to provision new users in Koha or update Koha accounts.</p><h2 data-block-key="dhn1j">Catalyst Koha</h2><p data-block-key="5jg5e">All authentication methods other than local login require vendor support to enable and configure.</p><p data-block-key="2geb7">If you have any questions or comments about this News item, or would like some support with your Koha instance, you are welcome to email us at koha-support@catalyst.net.nz (New Zealand) or koha-support@catalyst-au.net (Australia).</p><p data-block-key="9s88t"><a href="https://twitter.com/catalystkoha" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Follow Catalyst Koha on Twitter</a> or <a href="https://catalyst.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=62457ff5060d15ee3c07d3fc4&amp;id=b73fbdcac8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sign up to our newsletter</a>!</p>

Local login indicated by the yellow box on the Catalyst demo site

<p data-block-key="25jw5">Libraries are making it easier for users to log in to Koha by implementing single sign-on (SSO).</p>

single-signon-for-koha

<p data-block-key="4ce4p">During the recent devastating floods in Auckland and Cyclone Gabrielle, scientists at NIWA and GNS Science used RiskScape™ to model landslide risks and impacts.  </p><p data-block-key="5ej3e">RiskScape™ is an open source tool with a flexible modelling engine for processing geospatial data for risk analysis, built by Catalyst in collaboration with <a href="https://niwa.co.nz/natural-hazards/research-projects/riskscape" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NIWA</a>, <a href="https://www.gns.cri.nz/our-science/natural-hazards-and-risks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GNS Science</a>, and <a href="https://www.eqc.govt.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Toka Tū Ake EQC</a>.</p><p data-block-key="dh4s9">In the days leading up to the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, <a href="https://riskscape.org.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">RiskScape™</a> was used to plan the response to the events to determine where the impacts would be felt worst. During the events, scientists added rainfall data to give estimates of impacts and highlight areas of particular risk.</p><p data-block-key="9egth">The models were originally made for Auckland for the heavy rainstorm. The information was used for planning how to respond to the adverse weather events, allowing emergency groups to plan and send people and resources to where they would be needed most.</p><p data-block-key="875ai">The models were generated twice a day to help guide emergency response. Before RiskScape™ it would have taken a number of days to produce a model, but using RiskScape™ they were able to get information where it was needed as the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle were happening, allowing them to prepare and respond earlier and faster. By inputting various data about the weather and the land, scientists were able to forecast which roads were likely to be damaged or cut off. The information was especially useful for areas where communication was cut off.</p><p data-block-key="a0q04">“We’re stoked that people are using it in action, and during the response to the floods our people were available to help the scientists double check their models,” says Russel Garlick, Catalyst RiskScape™ Delivery Lead. Because of the work already done on the RiskScape™ solution, it was easy for the researchers from GNS Science and NIWA to use it when it was needed.</p><p data-block-key="121ec">Lots of work is being done to make RiskScape™ available to help people make better decisions about land use based on risk. This has a wide range of uses from insurance to planning.</p><p data-block-key="6qtbv">RiskScape™ partners are now looking at ways that RiskScape™ can be used to support recovery. “We have the ability to help quantify the impacts of these events on the current state and future developments,” says Russel.</p><p data-block-key="8ude"><b>See sample maps and read more about the recent</b> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/preparing-landslides-ross-roberts/?trackingId=CGeWP61CQseIZPpwoBhdiw%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>use of RiskScape™ in Auckland here</b></a></p><p data-block-key="8m2kf"></p><p data-block-key="74l8"><i>Main photo by Alan Tunnell of a slip in Titirangi after the heavy rain in Auckland, from</i> <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/483244/in-pictures-aucklanders-wake-to-destruction-after-severe-thunderstorm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>RNZ</i></a><i>.</i></p>

A wide view of a large landslide showing trees having slipped down a steep cliff and a house perched precariously on top.

<p data-block-key="bukx9">During the recent devastating floods in Auckland and Cyclone Gabrielle, scientists at NIWA and GNS Science used RiskScape™ to model landslide risks and impacts.</p>

riskscape-used-to-model-landslide-risk-impacts-auckland-floods

<p data-block-key="aktab">Tōtara Learn v12 was a popular release with our clients and showed its strengths during Covid-related disruptions to learning. However, it’s going out of assured support in October and many of our clients are currently in an upgrade cycle or will be soon. They’ll be upgrading to Tōtara Talent Experience Platform, version 17 (TXP17).</p><p data-block-key="cpqts">The cumulative change between TL12 and TXP17 is significant, yet remains immediately familiar. Learners will notice a cleaner and more modern interface and administrators more options and an increase in functionality. The definitive list of changes is here: <a href="https://totara.help/docs/en/comparing-totara-versions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://totara.help/docs/en/comparing-totara-versions</a></p><p data-block-key="3kv2m">We’d like to highlight the following things that are new:</p><p data-block-key="569g0">One area of change is how Tōtara Engage works with MS Teams – enabling Teams to be both a dedicated training room and also to show your full learning catalogue. Tōtara Engage enables your learners to easily create and share resources and these can be included in your site’s Catalogue. Engage also has machine learning; it powers a recommendation engine for your learners.</p><p data-block-key="db887">Another area of change is the free Totara App, available in both the Google and Apple App stores. Via the App learners can browse the Catalogue, enrol in courses, and can download SCORM modules to access &amp; complete when not connected to the internet. They can also receive alerts and reminders on their mobile through the app.</p><p data-block-key="3qjnl">TXP17 also completes the move to centralised notifications. An administrator can set templates and defaults, control how messages are sent (on-screen, email, alerts on site, on the Tōtara App, and/or via MS Teams), report on what was sent and if the send was successful. The notifications functionality also lists the system triggers that can initiate a notification, so it’s now possible to create new types (or new versions of existing) notifications to support your learners.</p><p data-block-key="gpg9">We’re looking forward to seeing how our clients implement these new features!</p><p data-block-key="2smbf"><b>Now as part of a platform, you can also add Totara Engage a social learning (LXP) platform to enable your learners to create and share learning resources alongside the main catalogue of your formal learning. You can also add Totara Perform for talent management, with appraisals, 360 feedback, check-ins, goals, and competencies.</b> <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/t%C5%8Dtara-enquiry-form" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Enquire now to find out how our eLearning experts can help your organisation with these features.</a></p>

A view of the Tōtara Engage Catalogue showing a banner, links, and catalogue entries with pictures.

<p data-block-key="cznmt">Learners will notice a cleaner and more modern interface and administrators more options and an increase in functionality.</p>

totara-2023-year-of-the-upgrade

<p data-block-key="u2let">“There’s just no room in the budget for accessibility.”</p><p data-block-key="694mn">The next time you hear that sentence, tell that person that they’ve already wasted their money.</p><p data-block-key="aes8c">Ignoring accessibility today will cost dividends tomorrow. Making accessible design and code means making robust and sound design and code. From a design perspective, it means creating designs that follow a logical, thoughtful pattern. For developers, accessible code often means using native HTML. Doing so means that <b>future designers and developers</b> who pick up this project later will have an easier time understanding what decisions were made and how to easily build upon the existing designs or codebase. Technical debt, be gone!</p><p data-block-key="5qc5l">Deciding to tack on accessibility later can also mean <b>inflating costs that could have been mitigated early on</b>. Finding out at the end of a build that a component isn’t keyboard accessible can mean a complete re-write of the component. If the layout of a page doesn’t have a logic focus order, it means going back to the drawing board to create new wireframes, which in turn has ripple effects on every part of the development lifecycle. Only found out at the end that colours don’t meet contrast levels? Try having <i>that</i> conversation with the big-wigs to decide on a new colour scheme!</p><p data-block-key="bpr0j">Inaccessible sites are costly in other ways, too. If a user can’t access the information they came to your website for, you might <b>end up losing that customer entirely</b>. Worldwide, over a billion people have some form of disability and spend half a trillion dollars annually. That’s a half-a-trillion-dollar-pie that you’re not getting a piece of. If you’re part of a government organisation or at an organisation where a user can’t simply walk away, they might choose to phone, email or turn up in person. Those are the <b>expensive alternatives that websites are designed specifically to minimize.</b></p><p data-block-key="4ufjb">In contrast, implementing accessibility early on is the best way to take care of your budget. We call this concept <b>shifting left –</b> move the onus of accessibility earlier on (left) in the development lifecycle. The earlier accessibility is considered and embedded, the earlier that bugs can be spotted and remediated.</p><p data-block-key="ct1j7">So, the next time someone tells you they’re not prioritizing money for accessibility, ask them: <b><i>when do you want to find your accessibility bugs?</i></b></p><h3 data-block-key="3ajjd"></h3><h3 data-block-key="f6pkk">Catalyst can support you through your entire accessibility journey. Find out more about our accessibility services and get in touch here: <a href="https://accessibility.catalyst.net.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://accessibility.catalyst.net.nz/</a></h3><p data-block-key="72dl9"></p>

Line graph showing cost of remediating bugs increasing at each stage of the development process

<p data-block-key="w8l54">Ignoring accessibility today will end up costing more. Making accessible design and code means making robust and sound design and code and saves you money in the long run.</p>

save-money-make-your-website-accessible

<p data-block-key="nkox6">Catalyst is pleased to advise that we are now a registered supplier on the DIA Marketplace under the <b>Managed Services</b> catalogue.</p><p data-block-key="d5996">Our services (as Catalyst.Net Limited) are listed under <i>Application Management and Administration</i>, and <i>Server Management and Administration</i>. This covers fully managed hosting of Catalyst developed applications like Tōtara, Drupal or Silverstripe, as well as managed hosting, services and support to look after your or third party developed applications. Both listings cover work on Catalyst Cloud, AWS and Azure infrastructure.</p><img alt="A person is sitting at a desk looking at two computer monitors with code on the screens." class="richtext-image full-width" height="307" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/front-end-header_HNtjJGY.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="362uf">We want to highlight that we have always delivered these services for public sector organisations but the Marketplace listings now provide a low friction way for Government agencies to engage with us under standard terms and conditions. Catalyst has for some time been a registered supplier under the <b>Consultancy and Professional Services</b> catalogue for User Insight, Information Architecture, Visual Design, Front- and Back-end Development, Change Management Services, Application Testing, and Web Accessibility.</p><p data-block-key="bjj82">If you would like to use the Marketplace to contract your existing Catalyst services through, do not hesitate to <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/contact-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">get in touch</a>.</p><p data-block-key="1vov7"></p><p data-block-key="1ohlo"></p>

A blue, orange, and white illustration of a phone screen with various icons and things like a cog, ladder, and lightbulb.

<p data-block-key="f9zkc">Catalyst is pleased to advise that we are now a registered supplier on the DIA Marketplace under the <b>Managed Services</b> catalogue</p>

catalyst-registered-supplier-managed-services

<p data-block-key="ckcu1"><i>by Aleisha Amohia, Koha Technical Lead</i></p><p data-block-key="calfl">The Koha library software project now has a built-in CMS (content management system) feature which allows libraries to create their own content pages and add them to their online public catalogue (OPAC). This is perfect for those libraries that need a few more web pages to provide information to their members in one place, and don’t want to maintain another website.</p><p data-block-key="cdkfe">The Catalyst Koha team was proud to develop this feature, now available in Koha 22.11, with sponsorship from Region Halland in Sweden, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and Horowhenua Libraries.</p><h2 data-block-key="13bdi">Tools for custom content</h2><p data-block-key="qj82">In Koha 22.11 there are a number of tools available for generating custom content for the OPAC. They can be found on the Tools page in the staff interface, under the ‘Additional tools’ heading. These tools all serve different purposes. Take a look at our <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/customising-your-koha-catalogue" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘Customising your Koha catalogue</a><a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/blog/customising-your-koha-catalogue" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> blog post</a> which describes how to use the News and HTML customizations tools. This tutorial will describe how to use the Pages tool.</p><p data-block-key="6sroa"></p><img alt="News, HTML customisations and Pages tools" class="richtext-image full-width" height="213" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha1.width-800.png" width="465"><h2 data-block-key="tgmn">Add a new page</h2><p data-block-key="3livv">The Pages tool provides the ability to develop custom pages using a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor or a text editor. The WYSIWYG editor comes with the functions of word processor, which means there are buttons available to easily format content with fonts and colours, or include headings, lists, hyperlinks, images and tables. For those more comfortable writing source code, the text editor provides the option to develop custom content in HTML.</p><p data-block-key="ankag"></p><img alt="The form for adding a new page using the WYSIWYG editor" class="richtext-image full-width" height="458" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha2.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="d4f6k">There are a few options available to configure when creating a new page:</p><ul><li data-block-key="98jhs"><b>Display  location</b> – choose whether the page should be accessible on the  staff interface, the OPAC, or both<br/> </li><li data-block-key="f4b7"><b>Library</b>  – choose whether the page should be accessible for patrons at a  specific library, or all libraries<br/> </li><li data-block-key="7qlmm"><b>Publication  date</b> – choose when the page should be published and visible.  This can be set to a date in the past, or a date in the future to  ‘schedule’ the publication of the page<br/> </li><li data-block-key="1329u"><b>Expiration  date</b> – choose when the page should be expired and hidden. This  can be used to hide a page when it is no longer needed, and can be  set to a date in the future<br/> </li></ul><p data-block-key="a7077">Once the key settings for a page are configured, it’s time to start building the custom content. For Koha libraries providing their OPAC translated for other languages, custom content can be built in each of those installed languages too.</p><p data-block-key="jaf9">The content should be built into the Default language tab first, then translated content built into the other language tabs. The default language is used first if Koha has no preferred language information about the patron, but it is also used as a fallback, if there is no custom content developed for the page in the language the patron is using.</p><h2 data-block-key="cr08f">Use a custom page</h2><p data-block-key="4fp80">Once the page has been developed and saved, you will see a summary table of all custom pages. This table also displays the generated links to access these custom pages. The links will be available in both the default language, and the installed language currently in use by the logged in staff member.</p><p data-block-key="44rmd"></p><img alt="Summary table of custom pages" class="richtext-image full-width" height="307" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha3.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="app2d">There is a button to preview the created page. This is helpful to check how the page looks and functions before it is deployed.</p><p data-block-key="6jt0k"></p><img alt="Preview of a custom page" class="richtext-image full-width" height="370" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha4.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="1179p">Now the page has been created, there are a number of ways to make the page accessible to your patrons in the Koha OPAC.  </p><p data-block-key="b61s2"></p><img alt="Custom page linked on the OPAC in OpacNav and in the #moresearches section" class="richtext-image full-width" height="332" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha5.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="9q1pe">One option is to use an HTML customisation to add the link to the page to a section of the OPAC. The page can be added as a navigation link (in OpacNav, OpacNavBottom, or OpacNavRight). Depending on the page, it may be more suitable in the header (opacheader), footer (opaccredits), or main section of the homepage (OpacMainUserBlock).  </p><p data-block-key="4qom">HTML customisations are only displayed on the OPAC, so News items would be the appropriate tool to add the link to the main landing page of the staff interface.</p><p data-block-key="818dn"></p><img alt="Example of linking custom page as an OpacNav HTML customisation" class="richtext-image full-width" height="729" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha6.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="9nuc6">The benefit of putting the page link in an HTML customisation or News item is that you can use the  WYSIWYG editor, instead of writing code. However, there is always the option to write the content in the HTML text editor too, if you prefer.</p><p data-block-key="b0iqe">Those more proficient in writing code could use jQuery (Javascript) to insert their page link anywhere in the OPAC or staff interface.  </p><p data-block-key="dnj1v"></p><img alt="Example of linking custom page in OPACUserJS system preference." class="richtext-image full-width" height="176" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha7.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="drku7">Using jQuery, the pages could be added to either interface as simple text links, or as more advanced button links or image links. Add code to the <b>OPACUserJS</b> system preference to apply jQuery to the OPAC, or to the <b>IntranetUserJS</b> system preference to apply jQuery to the staff interface.</p><h2 data-block-key="6s5he">Clever ways to use custom pages</h2><p data-block-key="8kolv">There are many interesting ways to use custom pages in a Koha library. We’ve heard discussion of pages being used for tables of contents, frequently asked questions pages for the library, and enquiry forms.</p><p data-block-key="f61mt"></p><img alt="Example of an enquiry form embedded on the OPAC with a custom page" class="richtext-image full-width" height="470" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha8.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="e43d1">Another way to make custom Koha page content accessible for users, would be to catalogue those pages so they pop in in Koha search results, for example library tutorials that patrons may be looking for.</p><p data-block-key="e26sd"></p><img alt="A custom page, catalogued, and showing in search results" class="richtext-image full-width" height="219" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha9.width-800.png" width="558"><p data-block-key="8teb0">Once the page has been created, it can be catalogued in the URI field of a record (856$u). Alternatively, it could be catalogued in the URI field of an item attached to a record (952$u). Both of these fields get converted into hyperlinks by Koha. If catalogued in a record or item, it would then be indexed and become searchable.</p><p data-block-key="3r2i1">Once catalogued, these pages could be used in other ways that are typically reserved for books and other records. The records representing pages can be added to lists, or stored in virtual collections or locations that make them easier to find in the catalogue. They could even be captured and displayed in carousels!</p><p data-block-key="5n636">We’d love to hear about how you would like to use the Koha CMS feature in your library, and if there are any improvements or enhancements we could investigate together.</p><h2 data-block-key="apd00">Catalyst Koha</h2><p data-block-key="cbig7">If you have any questions or comments about this News item, or would like some support with your Koha instance, you are welcome to email us at koha-support@catalyst.net.nz (New Zealand) or koha-support@catalyst-au.net (Australia).</p><p data-block-key="1ub9d"><a href="https://twitter.com/catalystkoha" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Follow Catalyst Koha on Twitter</a> or <a href="https://catalyst.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=62457ff5060d15ee3c07d3fc4&amp;id=b73fbdcac8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sign up to our newsletter</a>!</p>

The form for adding a new page using the WYSIWYG editor

<p data-block-key="6kz9b">The Koha library software project now has a built-in CMS (content management system) feature which allows libraries to create their own content pages and add them to their online public catalogue (OPAC). This is perfect for those libraries that need a few more web pages to provide information to their members in one place, and don’t want to maintain another website.</p>

koha-cms-add-content-pages

<p data-block-key="zk9rk">The MSD Accessibility Charter is a commitment by government agencies to accessibility. It applies across central and local government, including core public sector agencies, Crown entities, District Health Board’s (DHBs), and local authorities.</p><p data-block-key="fhk91">The Accessibility Charter was launched by MSD on 15 February 2018. As at 16 September 2022, Chief Executives of 40 Government Agencies, four districts and three local government authorities have signed up to the Charter.</p><p data-block-key="8ab3e">This probably means you!</p><p data-block-key="e8o4b">If you work in a government agency, your organisation has likely committed to the Charter. The Charter outlines a few key things that you need to know:</p><ul><li data-block-key="afmgf">signing agencies must develop and implement a 5-year plan to make accessibility “business as usual”</li><li data-block-key="4i363">each agency reports their progress to MSD on a six-monthly basis</li></ul><p data-block-key="98lg6">If your organisation signed in 2018 when the charter was launched, it means this is your last year to implement that 5-year plan.</p><p data-block-key="alvkr"><b>What should you do now?</b> Again, it’s likely that your organisation has already signed. Ask around to see what has happened already.</p><h2 data-block-key="k9bh">Catalyst can help!</h2><ul><li data-block-key="c4eug">we perform an analysis gap to find out where you are and where you need to be</li><li data-block-key="7spjb">we can help you develop an accessibility programme of work, whether that means getting you started or helping you reach your finish line</li><li data-block-key="47c1f">get training, auditing and consulting services to support your accessibility programme of work</li></ul><h2 data-block-key="1chns">Why does it matter?</h2><ul><li data-block-key="7ui6q">In New Zealand, we have 1.1 million disabled people, about one in four of our population.</li><li data-block-key="5dehk">Having accessible information and communications recognises the diversity of New Zealand.</li><li data-block-key="cgs3l">It’s important, for the public sector to be responsive to the needs of our communities. As part of this responsiveness, all New Zealanders should have equal access to information about government’s policies, initiatives, and programmes.</li></ul><p data-block-key="8unf4"><a href="https://accessibility.catalyst.net.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Get in touch now for a free consult</a>!</p>

A graphic with coloured squares, with symbols of an eye, hand, ear, brain, and a head talking.

<p data-block-key="d663b">The MSD Accessibility Charter is a commitment by government agencies to accessibility. It applies across central and local government, including core public sector agencies, Crown entities, District Health Board’s (DHBs), and local authorities.</p>

msd-accessibility-charter-does-it-apply-to-me

<p data-block-key="ittqn"><i>by Aleisha Amohia, Koha Technical Lead</i></p><p data-block-key="893bo">The Catalyst Koha team is excited that Koha library software project introduced a built-in recalls feature in Koha 22.05, released in May 2022.  </p><p data-block-key="8m055">Catalyst was integral in getting recalls into Koha, developing a first iteration of the feature way back in 2017. Huge thanks must be given to Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Waikato Institute of Technology, and Auckland University of Technology, for their sponsorship and support of the recalls feature development over the years.</p><p data-block-key="avtv3">The recalls feature, now available for Koha libraries all around the world, requires some configuration before it can be used. This tutorial will cover how to set up recalls in your Koha library, and how recalls can then be placed and filled by your staff and patrons.</p><h2 data-block-key="6geas">What are recalls?</h2><p data-block-key="9ob98">Recalls can be thought of as high-priority holds, with a few more conditions. Patrons can recall items or records that they need urgently, but are currently checked out or allocated to someone else.  </p><p data-block-key="esbh3">When a recall is placed, the patron who currently has borrowed the recalled item will be notified, and their loan period will be adjusted. The due date being changed (ideally brought forward) reflects the urgency of the recall, and is the key difference in behaviour from placing a hold.</p><p data-block-key="5o1a7">Recalls are prioritised over holds. This means if an item has both holds and recalls, Koha will offer to fill a recall first.</p><h2 data-block-key="c78f2">Configuring recalls</h2><p data-block-key="foc6i">There are a few key <b>system preferences</b> to enable or configure when using recalls.</p><p data-block-key="ee1pb"></p><img alt="System preferences relating to recalls" class="richtext-image full-width" height="379" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_1_GYltYVt.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="4caqc"> </p><ul><li data-block-key="a4t8s"><b>UseRecalls</b>  – enable the recalls feature by changing the setting to “use”.  This is disabled by default.<br/> </li><li data-block-key="fmdbu"><b>RecallsLog</b>  – change the setting to “log” to start logging data about  actions taken relating to recalls . This is disabled by default.<br/> </li><li data-block-key="1iate"><b>RecallsMaxPickUpDelay</b>  – set the number of days that a recalled item may be awaiting  pickup before it is marked as problematic, or possibly auto-expired.  This is set to 7 days by default.<br/> </li></ul><p data-block-key="ea62">Library staff who will be able to cancel or expire recalls must have the <b>manage_recalls</b> <b>user permission</b>.</p><p data-block-key="ajvg5"></p><img alt="Recalls user permission" class="richtext-image full-width" height="77" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_2_UbJXIEk.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="7imn6">How recalls behave in your library system will depend on how your circulation and fines rules are configured. There are six rules to configure specifically for recalls.</p><p data-block-key="b31pf"></p><img alt="Recalls circulation and fines rules" class="richtext-image full-width" height="156" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_3_uPUtJKa.width-800.png" width="686"><p data-block-key="5lpl5"> </p><ul><li data-block-key="9nsvn"><b>Recalls  allowed</b> – set the number of total recalls a patron is allowed  to place<br/> </li><li data-block-key="aegsi"><b>Recalls per  record</b> – set the number of recalls a patron is allowed to  place on one bibliographic record<br/> </li><li data-block-key="a4oe1"><b>On shelf  recalls allowed</b> – set to ‘if any unavailable’ if only one  item needs to be checked out for patrons to place recalls on the  record, or set to ‘if all unavailable’ if all items must be  checked out for patrons to place recalls on the record<br/> </li><li data-block-key="f8me1"><b>Recall due  date interval </b>– set the number of days the patron is given to  return their recalled item to the library<br/> </li><li data-block-key="dut7q"><b>Recall  overdue fine amount </b>– set the fine amount to be charged to the  patron if they are overdue to return their item to the library and  that item has been recalled<br/> </li><li data-block-key="99i0r"><b>Recall  pickup period </b>– set the number of days the patron is given to  pick up the item they recalled from the library<br/> </li></ul><p data-block-key="bnavn">There are a few recalls <b>notices and slips</b> that you may want to customise.</p><p data-block-key="14c6t"></p><img alt="Notice about recalled item awaiting pickup" class="richtext-image full-width" height="436" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_4_k8Xjekg.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="ccd6d"> </p><ul><li data-block-key="g8bt"><b>RETURN_RECALLED_ITEM</b>  – a notice sent to the patron who currently has an item checked  out which was recalled by someone else<br/> </li><li data-block-key="ev32q"><b>PICKUP_RECALLED_ITEM</b>  – a notice sent to the patron who requested the recall, notifying  them that the item was returned to the library and is now awaiting  pickup<br/> </li><li data-block-key="fi73o"><b>RECALL_REQUESTER_DET</b>  – a print slip displaying the details of a recalled item and the  patron who requested it   <br/> </li></ul><p data-block-key="e2dd9">Finally, there are <b>cronjobs</b> your Koha support provider can schedule to automate some recalls actions.</p><ul><li data-block-key="e7t60"><b>overdue_recalls.pl  </b>– a script to mark recalls as overdue when the recalled item  is late to be returned to the library<br/> </li><li data-block-key="d30ub"><b>expire_recalls.pl</b>  – a script to expire recalls that have either been requested and  not fulfilled and their expiration date has since passed, or been  awaiting pickup for longer than the allowed pickup period<br/> </li></ul><h2 data-block-key="6d82e">Placing recalls</h2><p data-block-key="amduu">As at Koha 22.05 and 22.11, recalls can be requested by patrons via the public catalogue (OPAC). Work is being done in the Koha Community to enable recalls via the staff interface.</p><p data-block-key="agqtn"></p><img alt="Place a recall from the search results" class="richtext-image full-width" height="210" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_5_1IjTFet.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="6o0bv">To recall an item, it must be checked out to another patron. A recall can either be placed from the search results, or from the detail page of a record.</p><p data-block-key="91ui2"></p><img alt="Place a recall from the detail page of a record" class="richtext-image full-width" height="349" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_6_B8R3kjx.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="1dvgp">Koha will check a few rules before allowing the patron to place a recall. Including the recalls-related circulation and fines rules, patrons must not have checked out or placed a hold on the item in order to place the recall.  </p><p data-block-key="ahu1d">If it is a valid recall request, the patron will be able to choose a pickup library and optional expiration date. The patron could place a record-level recall if any item under the record could be allocated to fill the recall, or choose a specific item to recall.</p><p data-block-key="7f90s"></p><img alt="Options when placing a recall" class="richtext-image full-width" height="372" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_7_Ekp0LlA.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="5p9og">Once the recall is confirmed, the patron who currently has the item checked out will be notified and their due date adjusted by the number of days specified in the<b> recall due date interval </b>circulation and fines rule.</p><p data-block-key="4uvvo"></p><img alt="Notification to return a recalled item" class="richtext-image full-width" height="303" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_8_5022a4q.width-800.png" width="598"><h2 data-block-key="cldin">Managing recalls</h2><p data-block-key="641j1">The patron who placed the recall will be able to see this (and their other recalls) from their account on the OPAC. From here, they’ll also be able to cancel the recall. Note that cancelling the recall will not affect the due date of the checkout; the checkout will keep its adjusted due date, even if it has no longer been recalled.</p><p data-block-key="f94bj"></p><img alt="Patron’s account on the OPAC, displaying their recall" class="richtext-image full-width" height="308" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_9_awycsid.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="e4t2o">Library staff will also be able to manage recalls from a number of places on the staff interface.</p><p data-block-key="cuk64">Specific recalls can be cancelled and expired from the patron’s account, or from the recalls tab on the record detail page.</p><p data-block-key="795fp"></p><img alt="Patron’s account on the staff interface displaying their recall" class="richtext-image full-width" height="245" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_10_rjp7eHS.width-800.png" width="800"><p data-block-key="32iqg">There are also a number of circulation reports that libraries can use to gain an overview of recall activity.</p><ul><li data-block-key="f7fh0"><b>Recalls queue</b> – manage all current recalls   <br/> </li><li data-block-key="306eo"><b>Recalls to pull </b>– manage recalls that could be filled by  items currently on the shelves<br/> </li><li data-block-key="3n4rn"><b>Overdue recalls</b> – manage recalls that are overdue to be  returned<br/> </li><li data-block-key="5kon7"><b>Recalls awaiting pickup</b> – manage recalled items that have  been allocated to fill a recall, but are waiting to be picked up.  Problematic recalls that have been awaiting pickup too long are  split out into a different tab.<br/> </li><li data-block-key="vj3c"><b>Old recalls</b> – manage all recalls that are expired,  cancelled or filled.<br/> </li></ul><p data-block-key="bbr7v"></p><img alt="Recall reports available in the Circulation module" class="richtext-image full-width" height="298" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_11_lONG8dO.width-800.png" width="301"><h2 data-block-key="514mj">Filling recalls</h2><p data-block-key="f3vmg">The process for filling a recall is much the same as filling a hold. When a recalled item is checked in at the library, a recall window will pop up giving the option to fill the recall with that item.  </p><p data-block-key="e6jdt">The recall can be ignored if the library does not want to fill the recall right away. If the item has been checked in at a different library from the recall’s specified pickup location, confirming the recall will trigger a transfer. When the item is returned at the chosen pickup location and the recall is confirmed, the patron who requested it will be notified that their item is ready to pick up.  </p><p data-block-key="ctad7"></p><img alt="Recall confirmation box that pops up when the item is checked in" class="richtext-image full-width" height="378" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_12_F5wyscK.width-800.png" width="618"><p data-block-key="28leh">When the patron picks up and checks out their item, Koha will mark the recall as filled and the process will be complete!</p><p data-block-key="b2ca0"></p><img alt="Checkout confirmation box that pops up if library staff attempt to check out an item to one patron that has been recalled by another" class="richtext-image full-width" height="241" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/koha_13_sHyTAXl.width-800.png" width="615"><p data-block-key="2bpb5">Recalled items that have been allocated to fill a recall will block circulation of that item for other patrons. A confirmation box will pop up if library staff attempt to check out an item to one patron that has already been allocated to fill a recall placed by another.</p><h2 data-block-key="3cj3c">Expanding on recalls functionality</h2><p data-block-key="a56nb">In future versions of Koha, the recalls feature will be enhanced and expanded. Work is being done to allow placing recalls via the staff interface. We also plan to introduce a cronjob which will convert holds to recalls overnight if a certain number of holds have been placed on a record, plus some API endpoints so recalls can be managed through discovery layers or alternative OPACs. The implementation of enhanced messaging preferences for recalls notices is in progress.</p><p data-block-key="c4c85">As work continues on the recalls feature, including fixing any bugs found, we appreciate the sponsorship and support from our partner libraries and the Koha Community.  </p><p data-block-key="e8dbr">We’d love to hear from you about how recalls are being used in your Koha library, and if there are any improvements or enhancements we could investigate together.</p><h2 data-block-key="9675f">Catalyst Koha</h2><p data-block-key="2hf58">If you have any questions or comments about this News item, or would like some support with your Koha instance, you are welcome to email us at koha-support@catalyst.net.nz (New Zealand) or koha-support@catalyst-au.net (Australia).</p><p data-block-key="d5gm7"><a href="https://twitter.com/catalystkoha" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Follow Catalyst Koha on Twitter</a> or <a href="https://catalyst.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=62457ff5060d15ee3c07d3fc4&amp;id=b73fbdcac8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sign up to our newsletter</a>!</p>

Notice about recalled item awaiting pickup

<p data-block-key="m8mla">The Catalyst Koha team is excited that Koha library software project introduced a built-in recalls feature in Koha 22.05, released in May 2022. Catalyst was integral in getting recalls into Koha, developing a first iteration of the feature way back in 2017. </p>

how-to-do-recalls-with-koha

<h2 data-block-key="wgrkv">A profile on Maia Miller, Accessibility Manager</h2><p data-block-key="7hhgk"></p><p data-block-key="8vp1k"><i>by Charlotte Weston</i></p><p data-block-key="32ukm">Maia Miller’s Canadian accent might be the first thing you notice when you start talking to her about web accessibility, but close behind that is the energy and passion she has for the subject. Maia is the Accessibility Manager at Catalyst in Wellington, and she is passionate about helping people understand the benefits of web accessibility, what it means, and how to do it.</p><p data-block-key="dtolj">“A lot of people have good intentions about making websites accessible, but don’t really know how to do it,” Maia says. This inspired her to create a training course that’s based on WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines, making it practical and applicable. The courses have been running both online and in person for the last two years and feedback has been extremely positive.</p><p data-block-key="fr7lj">It can take a lot of reading to understand WCAG, so Maia wanted to translate it into something that is useful for people. “The tricky bit is information overload,” she says. “There’s a lot out there, and so many authors with good intentions wanting to share what they know, and it’s good quality, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed very quickly.” As a developer herself, Maia understands that adding it to the mix of competing priorities on a day-to-day basis at work can be overwhelming when you don’t know where to start, and aren’t sure what’s going to have an impact.</p><p data-block-key="a30pa"></p><img alt="Head and shoulders portrait of Maia Miller." class="richtext-image left-align-wrap" height="375" src="https://object-storage.nz-hlz-1.catalystcloud.io:443/v1/AUTH_3458c7e192ac4b5880c337b21b3c06fb/catweb_prod/images/maia.width-500.jpg" width="500"><p data-block-key="6vdt1"><i>Maia Miller, Catalyst&#x27;s Accessibility Manager</i></p><p data-block-key="1b1hc"></p><p data-block-key="7ro6h">Web accessibility helps a wide range of people, those with disabilities and those who aren’t disabled. Take captions on videos, for example. They were created for a specific purpose, to help those who are deaf or hard of hearing, but it’s something everyone benefits from. You could be trying to watch something in a shared space where noise from your device could be distracting or unwelcome to others.</p><p data-block-key="8floh">Being able to modify the screen with things like zooming in, minimising movement on screen, and having good labels on forms makes it easier to understand information, especially for people who are dyslexic. Maia’s twin brother is colourblind, so the importance of accessibility hits close to home in the area of colour and contrast. “When there are dashboards that rely heavily on red and green, he can’t see that, through no fault of his own,” she says. That makes some websites unusable for him.</p><p data-block-key="1sjbh">“I like when the dime drops and it clicks for people,” says Maia. “When people realise it’s not a barrier, but rather it’s an opportunity. It can flow really seamlessly into their work rather than be difficult.” To support organisations and business with making their websites more accessible for their users, Maia conducts system audits and creates bug reports, to impart that knowledge and understanding and help clients reach their goals of having websites that are usable by more people.</p><p data-block-key="57bbq">An audit report contains actionable steps of how clients can make things more accessible, which is especially vital for government departments needing to meet the requirements of the MSD Accessibility Charter. Improving accessibility for all New Zealanders supports disabled people’s fundamental human rights, and the Accessibility Charter provides a framework to identify, prevent, and remove barriers to participation for disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, and others with accessibility needs. In New Zealand about one in four of our population is disabled. That’s around 1.1 million people.</p><p data-block-key="pr9t">Maia’s previous work in marketing and communications, and her technical knowledge and experience in web development all come together in her accessibility role. Having done over ten years of public speaking and debating in university, Maia brings her passion and skill to the training courses she runs at Catalyst, as well as to the various conference talks and forums she presents. “It’s really important to me that it’s done in a way that is interesting, captivating, and relevant,” she says.</p><p data-block-key="ceq5a">“Accessible design is about enforcing good habits rather than limiting you, as developers and designers,” says Maia. “Writing good, clean code reinforces best practice, and making clear designs ensures things are communicated in many ways, not just with colour.” Rather than making it more difficult, accessibility makes designs more robust, and more beautiful, as well as useful to more people.</p><p data-block-key="4tuhh"></p><p data-block-key="3k61l"><b>Sign up for one of our upcoming</b> <a href="https://www.catalyst.net.nz/training" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>WCAG 2.1 AA Fundamentals courses with Maia here</b></a></p><p data-block-key="d6pt"><b>and find out more about</b> <a href="https://accessibility.catalyst.net.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Catalyst&#x27;s Accessibility services here</b></a></p>

Maia Miller is standing at the front of a room speaking to a small group of people who are sitting around a table facing her.

<p data-block-key="vkq8b">Web accessibility helps a wide range of people, those with disabilities and those who aren’t disabled. Maia Miller helps organisations and individuals with training and audits to make websites usable for more people.</p>

making-web-accessibility-engaging

E-resource management module link highlighted yellow on the Koha staff client home page, after the ERMModule system preference is enabled

<p data-block-key="gnsol">Libraries can now administer agreements, licenses and electronic holdings from within Koha: one system for both electronic and physical collections.</p>

koha-erm-module

The new Koha staff client home page, with a grey background and green highlights.

<p data-block-key="rb5ei">The Catalyst Koha team is delighted to join the Koha community in celebrating the release of Koha 22.11 Rosalie. This release contains 13 new features, 351 enhancements, 554 bug and security fixes.</p>

release-of-koha-2211

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