Creating the Lesson Activity on Moodle

When the COVID-19 situation came to the fore and lock down was declared, universities began to think about how they could continue teaching their students.
While there are various tools available to teachers, I found solace in the use of an activity tool that is found on Moodle. It is called the Lesson activity. I first did not know how to use this Moodle activity.

I had watched a video developed by fellow academic Mr. Bernard Yegiora which he shared on his youtube channel. Check out his blog here.

After viewing the video, I began practicing the outline of the lesson activity on Moodle. Eventually, I began to develop lessons for my final year students. One of the earliest lessons I learnt through the use of this Lesson activity is the importance of Lesson Planning. Lesson plans are a key aspect of a teaching strategy. The plan has a topic, learning objectives, list of materials, specific timeframes for each section, subtopics, review activities and exercises. I consider doing the lesson plan as much more of a difficult thing to do than developing the actual Lesson Activity on Moodle. So much time is spent on creating content for your students, placing yourself in their shoes, thinking about baby steps they can do in your lesson before moving onto the much complex areas of your topic. At the end when the lesson plan is done, you get excited as you now begin to transfer what is on the lesson plan onto the Lesson Activity on Moodle.
 
This image below shows the Lesson activity being implemented. As you can see, the lesson has subtopics with a menu and each topic is displayed in the centre. 

Students have go read and go through each page. You have to click a link to go to the next page. They do that until they reach the last page and the lesson ends. Once a student reaches the end of the lesson, you get a notification of that student's completion.
I found that after developing the lesson, I could post it on Moodle and let the students go through the lesson pages at their own time. Thus I found that if you designed the lesson properly, you could develop it as a self paced activity for the student. This means that students can do it at their own time and pace during the week. You could also assess students through the lesson activity too if you wanted.
One of the better characteristics of the Moodle lesson is that one could develop review questions after each subtopic. For example you could develop Multiple Choice Questions or True/False questions as well. This enables the students to answer the question, get back the answers and continue through the lesson.

After developing some of the lessons during the lockdown period, I decided that I could help other academics learn about this activity as well.
I ran two sessions for staff members from my faculty (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) and both sessions took roughly around two hours.

It was hectic and draining after each session but I got through it and was blessed to pass on the little knowledge I had to others. I guess this is part of fulfilling the Divine Word University theme for this year 2020: 'It is in giving to we receive'. 

Someone asked me about why I was so intent on running the sessions for my colleagues as they had the internet to 'self learn'. I said that my belief is that by sharing, I help my fellow colleagues improve the way they teach. In this way, the academics, as a group, progress and move forward. For example, if I was only one person with a skill like this and didn't share, it helps no-one, because it creates a burden for myself as no one else will understand how to improve or find better ways for that particular skill I have. That is how I feel about sharing knowledge like this. Let me explain this in another way. If you are a fisherman from a fishing village and you develop a new technique on how to catch fish better, you have to share this new knowledge with other fisherman. You may keep your new technique a secret and catch more fish than everyone but soon or later when you get into trouble or get stuck with your new fishing method, nobody will know how to help you because you are the only one who knows how to help yourself get out...hahahahaha!

  
Anyway, if you ever get to use Moodle as a learning management system in your organisation or school, try this activity as it will help you greatly. One thing that I have seen is that though it is really hard work to develop the lesson plan for your Moodle lesson activity, in the long run it makes you, as an academic, become efficient with time so you can do other things like research, administrative tasks and even have time for family too.

Before I get out of here, I's like to say that, an event has forced us to change how we have been doing things. We must embrace the change, find the good in it, adapt to the changing times and help others climb up as well. 

Em tasol!

Why arent PNG Journalists confrontational?

Why aren’t Journalists in PNG confrontational? I am affirming that ‘confrontational’ here means to ‘stand up’ or ‘speak out’ and ask the hard questions to those who are responsible for the masses in terms of health, education, welfare, ICT etc.  While there may be a variety of reasons and some people will have even more stronger, valid points than I may make here, in my opinion, I believe that the ability of a journalist to be ‘confrontational’ is hampered by news media organizations in the country who employ journalists.

1. Lack of support by news organisations -  I am of the belief that we as journalists in PNG have very little to be confrontational about since we have not shown that we are prepared for hard work. When was the last time, a news organisation put effort, resources and sought professional and technical advice to investigate a story? When have we seen a step by step investigative story uncovering facts and intelligent writing? The story of budget cuts and not enough resources have been excuses that impede us as journalist to take longer, deeper meaningful research into an issue. Entertainment news has taken over the issue based news because it is easier to write and takes much less time to produce. How often do we see a follow up of a story six months after an event happened? We never got to hear what happened to the outbreak of Cholera in remote area of Morobe Province six months later after everyone closed up and went away. Then we had a similar outbreak in NCD some months later. Which news organisation wants to send a reporter to visit this remote part of Morobe, then ask the hard questions to WHO, Morobe Provincial Government and minister for Health, study the epidemiology of Cholera, trace the origins of Cholera in PNG, find the associations between susceptibility and transmission? All this finding and exploring takes time and financial resources – something news organisations profess not to have. Iam of the opinion that if news organisations or journalists are to be foundations of the fourth estate, then time and financial resources must be devoted to investigate stories and seek to uncover facts and figures that influence issues. News organisations must be prepared to fund journalists to travel, do research and help write intelligently and produce news stories.

2. Keeping journalists in news media. - Iam also of the belief that journalists who possess the passion and the drive to take on investigative journalism, are not being rewarded or justifiably commensurated financially by news organisations. This, I believe is not only found in PNG but evident throughout the Pacific.  Many who start off in the field of journalism as general news reporters, who then take specialist fields such as business, HIV/AIDS, politics, agriculture, mining, carbon fuels, information technology, sports etc don’t usually stay in that news area for long. This is because as they become more experienced, more knowledgeable of the subject area and write accurately, they are more often than not, subject to be coaxed into leaving the news organizations for ‘greener pastures’. This mostly include higher salary, housing, travel, allowances and better working hours, all of which better than those provided by media organizations. They then become public relations officers, community media officers or even journalists in that organisation. Thus, this migration leaves a gap in news organisations that cannot be easily filled. Gone are the person’s valuable experiences, advisory roles, leadership, news values, contacts, etc, things which cannot be easily replaced.  How is that related to a journalist be confrontational? For a journalist to be confrontational, he/she needs good advisors to guide the research, people who can be mentors, people who have experiences over decades, people who can sniff out a rat or see a problem a mile away - the kind of skills are not easily given but gained over the years.  As they leave, they also take their reputation, skills and credibility and leave the news organisation having very little to write or produce investigative stories. It is about time news media organisations pay journalists what they deserve and keep them on the job for longer periods.

Em tasol!

If I can do it, you can do it too: Mr Lala

The Acting Assistant Secretary –European Union (EU) / United Nation (UN) Branch in the Department of National Planning and Monitoring Papua New Guinea, Mr. Floyd Lala,  encouraged Health Management students to fully take part in their learning and make the best use of their time in Divine Word University.

Mr. Lala, a former Health Management student, who now works in Port Moresby, has encouraged the current crop of Health Management students for 2012 to not only make good use of their time here but to excel in community activities as well.

He said: “Apart from you academic activities, there are community events and processes such as the DWU cultural show, provincial nights, Students Representative Council, ecumenical church activities and many others are places where you can develop yourself better in leadership, communication, ethics,  spiritual growth and the ‘Diwai Spirit’.

“Many of the things you learn here in your classes are relevant and worthwhile in the workplace and are often seen by your future employers as valuable skills’.

He further said: “Nearly six years on and I’m glad to say I’m a graduate of Health Management at DWU. The subjects I learnt, the facilities I used and the culture that I was groomed at DWU, enabled me to find my place in the PNG workforce. 

"Health Management is a unique course in PNG and DWU is the only tertiary institution that is providing a tailored course to those who want professional training in management of public and private health organizations in this country. It provides a mix of business management, accounting, healthy policy, project planning and design and administration of health facilities and projects - these are right ingredients that have helped me to be a better manager of health services, policy and even organizational behavior.

“Of course, I did what many of you are doing now, that is enjoying the freedom, being away from the parents and guardians. But at the back of my mind, I always knew what my PRIORITY was and that was to get the best education that DWU has to offer. I made it my business to fore go some things which irritated some of my best friends”.

He said that he had traveled the world from Europe to Asia and to America and pointed out to the students they too would follow what he had done and even go further more.

He said: “I believe in you and know that it is not impossible to achieve your aspirations. If I can do it, you too can do it”

Many of the Health Management students who were present welcomed his comments and expressed their desire to hear more from former students as these former students’ journey after DWU would inspire and motive the current students to do well in their academic studies.

Mr. Lala also provided nine boxes of pizza after his talk and shared it to all the students present.  

Mr. Lala talking to the HM students in one of the HM classrooms.

Mr. Lala with the HM students after the talk

Mr. Lala provides some advice about career opportunities to students after his talk

Yaaay! Its pizza time!

The HM students after the talk

Its Friday in Red!

Each Friday of the week, the Health Management staff and students are asked to wear red to support the fight against HIV/AIDS in our country and promote a community that is free from HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination.
Pictured here are second year Health Management students getting ready for their first class on a Friday morning.

16th September 2011

Do you remember where you were and what you did on September 16 last year? What about the year before? An the year before that? The 16th of September is a very special day for Papua New Guinean. Each year, September 16 marks our country most important calendar day - Independence - a very important day for Papua New Guineans and individuals, social networks, families, clubs, schools and many other groups get together to celebrate this memorable day. I could go on and on how why it is important for us to celebrate.....but i wont. Today Iam putting up pictures of my celebration this year - 2011. The Health management Department here in the DWU main campus took time out to celebrate this day with a combined staff and student ’Independence meal’ or a get together meal or as we say it in Pidgin, a 'bung kaikai'
I was sitting there in the shade of the gum tree next to the classroom when the the Head of the Health Management Department, Ms. Margaret Samei to ld the group of staff and famlies and students that the idea to have this celebration was to remember the day we became a sovereign nation and to not forget that we are a free nation of over 800 language groups guided by one constitution that encourages freedom of speech, freedom of movement, and the right to come to school and be educated among many good things that many other countries around the world do not have. She said that despite many difficult struggles that a lot of Papua New Guineans face, we could also be thankful for many things that we often take for granted. At the same time, at this small meal, the HM Department also took time out to acknowledge and farewell the year four students. I think it is an achivement itself to start a program and keep at it over a four year period then come out off it on top. Now with just a few days before to go, they are content but know in their hearts that they will miss their friends terribly. I guess it is just one phase of life that students go through from being a student to working in the field. I, too, did feel the same thing many years ago.
The HOD said: “ These 24 young men and women have just a few weeks to go before they move on onto the PNG workforce. “The have been here for four years and have learnt a lot both in theory and in practice. “I wish them all the best and encourage them to never forget the good values they have learnt in Health Management and Divine Word University. The HM Department also said farewell to one of our more influential lectures Mr. Albert Sika who left the HM Department earlier this year to join the Modilon Hospital as the Director of Corporate Services. After all the short speechs and a gift and poem reading by the second years to farewell Mr. Sika, Mr. Ambang prayed for the day and also blessed the meal.
The food was really good, the cake was beautiful anf i jsut loved the happy smiling faces of the students.
Mr. Peter Sion who organized the event said that he was pleased the students responded well with the idea. He hoped that this event would become a tradition and help the students and academics staff feel part of the DWU community and work towards a common good for PNG. Well em tasol and I hope we get to celebrate this day again next year!

Below are the pictures on that day!

Planti piksa tumas na hard tru long putim olgeta go antap long hia...

Eight women die each day in PNG through pregnancy and child birth complications

Eight women in PNG die every day through pregnancy and childbirth complications.
This was revealed by Ms. Jelilah Uniah who is the Program Manger of Pathfinder International at Divine Word University’s CHIDS forum in Madang a couple of weeks ago.
CHIDS which stands for Contemporary Health Issues and Development Strategies is a forum created by the Health Management Department of Divine Word University as a venue for partnership building and collaboration amongst service delivery organizations and development agencies in Madang province to address health and development issues that currently have an impact on PNG’s socioeconomic and development status.
The theme of the forum was 'Population control strategies: Realising Vision 2050 through Family Planning Approaches' and Ms. Uniah, being the guest speaker, presented a powerpoint slide highlighting this disturbing fact that high risk of maternal death still plagues women in Papua New Guinea.
She said: “Eight women die in PNG each day. In Madang District alone, 480 mothers have died last year with 12 mothers reported to have died at the Modilon General Hospital. What about those which are not reported?
“Most women in PNG don’t have access to family planning services meaning they don’t have access to contraceptives thus they have very little choice in regards to family planning. “Even if they have access to the contraceptive, the church, relatives or even husband refuse its use.
“Because of this, they have unplanned pregnancies and this puts them at great risk of death pregnancy and childbirth complications.
She also called on the Government to fund family planning programs in the country saying that i the government was serious about acheiving MDGs and Vision 2050, they had to fund this vital area of health.
I thought about what she said about mothers dying when trying to give birth and know that this is one of the great tragedies of our country. Statistics are just numbers but for every mother that dies there is another child that will go through life without another parent. I have witnessed a mother giving birth on the side of the main road in Lae, I have seen government maternity wards that have holes on the floor, I have seen two women loose their newborn in the space of just a few hours just becasue there is no gynacologist available at this major referral hospital and I know that it is common throught this country that women give birth on the floor in public hospitals in this country. What a sad scenario we have in this great country of ours!
Family Planning approaches, whatever opinion someone may have of it, has its merits and can surely save lives.
Pregnancy and childbirth are a time for great joy, reflection and happiness but this public health issue contiunues to put us all into misery.