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Test post - experimenting with conference solutions

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This is a test post to see if students could use blog posts for their H818 conference pages.

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Simon Ball

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SXR103 chemistry is fun (2008) :-)

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You could, but I wouldn't recommend it.  

Better to use something that is only visible for your group and that is designed for conferencing. Otherwise you run the risk of flooding the blog space which is open to all OU students, with stuff specific to only a small group.

It is a personal blog space. It's also not particularly good software even for blogging.

Maybe set up a facebook or other social media group?.

Jan


SXR103 chemistry is fun (2008) :-)

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PS: Click on "View Site Entries" to see the whole OU blog space. 

It might be well hidden if you are looking via a phone, but it's pretty obvious if you use a PC.

Jan

Simon Ball

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Thanks for the advice Jan, I really appreciate it. We have always used Cloudworks in the past, but the OU has now closed that. Then we were going to use WordPress, learned how to use it, set up all the spaces, then we were told students couldn't use that. So we chose blogs, learned how to use it, seems to work ok, but now you're recommending we don't use that either. We're running out of options here - we need a technology where 30 students can each create ONE page, featuring the abstract and poster for their conference presentations, and which is open to the whole world (not just the OU) to make comments. Do you have any suggestions? I realise you're helping and I'm not having a go at you, but when I'm only contracted for a couple of days for this I'm kinda getting tired of being told what we can't do, rather than what we can! What OU tools *can* we use to deliver what worked perfectly in Cloudworks?

SXR103 chemistry is fun (2008) :-)

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Hi Simon,

It's frustrating when the OU gives us tools to use and then takes them away again. They've done this a number of times over the years.

I'm no expert, but I know that the OU blog is poor software. 

On my current S810 and another MSc course S807, we used OpenStudio to share our posters and other documents for comment.  I don't know about reader/writer access.  We only used it within a module group of students and tutors, so don't know if it can be made open to the world.  Maybe ask the OU IT help desk and your tutors. But it seems to be the sort of tool you are looking for. 

I hope this helps,

Jan

Simon Ball

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Thanks so much Jan, I really appreciate you trying to help here. We already use OpenStudio heavily on the module too! But sadly it doesn't allow access to the 'outside world' which is why we had always used Cloudworks for that purpose. Wouldn't it be nice if the people who decided to close one tool down offered a workable alternative in its place? Thanks again for your comments - much appreciated.

SXR103 chemistry is fun (2008) :-)

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You're welcome. Good luck! smile

Jan

Picture of Kulvir Bahra

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Hi Simon,

Thanks, I can see your posted message. Hope all is well.

Best wishes,

Kulvir