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This section will serve as a guide to initially setting up a Mahara profile through NJIT’s Moodle  system.

First, after logging in with the secure UCID and password, an enrolled NJIT student will notice a link labeled “Home - Mahara” under the “Network Servers” menu on the right column of Moodle’s homepage. That link will take the user to Mahara’s homepage. The first step that should be taken upon entering Mahara is to enter information into the profile page. Clicking the “Profile” tab will open a page with Edit Profile, Profile Icons, My Resume, My Goals, and My Skills tabs.

The Edit Profile tab is the first page. There are sub-sections labeled “About me,” “Contact information,” “Messaging,” and “General.” The About me page consists of fields for the user’s name, Student ID (which at NJIT is confidential; perhaps use UCID or simply leave the field blank), Preferred Name, and an open introduction text box for any miscellaneous information that viewers may want to know.

Next, click Contact Information Tab. In addition to fields for personal and professional websites and blogs, this section allows for public display of traditional contact information: phone numbers and addresses. After filling out the Contact Information Tab, use the Messaging Tab to list contact information for yourself on various instant messaging clients. Finally click General, and keystroke information about Occupation and Industry.

Now let’s transition to the Profile Icons. Upload a picture so people will be able to identify you. Up to five separate images can be uploaded, although only one can be displayed at once. The text box at the bottom of the page allows for upload of photos from the user’s computer. Icons must be between 16x16 and 1024x1024 pixels in size; they can be resized in bitmap editing software such as [|Adobe Photoshop] or Microsoft Paint prior to upload.

The next section is My Resume, which provides a structured format for resume information. Contact information is carried over from the Edit Profile page; the rest must be filled out separately. There are fields for a cover letter, listing interests, aand dditional personal information such as citizenship and visa status that may be relevant to employers; there is also an opportunity to identify awards, publications, and professional memberships.

The fourth tab is My Goals; separate fields for personal goals, academic goals, and career goals can be edited for display. Ambitious and articulate goals may serve to promote your image to employers or professors.

The final tab is My Skills; here one can input lists of personal skills, academic skills, and work skills. Like the My Goals section, this tab allows the user to elaborate on his or her abilities in ways traditional resumes may overlook.

For an overview video on the use of Mahara, click here.

By: Tito Nurudeen, major in Science, Technology, and Society. 