Study Soft Skills with NGBerger

The Sites

ngberger.com has been running websites for studying English and soft skills since 1998 on www.ngberger.com, media.ngberger.com and moodle.ngberger.com. Now, the site also includes a jitsi conferencing server for registered users only to support online teaching which became the only way teaching has been delivered since March 2020 due to COVID19.

An old Moodle server has been running since 2003 to support students and some other teachers to develop soft skills in English in a variety of blended coursework or independent learning courses. A new Moodle server has been supporting studies since summer 2016, so that now most current courses run on the new system. User profiles work on both servers for two years after registration. Not visiting the site for two years means user data will then automatically be removed from the database.

Moodle courses

Moodle courses support student learning in term-time and remain accessible for at least a year. In line with regulations, users can extend their registrations simply by logging in and confirming the terms of use.
If they have not been on the site for more than two years, their data will be removed from the database automatically. This means work records are deleted and access rights withdrawn.

Communications from site or courses

Registered users on the site and in courses may be sent site or course news from time to time. This requires your consent in the registration process. You can opt in by logging into the site or deregister from courses.

Terms of use

Registration and enrolment

When registering, your name and a working email address are essential. A secure password may be allocated or can be defined by the user. It needs to meet secure standards which are explained on the registration page. Users can define other personal details and what can be shared. Passwords can be recovered via a help button on the log-in page. Access to courses is via manual enrolment by the tutor or by self-enrolment if an enrolment key is provided in class.

Data collection and use

Upon log-in, the database logs user name, IP-address, date and time, as well as any submissions and grades. Users can see such data in their user profiles in the logs and gradebooks, including feedback posted by tutors. Note that not all scores recorded are used for grading! Details may vary and are explained in courses.
Such information is for teaching and personal use only and will not be shared with outside parties. In exceptional cases when grading is contested, such data may be used in evidence, though.
Data shared with other registered and logged-in users includes names, profile photos and presence on the course site when logged in. This is necessary for collaborative learning and explained during registration before and in classes.
Registered users are also made aware that reposting or distributing any content elsewhere is explicitly forbidden. Any abuse or breach of these terms of use will result in being banned from the site. Users are liable for damages incurred.

Unenrolment and deregistration

Registered users can unenrol from individual courses. A link is provided in the personal profile. In order to deregister from the Moodle databases, send an email to norbert.berger@uni-graz.at or a message to Norbert Berger via the messaging function in Moodle.

30.06.2020