unknown: username and password
What does it feel like when you successfully log in? do you ever give it a moment’s thought? one minute you’re staring at an authentication/login page, and as if by magic; typing in your username and password, you’re through the digital barrier. ‘Open sesame’ – a free, unrestricted means of admission and access.
I’ve never given it a moment’s thought, it’s just something I constantly do throughout the day, every day. Logging in to emails, to Moodle, to Teams, to Zoom, to the bank, to ordering last night’s diner with Deliveroo.
Enrolling onto PgCert was a synch having remembered to use my NOT staff login details and successfully created a password. On our first day, introduction to PgCert ensuring we were able to log-in, sign-up and able to access and familiarise ourselves with the unit’s course material, how to set up blogs and a general overview of what was to come. That signing in process should in theory take less than two minutes, however it took me one hour and 55mins, bearing in mind the session was two hours.
No matter how many times I entered what I thought was my username and password, I just couldn’t log into the LCC’s computers without being told over and over again ‘incorrect username and or password’ message. I couldn’t get passed the lurid glow of the monitors screen saver. My frustration increased as I witnessed fellow students gaining access to the unit’s pages of PgCert … I couldn’t see what they were seeing … I couldn’t gain access … I wasn’t being allowed in … I couldn’t join in … stewing with frustration I switched off.
As the session came to an end, I decided as a last resort to contact IT support. Within seconds the issue had been resolved. The issue being that I hadn’t read an email that contained my student ID and temporary password … eye roll … and at exactly 11:55 ‘open sesame’ the authentication/login page disappeared and just like that, I was in. And then I logged out.
The room emptied with bids of nice to meet you’s, farewells and good lucks, as I gathered my coat and bag, I harnessed that ‘happy’ feeling … happy I’d manged to log-in, happy I managed not to through my toys out of the pram … well maybe a few …
The first day in a new country/place, a new building, a different environment with people you haven’t met before traversing the path of the unknown (aka Moodle) can be daunting for anyone. Not being able to access Celcat, emails or take part in the first set of tasks setting up a Padlet, can leave you feeling as though you’ve failed at the first hurdle. It’s easy then to sit back, switch-off, not engage, and not wanting to draw attention to yourself that you can’t do the thing that everybody else seems able to do … with ease. During that first session on PgCert I realised what it might feel like for our students on their first day.
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