Month: November 2023

AU Graduate Digital Skills Profile Series – What next?

Laurie Stevenson [las60] Graduate Digital Skills Profile Series, Students Leave a comment

Blogpost by Laurie Stevenson (Student Digital Champion)

That concludes the first half of graduate interviews in our Digital Skills Profile Series and the second half will be released in Semester 2 so keep an eye on our IS social media channels and our blog for updates!

In the meantime, you may be wondering from reading what our graduates say they wish they had learnt before graduating what is available to you as an AU student to improve your digital skills? Well, here are some of the main resources available to you:

‘How are your digital skills?’ Blackboard organisation

We’ve developed a new Blackboard organisation which provides you with step-by-step guidance on how to use all of the resources mentioned below, including the Jisc Digital Discovery Tool and LinkedIn Learning .

Jisc Digital Discovery Tool

The Jisc Digital Discovery Tool is a bilingual resource that enables you to self-assess your confidence with technology. It will allow you to identify your strengths, in addition to highlighting opportunities to further develop your digital skills. 

LinkedIn Learning

This online learning platform is available for free to all AU students, and contains over 16,000 free courses on everything from photo and video editing, coding, how to play an instrument, art courses and so much more! If you’re particularly interested in developing your digital skills, you can also visit our digital skills collections in the platform. Activate your account today!

Digital Skills Library

Explore the Digital Skills Library, where you’ll find resources to help you develop a range of new and existing digital skills within six categories.

Digital Skills Blog

As well as this series we have plenty of interesting and informative content on our blog page from tips and tricks for MS software, our weekly DigiTips, to our Digital Wellbeing Series.

AberSkills

AberSkills contains a breadth of resources and information about 1-2-1 sessions and workshops to help you develop a range of study skills, employability skills and much more. If you’re interested in developing your confidence with particular software, you can visit the Using Technology in Aber section.

If you have any questions about any of the resources mentioned above, please contact the Digital Skills Team (digi@aber.ac.uk).

Top tips for Mastering your Schedule 📅

Joel Williams [jow136] Digital learning and development, Digital proficiency and productivity, Student Digital Champions, Students Leave a comment

Blogpost by Joel Williams (Student Digital Champion)

Banner with Student Digital Champion

To accompany a blogpost that I published last week on how you can use time management tools to help you master your schedule, I’ve created an infographic (text version below) which summarises some of the key strategies and tools that have worked for me.

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DigiTip 13 – Schedule and Delay delivery of your emails in Outlook 📨

WordPress User [jpl11] DigiTips Leave a comment

Depending on who you would like to communicate with, sometimes it is more convenient to schedule and delay your emails for another time. This gives you more time to re-edit the content of your email again if necessary and you can plan for less stress in the future if you can prepare your emails in advance! 

Watch the video below or follow these instructions: 

  • Open a blank new email message in Outlook 
  • Compose the email and ensure you have included a recipient and a subject line 
  • Click on the File tab that can be found on the top left corner of the email window 
  • Select Properties  
  • Ensure the Do not deliver before option is checked  
  • Select the time and date you would like to schedule the email to send out for 
  • Click Close followed by Send 

It’s worth noting that Outlook must be open for a delayed email to be sent out. Ensure you have chosen a sending time when you know your Outlook will be running. 

To follow our DigiTips, subscribe to our Digital Skills Blog. Or alternatively, you can bookmark this webpage, where a new DigiTip will be added each week! 

Navigating Digital Wellbeing: A Personal Journey in the Digital Age

Noela Czempik [mnc7] Digital Wellbeing Series, Other, Student Digital Champions Leave a comment

Blogpost by Noel Czempik (Student Digital Champion)

As a Student Digital Champion, I embarked on a quest to better understand our digital world and its impact on our lives. Despite acquiring knowledge about the tools and resources it offers, I was discontent with my relationship with technology. This discontent prompted deeper introspection and a lot of research, leading to a profound realisation: Digital Wellbeing isn’t a fixed destination but an ongoing journey demanding a diverse set of skills for navigation.

The Digital Revolution: Embracing Change Through History

Technological progress in recent decades has reshaped our lives. We’ve transitioned from clunky landlines to sleek, multifunctional devices that fit snugly in our pockets. This shift isn’t solely about convenience; it’s a fundamental change that has redefined how we communicate, learn, work and unwind. It has also brought concerns – digital reliance, information overload, and the impact on the health and wellbeing of digital natives.

Although not entirely novel, our current experiences echo past technological revolutions. Similar anxieties existed during historical milestones, such as the reading panic caused by the printing press; back then, the world grappled with an information explosion, much like we face today. Understanding this historical perspective sheds light on our contemporary challenges.

Unravelling the Intricacies of Digital Wellbeing

Digital wellbeing encompasses all facets of life affected by technology. Its complexity is fueled by the pace of digital evolution, individual differences in how we respond to technology and diverse circumstances. Thriving in the digital world demands a nuanced and continually adaptive approach. It’s not solely about restricting screen time; in fact, challenging the superficiality of such limitations might prompt us to engage with our devices mindfully and with empowerment.

Our Digital Wellbeing Matters

In a world where screens are omnipresent and connectivity is perpetual, our digital habits can profoundly impact our mental, emotional, and physical health. Harnessing the advantages of living in a digital era with healthy boundaries ensures technology enriches rather than overwhelms our lives. Prioritising digital wellbeing is an investment in our overall quality of life, empowering us to navigate the digital landscape with resilience, mindfulness, and a sense of control.

Exploring Digital Wellbeing Together

This blog post initiates a series focused on digital wellbeing. In the upcoming blogposts, we’ll delve into specific aspects, including maintaining ergonomic practices while using devices, understanding the impact of technology on mental and emotional health, and strategies for enhancing productivity in a digitally driven world. Our aim is to equip you with insights and tools to navigate your personal journey.

We hope to inspire you to identify the areas where improvements are possible and those where you find contentment. Let’s navigate this digital landscape together!

Mastering Your Schedule: A Student’s Guide to Time Management Tools ⌚

Joel Williams [jow136] Digital proficiency and productivity, Student Digital Champions, Students Leave a comment

Blogpost by Joel Williams (Student Digital Champion)

Banner with Student Digital Champion

As module handbooks are released, work and deadlines can quickly feel overwhelming. In this post, I will show you some of the programs I’ve used to help take back control of my studies, which should aid you when managing your workload.

The first two programs, Microsoft–To-Do & Google Tasks, are relatively comparable and easy to use. However, this does sacrifice some of the features found in more complicated programs like notion.

Microsoft To Do

One of the most accessible programs to integrate into your studies is Microsoft-To-Do; at its most basic, it allows you to create tasks and then group these as needed. However, the reason this is usually my go-to is that you can also use it in conjunction with the Office 365 suite of programs, making it especially useful as the University already provides these (You can download these here).

I’ve found this especially useful during my studies as it shows any emails I’ve flagged, preventing me from forgetting about them. Therefore, I recommend creating an account with your university email, which helps keep it all interconnected. It is available on the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and as a website.

Google Tasks

Another popular alternative is Google Tasks, which, as I stated earlier, is comparable to Microsoft’s offering. However, I’ve found it helpful because of its integration with Google Assistant, making it especially easy to set reminders and tasks quickly while working on something else.

Additionally, if you prefer using the Google suite of software over Microsoft or work on an Apple device, this program will likely be the best option. It is available on the Google Play Store, Apple App Store; you can access it within Google software on the Internet or as a Chrome plugin.

Other Helpful Programs

There are many alternative programs which can help with scheduling; one of the better-known ones is Notion, whilst it is worth mentioning there is a slight learning curve. However, the elements which make Notion hard to use result from the sheer breadth of options and customisation within the program, allowing you to tailor your own experience.

If you’re looking to plan out group work (but don’t want to use Notion), Microsoft Teams is likely one of your best options. Alongside being able to communicate as a group, you can also create a task tab, which allows you to set tasks to complete together as well as divide up tasks by person if needed.

Creating your own system

The critical aspect of using all of these programs is to find the one which can best integrate into your workflow, making sure that whatever option you choose is assisting, not hindering. For those who would like to view more detailed information about some of these programs, you can find a LinkedIn Learning collection here.

DigiTip 12 – Getting Microsoft Word to Read Aloud to you 🔊

WordPress User [sil12] Digital proficiency and productivity, DigiTips Leave a comment

Do you find it easier to proofread a document or an email when you can hear what you’ve written? Luckily, there’s a useful function called Read Aloud that will play back written text as spoken words, and this is available in several Microsoft 365 apps, including Word and Outlook. It can read both Welsh and English text, in addition to several other languages. Watch the video below or follow these instructions: 

  • The first step is to ensure that your text is in the correct proofing language. Highlight the text and select Review 
  • Select Language, and then Set Proofing Language 
  • Select your chosen language and then click OK 
  • Navigate your cursor to the start of the passage you want to read aloud 
  • Select Review and then Read Aloud 
  • You can change the language and the voice of the playback 

To follow our DigiTips, subscribe to our Digital Skills Blog. Or alternatively, you can bookmark this webpage, where a new DigiTip will be added each week!  

AU Graduates Digital Skills Profile Series – Week 4 (Physics Graduate)

Laurie Stevenson [las60] Graduate Digital Skills Profile Series, Student Digital Champions Leave a comment

Our last profile for this semester is a recent Physics graduate who has had an exciting career since leaving Aberystwyth University in 2002 and is now teaching himself computer programming and is hoping to find a new career in that field.

At AU we have lots of resources to help you learn new things such as computer programming, including the new CoderPad challenges in LinkedIn Learning. In addition to this, next week we will be posting a follow-up blog detailing all the resources available to you to enhance your digital skills so keep a lookout for that!

*Please click here to read all of the other posts in our AU Graduate Digital Skills Profile Series*

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The Power of Digital Wellness: Introducing our Digital Wellbeing Series  

Joel Williams [jow136] Digital Wellbeing Series, Student Digital Champions, Students Leave a comment

Blogpost by Joel Williams (Student Digital Champion)

One focus for the Student Digital Champions this year is to explore strategies and programs we’ve used to increase our digital wellbeing. This series will explore what digital wellbeing is and will consist of posts and infographics discussing reducing eyestrain, digital detox, working environment and much more!   

This information will be posted throughout the year with several seasonal posts, including challenges for Christmas and Easter. You can also use the LinkedIn Learning collections we’ve curated if you want to find out more in between posts, and you can stay up to date with all new posts within this series through this page on our Digital Skills blog. 

To accompany this introductory blogpost, we’ve created A student’s guide to defeating computer eyestrain! (text version and clickable links below visual)

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DigiTip 11: Introducing the self-care app Finch 🐥

WordPress User [shs63] DigiTips Leave a comment

Finch is a self-care app designed to help you set realistic wellness goals to achieve throughout the day.  

The app includes features such as a focus or meditation timer, reflection diaries, quizzes, and soundscapes.  

Help your Finch avatar grow by earning points through completing your daily goals. The daily goals can be remembering to drink water, taking a walk in nature to taking part in the apps movement section which holds a collection of stretching and yoga movements.  

You can download the Finch app on Apple and Android devices. 

To follow our DigiTips, subscribe to our Digital Skills Blog. Or alternatively, you can bookmark this webpage, where a new DigiTip will be added each week! 

AU Graduates Digital Skills Profile Series – Week 3 (Stephanie Mogridge)

Laurie Stevenson [las60] Graduate Digital Skills Profile Series, Student Digital Champions, Students Leave a comment

Week 3 is our interview with Stephanie who works for TSB Banking in Mortgage Servicing and feels she got a pretty good grip of data literacy while at AU but wished she’d learnt more about her digital identity and wellbeing.

If you’d like to learn more about your own digital identity and wellbeing, why not join two of our sessions as part of the Digital Skills Festival (6-10 November ’23), Improving your digital footprint and your online shadow and Exploring your digital wellbeing.

*Please click here to read all of the other posts in our AU Graduate Digital Skills Profile Series*

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