DigiTip 16 – Reduce eyestrain with a blue light filter 👓

WordPress User [jpl11] DigiTips Leave a comment

Do you often find yourself having tired eyes after looking at your device for too long? In DigiTip 16, we will be having a look at how to use a blue light filter setting, to reduce the amount of blue light emitted from your device’s screen.

On Windows devices, follow the system settings below to activate “Night light”:

  • Select Start on your windows taskbar and type in Settings in the search box
  • From Settings, then choose System before finding the Display option
  • Once you have chosen the Display option, select Night light
  • With “Night light” switched on, warmer colours will be used on your screen to help block out blue light
  • To personalise when “Night light” will be in use on your device, choose the Schedule night light option where you can either select Sunset to sunrise or select Set hours to choose your own custom times for it to begin and end before closing the window

On MacOS devices, follow the system settings below to activate “Night Shift”:

  • Go to the Apple menu to open the option System Preferences
  • Through System Preferences, select the Displays icon
  • On the top of the window, click on the Night Shift tab
  • Select the Schedule drop-down list before choosing Custom
  • To personalise when “Night Shift” will be in use on your device, you can either select Sunset to sunrise or select Custom to choose your own set times for it to begin and end, before clicking Done

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! 

14 February ’24: Meet with other new teaching staff and IS colleagues

WordPress User [sil12] IS Digital Essentials for Teaching Leave a comment

In September 2023, we launched the IS Digital Essentials for teaching, a new Blackboard Learn Ultra site designed to support new teaching staff at Aberystwyth University. Please read our previous blogpost for further information.

As part of the launch of this new site, we have arranged an opportunity on Wednesday 14 February ’24 (2-3pm) for new teaching staff to join us for a cup of tea or coffee in E3, Hugh Owen. This will be an opportunity for new teaching staff to meet each other and to meet colleagues from Information Services. **Please register for the event here**

If you have any questions about the event or the Blackboard site, please contact the Digital Skills Team (digi@aber.ac.uk). 

Come to our Digital Skills Drop-ins throughout Semester 2

WordPress User [sil12] Other, Training, Weekly Digital Skills drop-ins 1 Comment

A member of the team will be available each week to support both students and staff at one of our weekly Digital Skills drop-ins.

We can help you with:

  • Finding resources that you can use to develop your digital skills
  • Providing basic support for using Microsoft software (e.g. PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Teams and Outlook)
  • Giving general advice about developing your digital skills
  • Discussing your Digital Discovery Tool report 

📍 We’ll be at the Skills Hub (indicated by the star on the image below) on Level D of the Hugh Owen library on the below Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:00-12:00 throughout Semester 2. If you have any questions, please email digi@aber.ac.uk.

Tuesday
⏰ 11:00-12:00		Wednesday
⏰ 11:00-12:00
16 January ’2424 January ’24
30 January ’247 February ’24
13 February ’2421 February ’24
27 February ’246 March ’24
12 March ’2420 March ’24
No drop-in sessions over EasterNo drop-in sessions over Easter
16 April ’2424 April ’24
30 April ’248 May ’24

Revisit all of our DigiTips from Semester 1!

WordPress User [jpl11] DigiTips Leave a comment

Welcome to the start of 2024 and we hope you all had a fantastic Christmas holiday break!

From September 2023, the Digital Skills Team have been publishing short and sweet DigiTips that we think will help you make the most of technology – ranging from taking care of your mental wellbeing with the self-care Finch App to being able to brainstorm new ideas with the whiteboard in MS Teams!

Starting from Tuesday 9th January, we will continue to be posting weekly tips about all things digital and if you want to explore any of our previous DigiTips, you can access them from this webpage.

Merry Christmas from the Digital Skills Team! 🎄✨

WordPress User [sil12] Other Leave a comment

It has been a very busy year for us all at the Digital Skills Team! Over the past year we’ve created a range of new resources and events, including:

We hope that some of the resources above have been useful in supporting you to develop your own digital skills, and we’d like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we look forward to continuing to support you in the new year!

Join us for the Student Digital Champions’ Winter Break Challenge! ❄

Joel Williams [jow136] LinkedIn Learning, Student Digital Champions Leave a comment

Blogpost by Joel Williams (Student Digital Champion)

Banner with Student Digital Champion

Welcome to this year’s Winter Break Challenge, created by the Student Digital Champions. We’ve created nine challenges for you to complete while taking a study break over the Christmas holidays.

We’ve also created a LinkedIn Learning collection, which you’re welcome to use for days 3, 5 and 7 of the challenge. Or, please feel free to choose other courses from LinkedIn Learning.

Read More

Digital Detox: Rebooting My Digital Lifestyle 📵

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

Blogpost by Noel Czempik (Student Digital Champion)

In my journey to digital wellbeing, I found myself at a crossroads, dissatisfied with the evolving relationship between technology and me. Once a source of joy for facilitating connections and enriching experiences, it gradually became a frustrating and anxiety-inducing presence. Attempting various strategies, from greyscale displays to setting reminders, proved futile; my devices continued to dominate my time, now laced with guilt and a sense of personal failure, far from the fascination of my early experiences with technology. What had changed?

Swipe Wars: The Smartphone Menace

In the early days of social media, logging in required a ritual—turning on the family PC, navigating through desktop layers, and patiently awaiting the slow progression of the digital world. That world could disappear at the press of a button at dinnertime or the first signs of an oncoming thunderstorm. Fast forward to today, and our devices are ever-present, always in our pockets, ready for instant engagement. The ease with which we unlock our phones without a clear purpose has turned habitual, a craving for the dopamine reward that digital interaction brings.

Initially confined to finite feeds, social media has evolved into expansive content platforms crafted to hold our attention endlessly. In today’s consumer-centric landscape, our devices are not neutral tools but deliberately designed to encourage frequent and prolonged use. While we seek engaging technology, the allure that captures our interest can sometimes work against our best intentions.

From Whoville to Screensville: How the Smartphone Stole Christmas

While invaluable in connecting us during lockdowns and holidays spent at a distance, our devices have also altered the nature of our in-person interactions. I vividly recall the post-pandemic Christmas spent with family, surrounded by screens, each of us engrossed in our digital worlds. It was a far cry from the planned festivities but a reality shaped by the omnipresence of technology.

My once-positive relationship with technology has now turned toxic, and breaking free from my phone’s grasp requires more than just free will.

Read More

Introducing the new AI coaching chatbot in LinkedIn Learning 🤖

WordPress User [sil12] LinkedIn Learning Leave a comment

Do you have particular skills that you want to develop, but not sure where to start? LinkedIn Learning, an online learning platform which all students and staff at AU have free access to, have just released a new coaching chatbot which may help solve this issue!

What does the coaching chatbot do?

Their new AI-powered coaching chatbot provides personalised advice and resources, pulled directly from the expert-taught content within LinkedIn Learning.

You can ask for advice on challenges you’re facing, or recommendations on how to develop specific skills, and the chatbot will ask you follow-up questions to ensure that you receive the best recommendations.

Top Tip: To get an even better response, link your LinkedIn Learning account with your personal LinkedIn account (how do I do that?) and the chatbot will take your job title or level of study into consideration before providing you with recommendations.

How do I access the coaching chatbot?

You can access the chatbot in two places, either from the main menu (on the left-hand side), or from the homepage.

Further questions?

If you have any questions about this new feature, or about LinkedIn Learning in general, please contact the Digital Skills Team (digi@aber.ac.uk).

We’re halfway through our Christmas Learning Challenge! 🎄

WordPress User [sil12] LinkedIn Learning, LinkedIn Learning Challenge Leave a comment

We’re halfway through our Christmas Learning Challenge, but don’t worry it’s not too late to join us!

The challenge provides staff and students with an opportunity to develop a range of skills, from tips to boost productivity, keyboard shortcuts in Outlook to developing better sleep habits, by watching 12 short videos from LinkedIn Learning over 12 days.

How do I join the challenge?

The first step will be to activate your LinkedIn Learning account. After doing so, there are two ways for you to join the challenge:

  • You can either follow the links on each day of the challenge from the calendar below
  • Or you can follow our Christmas Learning Challenge Learning Path (which will also display at the top of the LinkedIn Learning homepage when you login).
Calendar-Her-Dysgur-Nadolig_Christmas-Learning-Challenge-Calendar1-1-2Download

If you have any questions about the challenge, or about LinkedIn Learning in general, please email the Digital Skills Team (digi@aber.ac.uk), and we hope you enjoy your 12 days of learning!

DigiTip 15 – Learn 3 useful functions in Microsoft Teams 💬

WordPress User [jpl11] DigiTips, Microsoft Support, Microsoft Teams Leave a comment

Follow these steps to pin your priority chats to the top of your list: 

  • On the left-hand side of your Teams window, place your cursor over the chat you would like to pin 
  • Right-click once on the chat and click on Pin 
  • Your priority chat will be pinned to the top of your recent chat list 

Follow these steps to mute notifications from your chosen chat: 

  • On the left-hand side of your Teams window, place your cursor over the chat you would like to mute 
  • Right-click once on the chat and click on Mute 
  • Incoming notifications will be muted for this specific chat 

Watch the video below or follow these instructions for saving messages to access them later: 

  • Open the chat you would like to save a message(s) from 
  • Right-click once on the message and click on Save this message 
  • Place your cursor your Teams icon and click on it 
  • Select the Saved option on the menu 

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!