Blogpost by Jeffrey Clark (Student Digital Champion)
Are you interested in learning more about digital skills and how developing them can support your learning, your employability, and your general confidence with technology? Then swing by our Digital Skills stand, which will be running as part of the University’s CareerFest on Friday 17 February. You’ll be able to find us on Level D of the Hugh Owen Library from 10:00-13:00.
The stand will be your one-stop-shop for finding information on digital skills and what resources are available to help you develop them. A Student Digital Champion will be there to greet you and answer any questions you may have about digital skills.
There is also an exciting program of skills workshops, employer events, webinars, networking opportunities and in-department sessions being delivered at CareerFest from 13-17 February.
Want to learn how you can use digital marketing to promote your Business or Social Enterprise?
AberPreneurs, part of the University’s Careers Service, are running an exiting online event on Wednesday 8 February (2pm), Digital Marketing Masterclass withFrancesca Irving from ‘Lunax Digital’.
This blogpost has been written by Jeffrey Clark, Student Digital Champion
That sinking feeling…
With exams around the corner, there’s no doubt that you’re all feeling the pressure. Sometimes that pressure can be overwhelming and lead to periods of high stress and anxiety. No student should have to feel like that! In this blogpost, I’ll go over some tips and useful apps that can help you and other students tackle stress during this difficult period.
Striking a balance ⚖
Here is an example of how I would organize a typical revision weekday using Microsoft Teams
It is perfectly normal to feel mild to moderate levels of stress during your time at university. There is a lot going on! From reading and writing essays to hanging out with friends, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at times. Even if you really enjoy your degree, it can still be stressful trying to find the time to manage all your modules. That is why I recommend managing your time and controlling your routine rather than letting it control you. Apps like Microsoft To-Do have been incredibly helpful to me since I’m always on-the-go. Microsoft-To-Do is a free cloud-based task management app available for desktops, Androids and Apple devices. The app contains some useful features for keeping you on track such as a customizable calendar and reminders that can be arranged in any order you desire.
Microsoft Teams also features an incredibly customizable calendar that is useful for scheduling meetings as well as keeping you up to date with your university task. Managing your time reduces stress by minimizing unpredictability and giving you the ability to work WITH deadlines as opposed to AGAINST them. Another good tip to reduce exam stress is to focus on one thing at a time. Whilst revising, focus your attention on just one of your modules a day, if you can. This makes it easier to retain information on the module that you’re studying which will make taking an exam all that easier. If you must study multiple modules, make sure you give yourself a meaningful break during your studies. Taking a break is important while studying for any amount of time. Incorporating breaks into your schedule is key to reducing stress and avoiding ‘burnout’, which we will discuss in greater detail later in this post.
As exam season approaches we have put together a couple of collections on LinkedIn Learning to help you banish the stress of exams and to help you revise more effectively.
Are you interested in learning what resources are available to help you assess and develop your digital capabilities? Or, perhaps you’re interested in learning more about how you can support your students to develop their own digital capabilities?
We will be delivering several training sessions for staff throughout January. If you are unable to attend any of these sessions, please feel free to email digi@aber.ac.uk to arrange a conversation with a member of our team.
We’re fast approaching the end of semester 1 and that also marks the halfway point for this year’s Student Digital Champions. We’re catching up today with Laurie Stevenson and Jeffrey Clark to hear about their experiences in the role this semester, to see some of the wonderful resources they have produced and to learn what they hope to achieve in the new year.
Firstly, can you explain what a Student Digital Champion is?
Jeffrey: A Student Digital Champion is someone who can help others with their digital learning and developing their digital capabilities.
Laurie: It is somebody who bring their own experiences as a student to promote and assist others with the skills and knowledge needed online.
What have you enjoyed most about your role?
Laurie: The ability to express myself creatively and learn new skills whilst being able to help other students.
What do you feel has been your biggest achievement this semester?
Jeffrey: My biggest achievement this semester has been creating high-quality blogposts which have gained a significant amount of traction.
Laurie: Creating my Ten Top Library and Information Services Tips display and bookmarks (see blogpost) which I really believe will be a beneficial resource for students now and for years to come.
Laurie’s top tips display in the Hugh Owen Library
Laurie’s top tips bookmark
What new skills have you learnt from this role?
Laurie: I’ve learnt a lot, including media content creation, graphic design skills and communication skills.
Jeffrey: I’ve developed my communication skills, organisational skills, research methods, and fact checking through this role.
What do you hope to achieve next semester?
Jeffrey: I hope to reach more students with my posts so I can help as many students as possible.
Laurie: A continued sense of achievement and enjoyment in the role as well as gaining more insight into how digital capabilities can help students at the university.
Thank you to Laurie and Jeffrey for all their hard work this semester, and we look forward to learning more from them in the new year!
In this blogpost, Jeffrey Clark, a Student Digital Champion within our team, provides his review of LinkedIn Learning.
LinkedIn Learning: An Introduction
At Aberystwyth University there are plenty of books and learning materials to sink your teeth into. But what about when you’re on the go? Or you want to explore other topics that pique your interest but don’t know where to start? Founded in 1995 as Lynda.com, LinkedIn Learningis an online learning platform with thousands of courses to choose from. The courses are designed by industry professionals and credible experts in fields ranging from business studies to personal wellbeing. While this service would normally require a paid subscription, students and staff at Aberystwyth University can enjoy access to LinkedIn Learning for free across any device!
Starting university can be a daunting and navigating the IT side of things can be confusing. We’ve therefore put together a collecting of helpful links and videos to cover any questions you may have about our IT and library services at Aberystwyth University.
Tip1: Where is everything in the Hugh Owen Library? Watch this virtual library tour:
Tip 2: Which buildings on campus have student printers? Here is the location of all printers on campus.
Tip 3: How do I print from a university printer? Watch this short demo video:
Tip 4: How do I top up my AberCard? Log into your account here to top up your AberCard.
Don’t be a copycat! Welcome to part 2 of our series on fake news and plagiarism. In part one we looked at the world of smoke and mirrors that is fake news. In this part, we will go over the many forms of plagiarism, how to avoid accidental plagiarism, and ways you can combat deliberate acts of plagiarism.
What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else’s work as if it were your own without giving credit to the original author(s) of the work. In other words, plagiarism is a form of theft but instead of physical property it is the idea of someone else, or intellectual property. There are several ways of committing plagiarism, many accidental and others intentional. Fortunately, virtually every course at Aberystwyth University goes over the basics of academic integrity as well as the proper referencing scheme to use for your course. More information on plagiarism can be found through the LibGuides page on plagiarism.
Our Christmas Learning Challenge begins tomorrow, Wednesday 7 December! We have put together 12 short courses, videos, and audio content for you to view and listen to over the next 12 days from LinkedIn Learning. This content ranges from 2-8 minutes and will help you to develop a range of skills – from using keyboard shortcuts in MS Teams to developing your self-confidence.
How do I join the challenge?
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
Finally, if you haven’t activated your LinkedIn Learning account yet, remember to do so before 6 January 2023 and you will automatically be entered into a raffle where you will have the opportunity of winning one of three £20 vouchers. For any queries about the challenge, please email the Digital Capabilities Team (digi@aber.ac.uk), and we hope you enjoy your 12 days of learning!
